Litchfield enquirer., 1878-02-14

That explains itself. The we'll l-born'On was eaten by beast, and presumably by bear, which animal has bad reputation si nee the days of Elisha.
 The bear was coming on He had in fact come on, judged that he could see the whites of my eyes All my subsequent reflections were confused. 1 raised the gun, covered the bears breast with the sight, and let drive. Then turned and ran like deer. l did not hear the bear pursuing l looked back. The bear had stopped. He was lying down. then remembered that the best thing to do af- ter having fired your gun is to reload it. l slipped in charge, keeping my eyes on the bear. He never stirred 1 walked back sus- piciously. There was quiver in the hind legs but no other motion. Still, he might be shamming. Bears often sham. To make sure, I approached and put ball into his head. He didn't mind it now; he minded nothing Death had come to him with mer- ciful suddenness He was calm in death. In order that he might remain so, blew his brains out and then started for home. l had killed bear!
 Notwithstanding my excitement, manag- ed to saunter into the house with an uncon- cerned air. There was chorus of voices: ''Where are your blacberries?" Why were you gone so long?" ''Wheres your pail ?" 'I left the pail"
 Left the pail! What for?' "A bear wanted it."
 70, noncense!"
 "Well the last saw of it a bear had it."
 70, come You didn't really see bear?" 'Yes, but really did see real bear" "Did he run?"
 "Yes; he ran after me-" ''I don't believe word of it. What did you do?"
 ''Oh, nothing particular, except to kill the bear' Cries of "Gammon," Don't believe it, Where's the -bear?" ''If you want to see the bear, you must go into the woods. 1 couldn't bring him down alone"
 Having satisfied the household that some thing extraordinary had occurred, and excited the posthumous fears of some of them for my own safety, l went down into the valley to get help. The great bear hunter, who keeps one of the summer boarding houses, received my story with a smile of incredulity, and the incredulity spread to the other inhabitants and to the boarders as soon as the story was known l However, as I insisted in all sobernesS, and of fered to lead them to the bear, party of forty l or fifty people at last started off with me to bring the bear in. Nobody believed there was | any bear In ths case, but everybody who could get gun carried one, and we went into the woods armed with guns, pistols pitchforks, and sticks, against all contingencies or sur prises-a crowd made up of scoffers and jeer- l CTS.
 But when led the way to the fatal spot, and pointed out the bear, lying peacefully wrapped in his own skin, something like ter TOT seized the boarders, and genuine excite ment the natives- It was a no mistake bear by George; and the hero of the fight-well, will not insist upon that. But what 6 proces- sion that was carrying home the bear, and what congregation was speedy gathered in the valley to see the bear! Our best preacher up there never drew anything like it on Sun day.
 And I must say that my particulars friends who were sportsmen, behaved very well, or the whole. They didn't deny that it was { bear, although they said it was small for { bear. Mir. Deane, who is equally good witl the rife and rod, admitted that it was very good fair shot. He is probably the best sal mon-fsher in the United States, and he if an equally good hunter. suppose there is nc person in America who in more desirous te kill moose than he. But he needlessly re marked, after he had examined the wound II the bear, that he had seen that kind of sho made by cows horn. This sort of talk af fected me not. When 1 went to sleep tha night my last delicious thought was ''I've kill led bear"
 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER.