The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-08-11
TRIED by A BEAR.
A story of the Kcnnebec wilderness.

A story of the Kennebec Wilderness.
What am about to relate heard from
the lips of the hero Of the affair in the
winter OF lS0l-soyCnty years ago An
old man Of 80, rs II now am, naturally
loves to dwell upon the legends of his
younger days, especially such as are true
and truth is sometimes stranger than
fiction.
Major Dennic GCtchcll WINS an early
settler in Sidney, then part Of VassaI.
bOrO lie settled on the west side Of the
Kennebec, nearly opposite NassalborO
Corner. Al the time Of the affair alluded
to, Major GetChell was COniled to his
home by cancer, and sent his son Re.
mingtOn, u stout young fellow Of sixteen,
10 the West pond settlement for DR.. vii.
iams, who happened to he visiting there.
The distance was about five miles through
The woods lie went through, having
with him wGlltrained dog, did his mes.
sage, and after resting and taking some
refreshments, was about TO set ont on his
Journey home.
When he entered the woods the sun
was about IN hour high. lie had not pro.
cCCded far when he saw his dog pursuing
u cub. lie at first thought he would help
him capture the cub and carry him home
with him; but he Immediately thought OF
the old bear, and expecting she would be
upon him In minute, he sprang to the
nearest tree, which was u slim Norway
pine, running up between forty and fifty
feet without n limb, but the lean, sparng.
ly.icd boys of that day could climb trees
9muCh better than the fulfilled lads of the
present When he had got up about
eight or ten feet lie saw the bear coming
after him, lie called TO his dog, which
made furious assault upon the bear be.
hind, She, fearing for her cub, imme.
diately turned back md chased the dog
of and around for considerable time.
Remington In the meantime cxerted him.
self to the utmost. She came back to the
tree again, but the faithful dog was at
her heels. She then turned and chased
him of as before.
This was again repeated, which gave
Remington time to reach the first limb;
he got hold of 1t end drew himself on to
it, much exhausted, and stood upon It
with his arms around the tree.
After awhile the bear, either disregard.
ing the dog, or perhaps he had been kill.
ed and disabled in the fight, began to as.
Cend. 1t was now that Remington began
togivc himself over for lost The poor
fellow had no means Of defending himself,
and could sec no prospect but that Of be.
ing dragged down from that fearful
height, and torn in pieces by that iniuria.
tel beast.
p Calhc the liend, steadily advancing,
intent upon her trembling victim, like n
staNnch murderer steady to his purpose"
She soon reached him, and reached for.
ward with open jaws and glazing cyGballs
10 seize him by the foot. lie drew II back
and with n COnvllslon-a superluman ef.
iort-hc dealt 1t heavy and rapid blows
upon the neck and head. This was re.
reptlon she was not prepared for, and she
was obliged to tnkc II quietly, not having
llIe use OF her lore paws. A bear without
ihc llse, Of these weapons Is quite harm.
Icss, unless sue can get hold with her
teeth, Her hold WINS Immediately broken,
and she lost her balance and fell. This
could hardly have been caused by the
force OF the blows, considering tho strength
UTthG bears crap.
1t Is the first impulse Of n bear, when
stacked or resisted, to strike with his
fore paws Prompted by this instinct,
she had probably let go her hold upon the
tree to strike at Getchell, still retaining n
feeble hold by her hind legs; but her in.
'tinCt at once proved failure, for being
directly underneath him she naturally
swayed herself back to bring her paws to
hear, and the blow coming at tho same
instant, she let 90, the recol OF which
luiCkCncd her movement and she lost her
equilibrium.
Turning somersault head down, tail
up her bearship in accordance with the
law Of gravitatiOn, soon landed on terra
trmu at distance of about forty feet in
n perpendicular line from where she
started She sat upon her launches for
some time, looking IN the tree ,as though
considering what TO do next She was
not probably hiphlv nlcosnJ will Lnr