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

The hunters helped one another up as
soon as possible, taking the axe and guns.
They found the bears between the mouth
of the cave and Elon who was lying flat
on his back, scarcely rod from the bears.
AS the whole party came up, the bears
seemed to become more cnraged, and |
showed their teeth and growled, till the
whole mountain and woods rang with
their hideous yelling, as if a whole men,
agerie had then and there been let loose.
They would come quite up to the hunters,
as if about to tear them in pieces, and
strike at them with their paws. The
hunters frequently struck at them with
the axe and guns, which could not be fired
off; but with little effect, as they would
accurately ward off all the blows with
their paws. In the course of the fight,
which lasted several minutes, Charles lost
his hat down the precipice, and did not
see fit to take the necessary trouble to find
it, if, indeed, it were possible. While
they were fighting, the old one, which
they judged would weigh from four to five
hundred pounds, found gorge in the
rocks, by which she escaped from the cor
ner into which they had been driven, and
they soon succeeded in driving the others
into the cave. "t i' '''-
John manifested no disposition to take
very prominent part in this fight, but
stood back little, out of immediate dan
ger ~'." .
The hunters then held counsel as to
what it was best to do. The guns were wet
and in that condition could not be fired Of
at all. Byron finally assumed command
ordered the charges withdrawn, and the
barrels swabbed out as dry as they could
make them, and then reloaded While
this was being done Charles was directed
with the axe to 90 down the mountain
and find quantity of birch bark, which
abounded there, and also to cut pole suit
able to run into the cave with torch upor
it. With the bark they intended to builc
a fire at the mouth of the cave, and alst
use it, stuck into slit in the pole, for {
torch. While Charles was gone for thu
bark and pole, Byron and Elon guarded
the mouth of the cave, and John, from
, the best of motives, according to his owl
, declaration, climbed up some ten feet t.
the crotch Of little white birch tree tha
stood on the edge of the precipice, about
5 rod from the mouth of the cave, takin
g with him the old Springfield musket, whicl
Q he had neglected to put in any condition
to be fired off, When Byron saw Joh
t climbing the tree, he asked him what h
e was getting up there for. He very hor
! estly replied: h., LIZ
: "T-o guard the rest of you; I :
can shoot right over your h-eads int
. the hole !''' ..
1 Charles returned with the bark an
t pole, and while Byron was engaged i
$ making fire with the bark and matche
n at the mouth of the cave for the purpos
+ of keeping the bears in. One of thel
k come and put his nose within two, or thrt
d feet of Byron's head, which Charles se
g ing, blazed away at him with his litt
n gun; but the ball spent its force again
:, the rock, and the bear giving an ugl
(, growl drew himself back into the ca,
IT unhurt. After Byron got the fire starte,
1t Elon fired into the mouth of the CAY
1t without aiming at any thing, hoping /
$. this random shot, to hit one of the bears
e but effected nothing but another grow
d Disguised with that kind of shootin
q Byron then disclosed his purpose-wit
d his torch and gun, to 60 into the cave ar
7, shoot the bears there. John could n
ID see exactly how he could "guard" hi
a there, but he made no objections to h
st going in, SO long as he was allowed
ID stand guard on the tree
y Byron loaded the smooth bore rife, pu
"a ting in all the powder he could hold
ut the palm Of his hand, two balls, and
y handful of buck shot. He split one Ell
'7 Of the pole and inserted a piece Of u
ce IL L IL q. IA La.r.x,ce sot L 81, E.a p /