Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-07-15
AN UNCOMMON BIG BEAR STORY.

We have to record very singular de.
liverance of a girl about tl rec years old
to It's pare nts, after being carried off by a
black bear, and a search of about thirty.
six hours through the forest by the excl
ted parents The facts, as near as we
can gather them, are substantially as
follows: sa
Mr.. Henry Flynn lives about forty miles
east of this place, at or near the lodging
camps of Mr.. Ludington, and We believe
has charge of one of the camps He
started one morning to take horse to
pasture, about two miles distant from the
house, and as he was ready to start, his
little girl appeared and seemed very anx-
ious to go with her father, who, in order
to please the child, put her upon the
horses back and let her ride short dis
tance, perhaps forty rods from the house,
but in plain view of it, where be put her
down and told her to run home. He
noticed that the child was standing where
be left her, an looking back after going
little further, saw her playing in the sand.
He soon passed out Of sight, and was gone
about an hour, expecting OF course that
the child would return to the house after
playing few moments.
On returning home he made inquiry
about the child of its mother, who said
she had not seen the child, and supposed
he had taken her along with him. On
going to the spot where he left her, he saw
huge bear tracks in the sand, and at once
came to the conclusion that the child had
been carried off by the bear.
The family Immediately made search
through the forest, which was grown up
to almost a jungle, rendering their search
very slow All day these anxious parents
nor did they stop when darkness came on,
but remained in the woods, calling the
the child by her name, and with aching
hearts would listen with almost breathless
fear to catch some sound by which they
could discover their lost darling.
A couple Of gentlemen looking at land
came to the house, and being informed of
the circumstance, Immediately set out to
help find the child. No doub5 existed as
to the fate of the little one by all, and if
they could only find where the bear had
despatched his victim, they might then
90 home with the assurance that they were
never to see their child again, but until
some trace of her was found, there was
hope
The gentlemen alluded to had wandered
about, and as they were passing swampy
spot where the underground was thick,
they either called the child, or else were
talking loud, when one of them heard the
child's voice. He then called the child
by name and told her to come out Of the
bushes. She replied that the bear would
not let her The m5n then crept through
the brush, and when near the spot where
the child and bear were, they heard
splash in the water, which the child said
was the bear On going to her they found
he1 standing upon log extending about
half way across the river.
The bear had undertaken to cross the
river on the log, and being closely pursued,
left the child and swan away. She had
received some scratches about her face,
arms anu loSS, duC ioi Ololl-oo NolC di'AoS-
torn from her body, but the bear had OF
bitten her to hurt her, only the marks of
his teeth being found on her back, where
in taking hold of her clothes to carry her
he had taken the flesh also.
The little one says the bear would put
her down occasionally to rest, and would
put his lose up to her face, when she
would slap him, and then the bear would
hang his head by her side and purr and
rub against her like cat. The men asked
her if she was cold in the night, and she
told him the old bear lay down beside her
and put his ''arms' around her and hug
ged her to him and kept her warm, though
She did not like his long hair. She was
taken home to her parents, who could
hardly express their joy at her safety.
The bear has been seen lurking about
in the vicinity, it is supposed for the
purpose of yet carrying off the child. The
supposition is that it is female bear,
and having lost her cubs, came across the
child and adopted it. Steps are being
taken to capture the bear.
-Luaington lhich) Record, 30h uIt.