Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-05-02
Oht familg CirtlF.
The Boating Bear.
A STORY FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.

Once there were two hunters away out
West, who spent their time hunting and
fishing, and trapping minks and beavers
and chasing deer, and fighting wild cats
and other varmints," us they called
them.
One day they were boating up the river,
and half mile or so off they saw big
black hear come down to the edge Of the
water to get his breakfast off from the
body of deer that had got stuck fast in
the mud while he was licking up salty
wa,er-which the deer like very much
and died there. They tried every way 10
Get near enough to the bear to have shot
at him, but the d fellow was too cunning
for them. If they tried to row the boat
up to where he was, he would trot oil into
the dark woods before they got anywhere
near enough to shoot. Or if they left the
boat and tried to creep up along the shore,
he would smell the powder in their guns
long before he could hear them, and
would give u mad kind of growl and ruh
away.
The hunters were very soon tired OF this
sort of fooling, and thought they'd try an
other game on him. So they took what
there was left of the deer and threw it into
the river, and it fioated out into the
stream. Then they took an old boat that
they hadn't used in long time, and put
on lhe seat in the middle a big cake of
honey they had got out of IL bee tree few
days before. Thy drew the boat up on
the sand ut the waters edge, and laid the
rope down and covered it with sand and
stone, Just heavy enough to keep it from
floating off, but not enough 10 anchor it
very tight Every bit of the work they
did standing in the water, or in their own
boat, 50 as not TO leave any tracks or scent
to scare away the bear. Then they rowed
over across the river, half Il mile or more
away, and got ready to watch with their
SPY glass.
Along about shutdown the old bear came
trotting down out of The woods to get an
other "venison steak, rare, with salt wa
Ter sauce.n Before he got there he smelled
the honey, and began to lick his chops, as
much us to say Good enough!-wild
honey for DESERT" But in II minute he
found his venison was gone, and made as
much flying around and growing AS your
papa did last Sunday when the cut carried
of the quails he had brought home for din
ner. But as the deer was gone, and he
was hungry, lie started to smell out the
honey. Very soon he found the boat and
saw the big cake Of honey on the seat. lie
started back, scared ut first, but as there
were no guns nor ours, nor any sign or
smell of man, he came back and began 10
peek around.
Bears are deal like boys in some
things. They love to play they have II
sweet tooth; they arc cross when they are
hungry; and they are very curious. So
the old fellow, whose mouth fairly wa
tered for the honey, looked all around
like u mischcvous younker going for his
mammals preserves, and then jumped
into the boat But in less than II jffy he
wished he hadn't, for his weight looscned
the rope, and his jump into the boat sent
it out upon the stream, and as the current
was real swift there, Mr.. Bear was soon
floating down the river, He couldn't
swim, and was too mu, h afraid of the wa
ter to jump in, and too scared to eat his
honey. So he did again just what boy
wonld do. "What's that?" Why, he
howled. The hunters had seen every
thing he did, and they jumped into their
boat and began to pull for him lively.
One of them sat in the middle and rowed,
and the other sat in the bow with his rifle
As soon as they got near enough the
first hunter began to laugh and talk ut the
bear: Where are you driitin' to, you
old contrabandP he called out" and
what II We runnin' off with my boat forP
Why don't We lay down and paddle with
your fore paws, and steer with that air
Stub tail as II rudder? An how do you
like honey, anyhow" When the bear
heard the hunters voice he turned his
head, and was us mad as he had been
scared before. lie showed all his great
savage teeth, and growled enough to
make his hair stand on end. But the
hunters weren't afraid and rowed up
quite close. &" You don't seem bit glad
TO see us, said the other one, though
dare say you'd hug us if you had a chance.
: Are you IL fshin', or just boatin' for pleas
IRE? n-and with that he tlirtGd some wa
ter toward the bear with his oar, and the
old fellow came near tipping the boat over,
he was SO hopping mad. The hunter with
the gun was afraid he would get into the
water and be lost, and so he took aim and
fired IL ball into the bears head right back
of his ear, and another right between his
eyes, and killed him dead. And then they
towed him ashore, and took off his skin
for an overcoat, and hung up the meat to
cut steak off from. And this is the first
time | ever knew u boat to be used us a
bear trap, though they often serve as traps
for men and boys who do not know how
to sail or row.-G Golden RuIe.