Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-08-09
TREED nY A BEAR.
A story OF the Kennebec wilderness.

winter VI loOl, seventy years ago. An
old man, as / now am, of eighty-two, ma
turally loves to dwell upon the legends of
his younger days, especially such as are
true and truth is sometimes stranger than
fiction.
Major Dennis Getchell was an early set
tier in Sidney, then part of Vassalboro'
He settled on the west side of the Kenne-
bee, nearly opposite Vassalboro' Corner.
AT the time of the affair alluded to, Major
Getchell was confined to his home by Il
cancer, and sent his son Remington, n
stout young fellow of sixteen, to the West
Pond settlement for DR.. Williams, who
happened to be visiting there The dis
tance was about five miles through the
woods. He went through, having with
him well-trained dog, did his message,
and after resting and taking some refresh
ments, was about to set out on his Jour
ney home,
When he entered the woods the sun was
about an hour high. He had not proceed
cd far when he saw his dog pursuing
cub. He thought at first 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 n slim Norway
| pine, running up between forty and fifty
| feet without limb, but the lean, sparing
| ly-fed boys of that day could climb trees
|
present. When he had got about eight or
ten feet he saw the bear coming after him.
He called out to his dog which had made
a furious attack upon the bear behind.
! She, fearing for her cub, Immediately
! turned back and chased the dog off and
around for a considerable time Reming-
! ton, in the mean time, eXerted himself to
| the utmost. She came back to the tree
again, but the faithful dog was at her heals
| She then turned and chased him Off as be-
| fore.
This was again repeated, which gave
| Remington time to reach the first limb /;
he got hold of it aud drew himself on to
it much exhausted, Und stood upon it with
his arms around the tree.
After awhile the bear, either disregard
ing the dog, or perhaps having disabled or
killed it in the fight, began to ascend. 1t
was now that Remington began to give
himself up for lost. The poor fellow had
no means of defending himself, and could
see no prospect but that of being dragged
down from that fearful height, and torn
in pieces by the infuriated beast.
Up came the fiend steadily advancing,
intent upon her trembling victim, like n
stanch murderer steadyto his purpose, She
soon reached him, and reached forward
with open jaws and glaring eyeballs to
seize him by the foot. He drew it back,
and with a convulsion--a superhuman
| y
upon the neck and head. This was re-
ception she was not prepared for, and she
was obliged to take it quietly, not having
the use of her fore-paws. a bear without
the use of these weapons is quite harm
less, unless she can get hold with her
teeth. Her hold was Immediately broken,
> and she lost her balance and fell This
could hardly have been caused by the
force of the blows, considering the strength
of the bears grasp.
1t is the first impulse of bear, when at
tackled or resisted, to strike with his fore
paws. Prompted by this instinct, she had
probably let go her hold upon the tree tc
strike at Getchell, stiil retalng leeoIt
hold by her hind legs; but here instinct
for once proved a failure, for being directly
underneath him, she naturally swayed
herself back to bring her paws to bear and
the blow coming at the same instant, she
let go, the recoil quickening her move
ment, and she lost her equilibrium,
|. Turning n somersault, head down, tai
up, her bearship, in accordance with tn e
law of grayitation, soon landed on terra
fJmu at q distance of about forty feet in a
perpendicular line from where she started.
She sat upon her haunches for some time,
looking up the tree, as though considering
what TO do next She was not probably
pleased with her aerial excursion, and upon
mature reelection thought she would not
climb that uniucky tree again, but finally
ascended another near by and sat upon the
tree looking at Getchell, gnashing her
teeth and growing.
/ was now growing dark. Remington
had been crying an hour for help, but nc
help came. He had heard men chopping
half mile off, but the wind being con-
trary they could not hear him. AS the
sound of the axes ceased, his hopes left
him but AS Il kind Providence had order
ed it, woman was out near the edge oftht
woods, looking for her COW, her husband
being absent and heard Remington's cries
Her husband returned home after dark
and she told him what she had heard, anC
earnestly besought him to go and get helI
and ascertain what the trouble was. He
declined going, saying that the noise she
heard was that Of a screech-owl. But she
insisted that it was human voice, and
begged him to go.
Al length, yielding to her entreaties, he
mounted horse and rode into the woods
in the direction she pointed out, and soon
; got within speaking distance, calling to
f him to inquire what was the matter. On
I being informed, the man replied that ht
rather thought he was only frightened
and advised him to come down, AT thai
C moment the bear hearing the mans voieS
i commenced to growl furiously, which 81
frightened the horse that he reared anC
! praDced around, throwing the man to thu
! ground. Fortunately, however, he held OF
TO the bride reins and remounting starteI
Q off for help, calling to Remington to be o
good courage, and he would return as sool
4. L. -. hall