Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-08-06
BOYS ENCOUNTER WITH REAR

Mr.. ID. McPhail gives the Stratford Beacon
the following particulars of an encounter with
q bear, which took place in the township OF
Fullarton, on Wednesday, the 14th ult. On the
morning OF the day mentioned, Mr. James Pos.
ter, farmer, on lot No. 4, West Mitchell road.
neard hog making considerable noise, and
sent ms son george, lad Of some fifteen wears
OF age, to see what was the matter, when. ON
running to the scene of trouble, the lad saw
what he supposed to be large black dog be-
longing to Mr.. McPhail ION whose land the
combat was being waged,) tearing the neck of
hog belonging to Mr.. McPhail, and with the
intention OF releasing his pigship threw stick
at tne rutniess aggressor, when, to his cOnster-
nation, a huge bear, instead of the supposed
dog, relinquished his hold upon the hog and
made Tor himself. Being totally unarmed and
no assistance within quarter Of mile, he at
once made tor u small iron wood tree of about
iye inches diameter. Having got up the tree.
what was his terror when he saw the huge bea r
pursuing him hastily up the branches of the
Saphng. Having recovered his breath he
screamed for help, and in order to retard the
progress OF his assailant began to shake the
sapling, but bruin had clutched the branches
Win an iron grip and evidently calculated upon
dainty morsei for breakfast, and continued to
raise paw after paw on the branches till he ar
preached so near as to be almost within reach
The poor lad screamed Justify and endeay-
K
ing them down with his bare feet In this he
partially succeeded, when the bear made a
vigorous stretch OF her muscles and seized the
lad Dy the foot, sinking one OF her fangs under
the pail of the great toe on the right foot and
slightly scratching the side of the foot with
her other niPper teeth. At this juncture the
shaking to and fro Of the sappling with their
united weight upon it, caused it to bend over
until the top nearly approached the ground.
when, providentially, the monster losthis hold
and young Foster, bravely clinging to his grasp
with unshaken nerve, was elevated by the
rising OF the sapling. Bruin, however, did not
lose her determination to feast upon his BODY.
and again sprang to the tree, bu was evidently
too much fatigued to rise on 50 slender lad
der. AT this stage of the contest, the lad $
father reached the spot, and saw the huge
monster standing on her hind legs, her body
extended up the tree, growling fercely, the
lad nearly exhausted, clinging 10 the tree only
few feet up, with the blood streaming from
his lacerated foot. On approaching to the res
cue of his son, the infuriated beast turned non
him but he, with a club in hand, showed a
bold front, although out of breath with run
ming. his eldest son now arrived from another
part OF the farm, when they succeeding in res
euing George from his retreat. Meanwhile
several other persons arrived on the spot, and
a lad was despatched for Messrs. William and
Walter Walcom, who were soon on the spot.
win dog OF more than usual size and cOur-
age, which Immediately seized the bear by the
root OF the ear, and in the struggle brought
him to the ground. Bruin now got hold on the
shoulder of the dog, and nlpped him SO tight
as to make him relinquish his hold. But the
courage OF bruin gave way, and she made an
attempt to tree, when Keeper again seized
her by the thigh and brought her back She
now made for large elm, and assembled some
forty-fve feet, and perched in crotch to sean
her assailants. A man was then despatched
for two Of our Nimrods, who, by joint attack
both in front and rear, brought her bearship
to the ground by q well-directed fire.