Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-08-11
Adventures in the Woods.

Our great delight as children, used to be
to get leave to 20 into Aunt Betty's sitting
room for half an hour before dinner. We
velvet, and seated on a big red morocco
chair in Summer, drawn close to the
open window in Winter, equally close to
the fire. She was always ready TO tell Us a
story, and such stories as Aunt Bctty's I've
never heard since. In her girlhood she
had gone with her father to Canada, and
after living there for twenty years, had
married and emigrated to Australia, then
to South America and now, having out
lived her husband, her sons and daughters,
she had taken refuge in her grand-nephew's
house, and so became the JOY and delight
of half-a-dozen s~tory-loving, neversatiated
children.
[" When my father settled in the back
woods can tell you the place was a
wild one-a great roaring river ran past
the shanty forest, with trees bigger than
any in the park here, stretched round for
miles. We had between three and four
months Summer, then came all the rest of
the year Winter, when the snow lay several
feet deep on the open country. and the
river got frozen over when thGe was
nothing to be done but to house-fesd what
live beasts we had, trap such wild teasts as
had skins worth selling, and such as were
our natural enemies. Among the last, of
course, were wolves, bears, and FATHERS.
When my father or brothers lilled a
deer they hung it up, and it was ny duty
to jerk the meat, and then bring i home.
While doing this, my only companions
were a couple of large half-bred Cuba
bloodhounds-great black-muzzled. broad
chested, brave dogs, ready to attack any
animal, and of unfInching courage. Many
a time have we come upon a trapped wolf,
and never once did the dogs fail to DO their
work.
One day, | remember so well, going
for a deer my brother Jack had skinned
the day before a trap had been set close
to the place, and in the trap, fast by a
hind-leg, was one of the biggest aud sur
liest-looking bears I'd ever seen. In an
instant the dogs were at him, hrAhe did
not seem to care a bit for them boxing
them about and growing, just as If he were
laughing at them. At last he got hold of
Turk, and began squeezing him. l could
not stand quietly by and see my f%agorite
dog killed, so forgetting every thing but
Turks danger, L made a rush forward and
hit Mr.. Bruin over the head with an ak L
carried. He knocked the AK out of my
hand, and losing my balance, | fell down,
and the next thing | felt was the bears
great, hairy chest. 1t was not pleasant to
be Rugged by a bear, | can tell you, and l
fought and screamed as hard as | could.
l was nearly squeezed to death, when my
father who had heard the noise. came run
ming up and saved me.
"A great friend of mine had married.
and come to settle pretty near us that is
to say, near for those days. She had a
little baby, and not having been used to
the woods and wild beasts as | had. was
very timid. Her husband being suddenly
called away upon business, Kate sent over
for me to go and stay with her until he
came back. This L was glad to do, for L
was very fond of her. and so seldom had a
chance of seeing a woman of my own age,
that it was n great treat to sit beside Kate
and hear her talk, or watch her nursing the
little scrap of thing she called her baby,
and was so proud of. Nothing ra4.icular
happened the first night but upo. ne Sec