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


At the end of the hole was a cave, the
hollow Of which was some two or three
feet below the level Of the entrance, where
they meet, and was ten or twelve feet
wide and four or five feet high. When
Byron had crawled in almost to the end
Of the hole, his birch bark torch went
out, and he could see nothing but the eyes
of the bears, which looked like balls of
fire, as large as hens eggs. The ferocious
growing and groaning of the bears which
they kept up, seemed ten times louder
than in the open air. He found the en-
trance SO small at the place where he was
that he could not conveniently shift his
gun to the right side, to take sight, but
got it up as we'll as he could to his left
cheek took aim between two of the eyes
and blazed away. The kicking of the
gun, the report and smoke of the powder,
so affected him, that for some minutes, as
it seemed to him, he could not move; and
his companions for some reason, did not
attempt to draw him out as directed. AS
soon as he was able, he backed out. 17Ea
Eion then loaded the gun with COM
mon charge, and went in without any
light. He thought he heard a kind of
, tapping noise, but could see nothing, and
fired at random, producing no effect .i
Byron again fixed his torch, reloaded
! his gun as before, and went in again. His
light lasted better than before, and he
could distinctly see one Of the bears
lying on his back, with legs Strengthened
up, the blood running out of his head
+ which was near the end of the entrance
and the other was tapping it up. Ht
. took deliberate aim at the live one, and
, fred. Somehow the bear sprang forward
o knocking the gun from his hands, and
! hit him, with such force, on the back Of
his head as to bring his chin down on the
, rocks and bruise the skin off of it. Af
ter recovering himself sufficiently he back
ed out again. He renewed his light and
] went in again to see what effect his shot
: lhad produced, and also to make sure il
, there were any more of the bruin rac'
. in those dark and dreary apartments
! He satisfied himself that both bears wer,
!, dead, and that there were no more in there
He then came down the mountain som
. distance until he could find suitable
i stick with a strong limb for a hook, whicl
!, he prepared and again entered the cav
. with it, having given directions tina
h when he gave the signal, they shoulc
N take hold of his legs and pull with nigh
y and main. He placed the hook in tn
- mouth Of one of the bears, and wit
such force as he could exert, assisted b.
{. Elon and Charles, tugging at his heels
y the bear was slowly and surely draggc
% from the den. The other was then draw
out in the same way.
= John, who had all the while rename
!, in the crotch Of the tree then came dowr
os shivcring as if half frozen to death, an
co as he came up to the bears, and was SUI
=, =, they were dead, he suddenly becam
j ! brave as lion, and looking them full j
I their shot wounded faces, with his eye
l. rolling up as fercely as mad bulls, /
!, exclaimed :g5h l55 ;ogl1s2 gdt n3m al
ly "I had just as lief t-t--ake
We back hug with you as not.
d. The hunters then made some scare
We for the other bear, and found where 81
Dy had gone into the mountain--how dee
S they could not guess, and had no meaI
ii. Of ascertaining except to crawl in aft
q, her. They then held council to dete
III mine what should be done, The pract
nd cability of securing the other bear, even
ot they could remain there another day, w
IN very doubtful to say the least Of it.
lis was then about sundown and they we
to much fatigucd, and all their rations we
D finished several hours before The mcal
it. Of building and supporting fire whi(
in they thought would be necessary to ke'
a the bear in, were to be obtained Wi
nd great difficulty, and they finally conclu
he ed to take tho two bears and leave II
IL woods These hears were fat and weie