The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-01-24


room to play and carouse. In fact it was q reeu
lar meeting of the hunters who assembled tvics
10 every week. We kept 1t up jolly until mid.
night, having in that time managed to get full OF
sally forth and astonish the town by some we'll
planned and well directed piece of mischief With.
out any one of US having very clear conception
Of actions or Intentions, we hailed the proposition
with drunken rapture and started forth
travelling menagerie had arrived in town the
day before, and among the wonders 1t contained
was young bear. The poor animal had been 40
| well beaten, that he became very humble, and
acquired number of amusing tricks. OF this
we were all aware, having visited the menagerie
the day before. Just as we passed the spot where
the animals were confined IL occurred to me what
rare sport it would be to capture Door Bruin
and place him in the chemical lecture room to As
tonish, on the next day, the professors and the
class.
| No sooner had made q proposition to this eff
fct than it was adopted, aud all volunteered their
assistance in carrying 1t into execution. The
| tent or pavilion which covered the beasts, was
| The cages, each containing one or more animals
were iron-grated boxes, standing wheels, by
| means tf which they bad been dragged into the
| town They were ranged round the interior o f
the tent, forming circular array of wood and iron
Not imagining that any would disturb the ami
mails the showmen and keepers had retired to
rest along with the inmates of the tavern leaving
| the tents entirely unmatched. Thus We were at
1
| scheme. After several of our number had been
| posted seutinels the rest crept in under ths
| canvas and entered the arena. 1t was some time
before we could. In the deep darkness Of the
place, identify the cage iu which our friend Bruin
| had been placed to sleep. After stumbling over
divers things which lay scattered about and peer
| ing here and there In the dark, we found the OBJ
ject OF our search. There, in substantial cage,
was the dim outline of the animal, his two white
eyes flashing drops of FIRE at being aroused from,
| his quiet slumber.
The next difficulty that occurred to US was the
mode Of conveying him to the college, which was
several hundred yards distant. Some of the reve-
lers proposed that should throw halter around
his neck and 80 drag him along. We rejected this,
not from any persona al fear, since we had arrived
| at that point which makes one obivious of danger
but lest we should be seen by some late s.raggler
and have our fun spoiled. A better plan was af-
| ter much scheming, devised, and one which met
| with universal acquiescence.
| In the tavern yard stood a water hogshead with
sliding lid fastened by means of hasp and staple
| We had only to roll this in, slide down the box
| from the wheels, open the door Immediately in
| front of the hogshead, and drive the animal in
| We could then push down the lid of the eask, Sc
| cure 1t by means OF rope passed through the sta
Piles, and roll our prisoner and prison house to the
college.
No sooner was this suggested than we FASTENED
TO put it into execution. The cage with our united
| efforts, was slid quietly down from the wheels
Bruin growing all the while with anger-the hogs
head rolled in, and placed open end in front Of
the cage, and the animal stirred up with our canes
With terrific yell he rushed in and we closed the
lid suddenly down on him, fastening it at the same
| in q secure manner. The yell of the bear had
| reused the other animals, and our ears were re-
| galed for the next ten minutes with variety Of
| hideous sounds that wakened fearfully the sleep
| Ing echoes of the night. The animal in the hogs
head growled, and his voice came like distant
thunder, so deadened was it by the wood in which
he lay. His fellows had no encumbrance to their
voices, and they howled as clearly as though they
| had been in their native forests
Fearful of being discovered, we remained quiet
| for time, holding our breaths in suspense But
| no one disturbed, or thought of disturbing, u.s.
| The animals often started chorus of strange
uoises, during the night and the keepers, thinking
nothing to be the matter, merely cursed the
unruy beasts for destroying the unity of their rest
| and turning back, went to sleep again
AS soon as quiet was restored, we slit a hole in
| the canyas-for we were afraid to emerge by the
aperture which faced the tavern-rolled our hogs.
| head through the yard to the back gate which we
fastened, and then passing into the road, started
| at quick rate for spot of destination Over
and over went the hogshead, the animal within
| growing at the rough treatment he experienced,
| and we nearly convulsed with laughter at the
| uncouthness of the noise which he made.
At length we reached the back part of the COL
| lege, when one of our party climbed over the wall
and unfastened the gate. We rolled in our prize
to the back floor of the iabratory, which the
place where our professor of chemistry ectured.-
We found that, in consequence of the narrowness
| II the door, the hogshead would not enter. Such
| being the case, we were about to start the animal
| through the open door, when an idea, more redol
| ent of fun, struck the fancy of Somers Back OF
| the lecture room was a small apartment contain.
ing odds and ends, and which was not visited per.
| haps, once month He said rightly, that if we
| placed Bruin in this apartment he oud not liker
| iy be discovered until some time during the lee
ture of the professor, when the noise he would be
apt to make attracting attention, the plot would
readily be brought to crisis. We joined our
| strength, and upon our shoulders, up went the
hogshead, until it was placed on a level with the
window. A light young fellow, the smallest of the
party, climbed up hoisted the window, and sided
up the lid Of the cask. We eshook the hogshead vi
oientiy, but at first to no purpose. The animal
was thoroughly frightened. and lay still or with
only an occasional growl. We shook it again, he
| started There was but one possible mode of pro
| sfession, which was straight forward-and the
brute gave spring through the window. There
was crash OF glass, howl aRd the terrified ami
MAJ, crouching in the corner, remained silent. Our
| little companion closed the sash and leaped down.
We rolled the hogshead up into corner of the
| yard, and, returning to our rooms continued our
| reyeiry till near daylight.
| TWAS about noon y hen / awoke. hurried on
Ey Clothes passed a wet towel round nv head,
| swallowed some soda water and afterwards a cup
of coffee, and then hasened to the college. 1t was
| the hour OF the professor of chemistry and en-.
tered the room just as he had comm 10 descant
upon the subject The class were all wrapt ia at
tention-for the lecturer was able man, and was
treating upon Light matter Of interest and
capable OF beautiful illustration. He had scarcely
| finished bis short and eloquent exordium, before
We heard crash of bottles, and q low, startling
! growl in the next room. The professor started
| and stopped moment, while those of the class not
in the secret looked At each other iu astoni
| There was pause of few seconds duration, and
then the professor proceeded
| i began to feel alarmed. ! remembered wha.
| had been done the night before. Under ordinary
| circumstances, there was no danger TO be appre-
| hended The bear was tame enough, and had been
| whipped until he had imbibed proper sense of the
| superiority of man. But from the sounds judged
| that Bruin had worked himself into the room only
| separated from us by partition full of windows,
In which were kept the various drugs used in illus
| uating experiments.
There were good many carbons and bottles OF
acid In that room. Should he overset any Of these
and the contents touch his skin be would be apt to
| preak through the windows OF the apartment and
do some mischief before we could secure him. By
the looks OF my companions, saw they entertained
the same fears.
There was another crash and growL The pro-
fessor stopped again. and the class looked around
| ia dismay. Those who were acquainted with the
cause OF the noise could scarcely keep their coun.
tenance. 10 o. Iiie OF the alarm under which they
Iabored, there was something 80 iudicrous in the
growl, especially when we figured to ourselves the
coming eonsterD alton Of the class that they could
hardly refrain from Laughing outright. The pro.