The true Democrat., 1857-04-14
The Fatal Trick.
Dounds with one fatal spring the mighty brute


 Ills angry tail; red roll his eyes. dila.ed orown
 ~. hero ms vast neck just mneles with the sn;ne. 0neatieo Ill his form the deadly weapon lies
 OA'fde HaroIdS PRs+amags
 Upon one evening party of colleoans and young bloods of the town had met tosetber Q, my room to play and carouse. Tn f,ct if ,yaS regular meeting of the hunters. who assem bled twice Hi every week. We kept it up iolliIv until midnight, having in that time manaoed tc get full of Bacchus, when Somers proposed tha, we should sally forth and astonish the town bv some we'll planed and we'll directed piece o mischief. Without any of us having a very clear conception of actions or intentions, we hailed the proposition with drunken rapture and started forth.
 A travelling menagerie had arrived in towr the day before, and among the wonders it con- talned was young bear. The poor animal had been 80 well beaten that he became very hum. ble, and acquired number of amusino. tricks Of this we Were all aware. bavino visited the menagerie the day before. Just as we nassed the spot where the animals were confined i, occurred to me what rare sport it wonld be tc capture poor Bruin and place him in the cbemi. cal lecture room to astonish on the next day the professors and the class.
 A>O SOoHOt Hdd uldl0 d pTODOSIllOn gO tllS effect than it was adopted, and all volunteered their assistance in carrying it into execution The tent or pavilion which covered the beast was erected in the great yard of the orinci pa tavern. The cages. each containing one ol more animals, were iron-grated boxes, standing on wheels, by means of which they had been drawn into the town. They were ranged around the interior of the tept forming a circular array of wood and iron. Not imagining that any one would disturb the animals, the showmen and keepers had retired to rest along with the inmates of the tavern, leaving the tents entire. ly unwatched. Thus we were afforded clear held in which to execute our scheme. After several of our number had been posted as sen- tines, the rest crept under the canvass and entered the arena. It was some time before we could in the deep darkness of the place, ident- fy the cage in which our friend Brun had been placed to sleep. After stumbling over divers of things which lay scattered about and peer ing here and there in the dark, we found the object 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 ds,ant.- Some of the revelers proposed we should throw a halter around his neck and so drag him along. We rejected this, not from any personal fear. since we had arrived at that point which makes one oblivious of danger, but lest we should be seen by some late stragger, and have our fun spoiled. better plan was after much schem- ing devised, and one which met with uniyer. sal acquiescence.
 In the tavern yard stood a water hogshead. with a sliding lid fastened by means of a hasp or staple. We had only to roll this in, slide down the box from the wheels, open the door immediately in front of the hoyshead and drive the animal in. We could then push down the lid of the cask, seuvre it by means of rope passed through the staples, and roll our prisoner and prison house to the college
 No sooner was this suggested than we has tened to put 1t into execution. The cage with our united efforts, slid quietly from the wheels, bruin growing all the while with anger The hogshead was rolled in and placed open and 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 time in a secure man. her. The yell of the bear had reused the other animals, and our ears were regaed for the next ten minutes with variety of hideous sounds that wakened fearfuly the sleeping echoes of the night. The animal in the hogshead growled, and his voice came like muttering thunder, so deadened was 1t 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 sus pense. But no one disturbed or thought of disturbing us The animals often started a chorus of strange noises during the night, and the keepers thinking nothing unusual to be the matter, merely cursed the unruly beasts for de- stroylng the unity of their rest, and turning back went to sleep again.
 As soon as quiet was restored we slit hole Tn the canvas-for we were afraid to emerge by the aperture which faced the tavern-roled our ho2shead through the yard to the back gate, which We fastened, and then passing into the road, started at quick rate for our spot of destination. Over and over went the hogshead, the animal within growing at the rough treat ment 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 college, when ore of our party climbed over the wall and unfastened the gate. We rolled in our prize to the back floor of the laboratory. winch was the place where our professor of chemistry ectured. We found that in conse- quence ot the narrowness of the door the hogs head would not enter. Such being the case, we were about to start the animal through the open door when an idea, more redolent of fun, struck the fancy of Somers. Back of the lec- tnre room was a small apartment containing odds and ends, and which was not visited per haps once a month. He said rightly that if we placed Brun in this apartment he would not likely be discovered until some time during the lecture of'ehe professor, when the noise he would be apt to make attracting attention, the plot would really be brought to a 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 slid up the lid of the cask. We shook the hogshead violently, but at first to no purpose. The animal was thoroughly frightened, and lay still, or with only an occa- sional growl We shook it again-he started There was but one possible mode of progres sion, which was straight forward, and the brute gave spring through the window There was a crash of glass; a howl, and the terrified animal, crouching in the corner, remained silent Our little companion closed the sash and eaped down. We rolled the hogshead up into cor ner of the yard, and, returning to our rooms continued our revelry till near daylight.
 It was about noon when I awoke. hur. rled on my clothes, passed wet towel round my head swallowed some soda water. and af forwards cup of coffee, and then hastened te the college. It was the hour of the Professor Of Chemistry, and entered the roc m just as he had commenced to descant upon the subject The class were all wrapt in attention-for the lecturer was an able man, and was treating upon "Light' as a matter of interest, and capable of beautiful ilustration He had scarcely finished his short and eloquent exordium, before we heard a crash of bottles, and low, startling growl in the next room. The professor started and stopped a momer t, while those of the clas, not in the secret, looked at each other in aston. lshment There was pause of few seconds duration, and then the professor proceeded.
 began to feel alarmed. remembered what had been done the night before Under or1i. nary circumstances, there was no dancer to be