Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-02-17
auUSTER,s ADVENTURES.

A correspondent of the National Intc!igen-
Ger, writing from the Allegheny Mountains in
Georgia, describes an old hunter whom he
found in log cabin, in the centre of a small
valley completely hemmed on all sides by wild
and abrupt mountains, and one of the most
romantic hooks imaginable. He has lived
there for thirty years, is about sixty years old,
and wears long white beard--prOfessed to
have killed in his lifetime about four thousand
deer, and amused the correspondent of the In
telligencer with long stories Of his adventures
with the wild beasts of the forests, some Of
which the writer has condensed as follows:
On one occasion he came up to large grey
wolf, into whose head he discharged ball.
The animal did not drop, but made its way in
to an adjoining cavern and disappeared. Van
dever waited awhile at the opening, and as he
could not hear his game, he concluded
that it had ceased to breathe, whereupon he
fell upon his hands and knees, and entered the
cave. On reaching the bottom he found the
wolf alive, when ssclinch fight" eBsued; and
the hunters knife completely severed the
heart of the animal. On dragging out the
dead wolf into the sunlight, it found that
his lower jaw had been broken, which was
probably the reason why he had not succeeded
in destroying the hunter.
At one time when he was ont of ammuni-
tion. his dogs fell upon large hear, and it 50
happened that the latter got one of the former
into his power, and was about to squeeze 1t to
death. This was sight the hunter could not
endure, he Unsheathed his large hunting
knife and assaulted the black monster. The
bear tore off nearly every rag of his clothing,
and in his first plunge with his knife he COM
pletely cut off two of his fingers instead of in
turing the bear. He now in perfect
frenzy OF pain and rage, and in making anoth-
er effort succeeded TO his satisfaction, and
gained the victory. The bear weighed three
hundred and fifty pounds.
On another occasion he had fired at a large
buck near the brow of precipice some thirty
feet high, which hangs over one of the pools
in the Talluldh river. On seeing the buck
drop, he took it for granted that he was about
TO die. He approached the animal for the
purpose OF cutting his throat, when he raised
to his feet and made a tremendous rush at the
hunter with view of throwing him off the
ledge. But what was more remarkable, the
animal succeeded in his effort, though not un-
til Vandever had obtained a fair hold of the
bucks antlers, when the twain performed a
sommcrset in the pool below. The buck made
its escape, and Vandever was not seriously in
! jured in any par icuar. About month sub
sequent to that time he killed buck, which
had a bullet wound in the lower part of lis
| neck, whereupon he concluded that he had ii,
nally triumphed over the animal which had
| given him the unprecedented ducking.
| But the most remarkable escape which old
Vandever experienced, happened in this wise
| lie was SUCdlHptu upOil vi lHS iOit1 iiioA.i
tains in Union county. 1t was near the twl
| light hour, and he had heard the howl of q
wolf. With view of ascertaining the direc
| tion whence ii came, he climbed upon an i'm
mense boulder-rock, (weighing, perhaps, fifty
| tons,) which stood on the brow of a steep hill
| side. While standing upon this boulder, he
suddenly felt swimming sensation, and to hi
astonishment he found the rock was about t.
make fearful plunge into the ravine half ;
mile below him. As fortune would have II
| the limb of an oak tree drooped over the rock
and as it started from its tottlish foundation
| he seized the limb, and thereby saved his life
| The dreadful crashing of the boulder as ii de
/ scended the mountain-side came to the hun
| ter's ear, while he was suspended In the air
| and by the time it reached the bottom h.
found himself on the very spot which had bee
vacated by the boulder. Vandever said tina
this was the only time in his life that he ha
really been frightened; and he also added
| that for n day after his escape he did not car
fingers snap for the finest game in the vii
derness.