Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-07-03
A Bear Story.

the face of the earth, who had outlived his
wife, children, friends and everything ex-
cept his rheumatism, cramps and aches
and who boosted that for twenty year ," he
hadn't slept in regular bed was the big
story-teler. He had been great hunter in
his day. He was tall and strong even in
his old age; and his iron gray hair-which
he seldom combed-was wilderness of
curls. Large shaggy eyebrows overhung his
small black eyes, and his swarthy complex
ion was almost as dark as an Indians.
Everybody knew cold Ben," and as he
only required blanket OF buffalo robe, for
bed on the floor by the fire, he never was
refused nights shelter and something TO
eat in the morning One night in the win
ter he came TO our house and after supper,
we all drew round the open fireplace and be
sought him to tell us a story.
oval" says the old man, "what would
you like to hear about 2" "Oh, tell us a
bear story" was the unanimous response.
WAL" he continued, NJ kin tell We one
that'll make yer hair stand up" "Oh, do,
that's the kind we like" "The kind you
like Wal, guess you wouldn't like it if
you'd been thar" and pulling up the sleeve
of his old coat he showed on his hairy
almost black-left arm, four long whitish
sears reaching from the elbow nearly TO the
wrist. "There's the prints of the critter,
and I've got more on 'em on my legs"
DO tell us all about it," we cried. oval,
put some more wood on that fire. always
like good blaze, specially evenings"
Here the old man put in a fresh supply of
tobacco, and turning it round for minute,
| slowing 1t away so that it wouldn't inter
fere with his tongue, he proceeded
It's .more'n thirty year ago-yes, full
thirty, because it was just afore the war of
| 1872 and we hadn't been married but five
or six year-when my first boy, John, was
taken down with the fever, and | had to go
TO the village for the doctor. The roads,
then, were only paths, as you might say, and
we used to go horseback or on foot, depend
ing, of course, on the distance we had to
travel. Wal, the boy was awful sick.-wife
had done all she knowed for him, but it
wasn't any use; and SO put blanket over
Dobbin-our old yaller mare better
horse never stepped-and throwing myself
on her, | called Bose-our dog-and off we
started for the doctar, four miles away 1t
was late in the fall, and the days had begun
to shorten considerable. 1t might have
been two o'clock when we started, and with
good luck | could get back before dark.
| Wal, we reached the village all right, but
the doctor had gone to the east part of the
town to see sick man, and his wife didn't
know when he would get back said she ex-
pected him every minute. Doctors wives
always say that, guess but anyhow, just
as soon as he did come she would start him
for my house. l couldn't do any more, any
way, so after buying few things at the
store, and tyin them to the surcingle that
held my blanket on, / started for home. 1t
was a cloudy, dark afternoon, and looked as
If it might snow any minute. We logged
along, old Dobbin feelin frstrate, and Bose
keepin' first ahead, and then behind, and
next alongside of us. How much we sot by
that dog. He knowed everything Yes, he
Just understood about that boys bein' sick,
and that we had been after the doctor, just
as well as wife and | did. was thinkin'
of the sick boy at home, and perhaps |
might kinder have pulled Dobbin leetle
out of the regular path, but at any rate, the
first thing | knowed l was sprawln' flat in
the path, nigh half rod ahead of my horse
Her nigh fore-foot had gone into a wood
chuck's hole, and down she fell, THROWN
me over her head. | didn't mind my fall
for want a mite hurt, but when | got up
poor Dobbin had freed herself, and there
the poor thing stood, her fore-leg broken
square off Just below the knee.
Two miles away and night coming on. |
tried to lead her, but she couldn't 60, and
she made the most piteous cutlery | ever
heard come from throat, beast or human
Bose whined and understood the situation
Upon looking at my rihe-we never went
anywhere in those days without a gum
found the flint had got knocked out in the
tumble. Find it couldn't, and in my strait
didn't know what to do. hated to beat
Dobbin's brains out; l hated to leave hei
for the wolves, bears and foxes to tear to
pieces, as | knew they sartin would and
KNOWN that it was kindness to her, put
the blanket over her head and takin my
big knife from my belt cut her throat, and
stood by her till she died. | couldn't hell
cryin, to save me for wife and the sich
boy loved the horse, and we had had hei
quite a number of years, and she kinder
seemed like one of the family, you know.
As rose to go, Bose gave sharp growl
, and | saw, not twenty feet away, full
grown bear coming straight toward me.
She had probably heard the cry Of the
horse and smelt the blood. Bose started fol-
the bear, and at his approach she raised her
self partly on her hind legs and brought
him such clip over the head with one paw
that he fell senseless to the earth, his scalI
/ half torn off of him.
! This only madded the bear, and wild witt
rage she came at me. | tell you, good folks
I've been nigh deaths door good many
times-more'n | know, probably,-but tina
time was about the worst. II my old smooth
bore had been in order could have put {
bullet between her eyes that would hav,
a fixed her but the gun was only fit for club
! and what was club agin that bear ?
suppose if / had turned and run sh,
would have taken the horse instead of me
| L,,t 1 hon n hat nd n
between her and the horse my turn com,
first. took my gun by the barrel ant
raised it ready TO bring down on her heat
when she got near enough. didn't have {,
wait long, l tell vel In less than jiff,
she was on her hind legs. With grow
that makes my blood run cold when thinl
of it, she up with her right paw and strucl
at me. | tried to bring my gun down oil
her head, but her left paw whirled it out o
my hands as easy as ! could take it ava,
from ten-year-old boy. Her right paw
took off the sleeve of my coat, and her claw
made them scars / showed you. My knit
was between my teeth, and as she close,
with me had hoped TO get that ready 70
her heart, but with her strong forelegs sh
clasped me below the shoulders, and m,
knife might as well have been at home.
knew it was all up with me then. Sh
would hug me to death Already felt m.
ribs crack. prayed for help. saw m,
whole life backward in single second.
could see father, mother, wife and boy, AM
with eyes bursting from their sockets saw
the gray heavens shutting in on my failinl
sight
A rifles crack and flash within five fee
Of me and Bruin, with bullet through he
BRAIN let go her grip while !, all but gone
. faint and dizzy, leaning against tree pant
ing for breath, heard the Doctor say;
HJust in time, Sperryl"
Did the boy get well2 oh, yes, and tn
dog, too, and we had bear meat enough I
last us all winter.-Selected'