Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-01-12
JANUARFI2, 1854.

reserving only small piece for HERSELF While
they were eating the last piece, the men shot
the cubs and wounded the mother. Her distress
was most painful to behold, and, though wonn-
ded, she crawled to the spot where they lay, tore
the piece Of flesh to pieces, and put some before
each Finding they did not eat, she tried to
raise them, making piteous moans all the time.
She then went to some distance, looked back and
moancd, and this failing to entice them, she re-
turned and licked their wounds. She did this
second time, and still finding that the cubs
did not follow, she went round and paved
them with great tenderness Being at last CON
WINGED that they were lifeless, she raised her,
head towards the ship, and by growl seemed
to reproach their destroyers. They returned
this with volley Of musket balls; she fell be-
tween her cubs, and died licking their wounds.
IL The black bear Of Canada is q formidable
fcreatare, easily oatstrips the saiEis4s psll.ui.s
and it climbs as well if not better than the cat.
1t feeds on berries, eggs and roots; but although
it does not seek flesh, it does not refuse it when
offered. young bear of this kind roughly
handled Canadian settler, who, being very
large and powerful man, returned hug for hug,
till the surprised bear let go her hold 1t had
ventured into some young plantation, where it
was committing much mischief, and the settlers
had endeavored to frighten it away. A friend
OF mine was in the house when the man return
ed home, his clothes torn in the struggle, and
very much exhausted in the encounter he drop
ped into chair, and nearly tainted, but little
brandy revived him, though he was ill some DAYS
afterwards from the pressure.
A young English officer, who was stationed at
lone fortress in the same country, amused
himself by tanning bear of the above species.
lie taught him to fetch and carry, to follow him
like dog, and to wait patiently at meal time
/ for his share He took the bear with him when
he returned to England, and he became great
favorite with the passengers and the ships crew.
Bruin, however, especially attached himself to a
little girl, about four years old, the daughter of
one of the ladies on board, who romped with
him as she would with dog. In one of these
games of llay, he seized her with one fore paw,
and with the other clambered and chung to the
rigging, till he lodged her and himself in the
main-tow, where, regardless of her cries and the
agony of her mother, he tried to continue his
romp. 1t would not do to pursue the pair, for
fear the bear should drop the child; and his
master, knowing how fond he was of sugar, had
some mattresses placed round the mast, in case
the child should fall, and then strewed guam
tity of sugar on the deck; he called Bruin, and
pointed to it, who, after a moments hesitation,
came down he went up, bringing the child in
safety.
This slme black bear of Canada, after it has
hugged its antagonist 10 death tears them open
with his hind feet. 1t viii ward off blows like
an accomplished boxer; for, as it would be Of
no use to strike him on his thickly-covered bo-
dy, the attacks are usually made about the head.
\ man who wantonly threw an axe ut an old
male bear as he passed, wounded him, whereup-
on the beast rushed at him the man fell back
wards over fallen tree, and in so doing tore off
sharp pointed knob of wood, which he thrust
down the bears throat, and so killed him /; not,
however, before he had received his own death
wound from the hind foot. He walked home
holding in his intestines, and died a day or two
after.
An old hunter, named Ruhe, having set his
traps to catch beavers, returned to the stream
to ascertain lis success he missed one of them,
and, on looking for it, saw signs of a bear hay
ing passed that way. As he went on, he heard
the noise of heavy body breaking through tie
bushes in the thicket He hid himself belinda
rock, and saw huge bear, limping on three
legs to a fiat piece of rock, upon which it seat
ed itself, and on raising one Of his fore paws,
Ruhe discovered that it was encircled with the
lost trap. The bear lifted the iron glove to-
wards his face, examined it, turned his paw
round and round, bent his head from side to
side looked at the trap askance with the most
puzzled air, felt the encumbrapce, tapped 1t on
the rock, and evidently knew not what to do.
Then he began to feel pain and licked it; but
Ruhe soon put an end to all his conjectures, by
shooting him dead.