The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-08-23
a Tragic Bear EiEht.

L
We translate from the Qnsbsc Cana.
liam the following account Of . fearful !,
ncoanter with a bear, in which the unfor- =
unate hunter lost his life: Ii
1 A most painful occurrence has just 8
pread q sort Of panic in the parish Of St. .
Raymond. A man has been torn to pieces &
~ bear. This animal on the night OF b
Sunday, the 28th of May, had killed and b
carried off COW belonging to q man OF /
he name of Michael Cantin. On the G
morrow an. experienced hunter. in that re- :
zion named James Cantin, whose aim for
oriy years had brought down bears. moose. !
and other large game of the forest with.
out number, prepared means to put an
end to this, ferocious brute. 1t was sun I
down before these were completed, and he Ii
had not time to 20 for his son TO assist him T
10 custom, to feed upon the prey he had !,
secreted; and the inhabitants Of the vii. I,
lage hesfd the firing Of gun. Fifteen
minutes later, another gun was heard, the
report sounding as if near the woods; and
as the night was closing, q third report was
hesrd coming from within the forest; then
AL was silent.
The people gathered together to NEE.
the hunter on his way home, and hear
from his own lips the story Of his encoun'
ter with the bear. But the night has be-
gun, and he does not come. The hopes
Of his friends turn to fear, and they re-
solve to fly to his assistance. They start
with lanterns and proceed to the edge OF
the forest. where their cries and discharge
OF firearms remain unanswered. They
enter the wood and scour it in various di-
rections, but without seeing or hearing
anything. Then they turn homewsrd,
sad and dispirited. to resume the search
a. dawn the next day.
More than forty persons. who had been
summoned in the course Of the night, met
at daybreak on the morrow, at tho spot
whence the report OF the hunters first shot
had proceeded. A bloody track led them
on through tho forest; and many who
| we're following it came to the bear, which
they found lying dead in olump OF bushes
tnear swamp. But no hunter was to be
found. They continued on their way.
still keeping to the traces Of blood on the
ground, which extended beyond the spot
whsre lay the animal, until in the midst of
= dense thicket they stumbled upon the
unfortunate Cantm. The soil trampled
| and torn up; the bushes broken and down
ltrodden; the trunks Of tho trees hard by,
the leaves on the bushes, and the face Of
the earth, goary with the blood that had
been shed; and the mutilated limbs OF the
deceased; everything told Of a long and
desperate conflict waged hand to, hand
between the unfortunate hunter and his
terrible adversary. et ns,- 8
4 From all that could be gathered on the
subisot, il is surmised that the horrible
tragedy took place in the following man.
! Inef: Cantin's first shot had wounded the
bear severely, and driven him to the woods:
The hunter followed in pursuit, and fred
second time, but from the rear, as in the
first instance. Sill, this could not have
been. 4 mortal wound. Then it 10 suppos.
ed, that the bear. finding he was being fol.
lowed up closely, and urged on by fear
and rage, plunged deeper into the forest
where at length. he laid down to reorui
his strength, or perhaps to die after thu
: customsof his species, the members o
which usually seek some retired spot L
breathe their last. Accordingly, the mon
ster selected the densest thioket to b.
found in the woods.
el Animated by that noble ambition of tn
+ hunter who thinks he is sure of his game
Z and is desirous Of adding another to hi
!. numerous exploits. Cantin perseyered il
= the chase, notwithstanding the increasin
q darkness around him. Still it must hay
/. been sufficiently light for himto distinguis
d the goary track of the bear; but it is high
Improbable that he stumbled suddenly upo
e his secure retreat; and then in his rag,
;. the animal regainsd his strength for
II while, and rising confronted his pursue
q bsfore he could escape. Still, Can't
mus, have had time to fire third shot. b.
70 90 hurriedly that his aim could not te
y. effectually. the ball being found in b
y neck. Then he undoubtedly clubbed h
n gun and beat the animal on the head un
the weapon fell shattered from his gras
ID to the ground, where ii was discovered
a. This friends. The man and the brute mu
tn have closed then in the last fearful confi
which termin ated so fatally. But disarr
re ed, without knife, and having nothil
re- but his stout arm tosopposs the fury OF 4
% beArsthe brave fellows courage could q
vi save him from the tragic end he met wit
When the bear engages in fight,
q rises and, sitting on his haunohes, strik
with his paws ike q monkey but uses
ler claws in addition like cat; while
,ix enormous muscles indicate strength III
=. is almost inconceivible. His claws pr
ID Itected Instantly with terrible power, te
,er and carry away everything they fall upe
,ly From these poor Cantin received sevel
= 4 IL a