Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
How | Killed a Bear.

| fS'"fHtVN Nbes) OOWHW.
How / Killed a Bear.
In the January Atlantic Charles Dudley
Warner reports an experience in the Adiron-
dacks. He was not hunting for bear, and
had no reason TO suppose bear was looking
for him. The fact is" he says, eve were
both blackberrying, and met by chance"
He had set down his rifle, and was wander
ing on from bush TO bush, with his six.
quart pail, wishing he could meet real
bear, and weaving story about it. But
let him tell
IL was in the midst of the tale, when |
happened TO look some rods away to the
other edge of the clearing, and there was a
bear lie was standing on his hind legs
and doing just what | was doing-picking
blackberries. With one paw he bent down
the bush, while with the other he clawed the
berries into his mouth, green ones and ALL
To say that | was astonished is inside
the plark. | suddenly discovered that |
ttdn't want to see bear, after all. At
| about the same moment the bear saw me,
stopped eating berries, and regarded me
with glad surprise. 1t is all very well to
imagine what you would do under such cir
cumstances. Probably you would't do it; /
didn't. The bear dropped down on his fore
| teet, and came slowly towards me- Climb
ing tree was of no use with so good a
climber in the rear if / started to run, |
mad no doubt the bear would give chase;
and although bear cannot run down hill
as fast as he can up hill, yet | felt that he
could get over this rough bush-tangled
| ground faster than | could
"The bear was approaching. It suddenly
occurred to me how | could divert his mind
until | could fall back upon. my military
base. My pail was nearly full of excellent
berries-much better than the bear could
pick himself. | put the pail on the ground
and slowly backed away from it, keeping my
eye, as beast-tamers do, on the bear. The
ruse succeeded.
"The bear came up to the berries and
stopped. Not accustomed to eat out of a
pail he tipped it over and nosed about in the
fruit, corning Gf there is such word)
it down, mixed with leaves and dirt, like
pig The bear is a worse feeder than pig
Whenever he disturbs maple sugar camp
in the spring he always upsets the buckets
of syrup and tramples round in the sticky
sweets, wasting more than he eats. The
bears manners are thoroughly disagreeable
d" As soon as my enemy's head was down,
started and ran. Somewhat out of breath,
and shaky, | reached my rifle. 1t was not
moment too soon. | heard the bear crash
ing through the brush after me. Enraged
at my duplicity, he was now coming on with
blood in his eye. ] felt that the time of one
of us was probably short. The rapidity of
thought at such moments of peril is well
known. | thought an octave volume, had
1t illustrated and published, sold fifty thou
sand copies, and went to Europe on the pro-
ceeds, while that bear was loping across the
clearing. As | was cooking my gun | made
a hasty and unsatisfactory review of my
whole life | noted that even in such
compulsory review it is almost impossible to
think of any good thing you have done.
The sins come out uncommonly strong. |
recollected a newspaper subscription had
delayed paying, years and years ago, until
both editor and newspaper were dead and
which now never could be paid to all eternity
" The bear was coming on.
81 tried to remember what | had read
about encounters with bears. ] couldn't re-
call all instance in which man had run
away from bear in the woods and escaped,
although | recalled plenty where the bear
had run from the man and got Off tried
to think what is the best way to kill bear
with gun, when you are not near enough
to club him with the stock. My first thought
was to fire at his head, to plant the ball be-
tween his eyes but this a dangerous expert
ment. The bears brain is very small, and
unless you hit that, the bear does not mind
a bullet in his head,-that is, not at the
time. | remembered that the instant death
of the bear would follow bullet planted just
back of his fore leg and sent into his heart.
This spot is also difficult to reach unless
the bear stands off side towards you, like
IA target. determined to fire at him generally.
| The bear was coming on.
"The contest seemed to be very different
from anything at Creedmoor. | had care
fully read the reports OF the shooting there,
but ii was not easy to apply the experience
had thus acquired. | hestated whether
had better fire lying on my stomach, or ly-
ing on my back and resting the gun on my
toes. But iu neither position, | reflected,
could | see the bear until he was upon me.
The range was too short, and the bear
wouldn't wait for me TO examine the ther-
mometer and note the direction OF the wind
Trial of the Creedmoor method, therefore,
had to be abandoned and | bitterly re-
gretted that had not read more accounts of
otf-hand shooting.
"For the bear was coming on.
g tried to fix my thoughts upon my fam
lily. As my family is small, this was not
difficult. Dread of displeasing my wife or
hurting her feelings was uppermost in my
mind. What would be her anxiety as hour
after hour passed on and | did not return
What would the rest of the household think
as the afternoon passed and no blackberries
came What would be her modification
when the news was brought that her hus-
band had been eaten up by bear can
not imagine anything more ignominious
than to have husband eaten by bearW
Then he arranged his epitaph, and tried
how it would look in English and German.
All this time
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. | raised the gun,
covered the bears breast with the sight, and
let drive Then | turned aud ran like
deer. ! did not hear the bear pursuing /
looked back. The bear had stopped. He
was lying down. | then remembered that
the best thing to do after having fired your
gun is to reload it, | slipped in a charge,
keeping my eyes on the bear. He never
stirred. walked back suspiciously. There
was quiver in the hind legs, but no other
motion. Still he might be shamming.
Bears often sham. To make sure, | ap
preached and put a ball into his head. He
didn't mind 1t now he minded nothing.
Death had come TO him with merciful sud
denness. lie was calm in death. In order
that he might remain so | blew his brains
out aud then started for home. | had killed
bear
EVEN newspaper man finds it hard some
I 10, s...t