Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1862-04-18

they then understood what it meant when
they came to an apparent stopping place
The bears would back right back in the
tracks Of their forward movement, with
such accuracy and precision, that no one,
who did not suspect the trick would see
any signs of reverse movement, until
they came to some large rock, ledge or
knoll, and then give long leap on to a.
bare spot and move off in a direction di-
verging from that just pursued.
Whether this trick is the habit, merely,
or the cunning of the bear, must be left
to naturalists to determine. think it
cannot nationally be contended that an
animal 50 stupid as the bear has general
ly been supposed to be, can possess suth-
cient sagacity, cunning and contrivance,
to resort to the method, by design, of back
: ing back, instead Of turning round. If
this trick was the result of thought and
, caution, the bear must possess it in large
degree. The situation and location of the
rock and ledge must have been carefully
/ noted as thus passed, and their calcula-
: tions made how far to 60 ahead, before
: commencing the reverse movement, in a
J, manner most effectually to cheat the hun
: ter. | am more inclined to believe that the
n whole maneuver is but the habit Of the
/ animal possessed by him instinctively
e for the purpose of eluding his pursuer,
i and when he backs in his tracks, he exer-
! cises just as much thought as when he
r comes down q tree the same end forward.
c Any other theory, it seems to me, make
r out the bear altogether too smart
o AS they passed along in the pursuit
y John would occasionally use his gun for a
o cane with the breech down. the others
g told him he should not do 50, but keep il
W as dry as possible. John replied, Cit
d will make no d--d-ifference. We shall
.e not want it to-day"
D They followed the bears as far as they
.5 could, over rocks and ledgcs, through
er gorges and tangled tree-tops, for three o,
If four miles, till they came round on tn,
Of west side Of the Chin, in Cambridge
g Here, in going around ledge, they passed
y on the left, a rock some fifteen feet high
" above where the tracks were to be seen
RS and nearly perpendicular but with som
:" slight offsets, so that, with help, maj
RS could climb to the top. Byron passed thi
re rock, and traced the track around tn
to ledge some seven or eight rods, while th
o. others of the party remained at the rock
~ till he came to another stopping place Q
he the kind before described. After h
til passed on, Elon gave his gun TO Charles
bs and with his assistance, succeeded in climt
1t ing to the top of the rock, and immediatel
ar found that the bears had come up there
en- Elon began to track them around kin
,ir of corridor-like pass, some seven or eigb
feet wide, with the perpendicular rock
of rising many feet on the left side, and o
IL the right was an almost perpendicula
ge precipice, descending SO low, that loo
nd off would affect the strongest nerves, an
n make the head dizzy. Without waitin
n for the other members of the party, Elo
in, followed this pass some five or six rod
=" till ne came in sight Of another rocl
ng many feet high, which stood in the end
lie, the pass. At the foot of this rock,
" turned out that there was cave and
lg, the mouth of it were the three bear
ey They at once discovered that they we
TX. cornered, and at once began to snap an
ks snarl, to show their teeth and growl ar
ks groan, in the most hideous manner; ar
,pt the largest one, in their efforts to get ava
all probably sprang upon Elon, and knockt
,en him down, before he could back out al
of come up with the reinforcement of the re
ra of the company. The fearful growl al
nd "hooshing' of the bears, was heard |
On, the other members of the party al
in when Elon was knocked over, he cried o
ok- most Justify, "They will kill me tn,
to will kill me p gica 1ia sdi l1i
ck, Byron had just returned to the pla
ev- where he left his companions, and Joh
nd, tho mulatto, on hearing Elon cry out
sht piteously, commenced jumping right