Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-11-11
PLAYING 1T ON THE OLD BEAR.


One day, a long time ago, about the
time when Jackson run for President
the first time, / was between Meadow
Run and Cucumber Run, which tumbles
off the rocks Just across there.
I had known for some time by the
signs that there was nest of cub bears
somewhere in the eighborhood, so on
that day l concluded that l would put
in my time finding them, as party up
in Uniontown wanted pair to send over
to Baltimore to friend who was fond of
outlandish pets.
You see that it was along about the
first of September, and pretty warm at
that, and after walking up and down
the ravine l began to get pretty tired.
| was not SO heavy then as I am now,
and did not weigh more than~a couple of
hundred pounds. AS l said, l was a
little tired, and SO, up on the top of the
ridge I sat down by the side of a smooth
CHESTNUT stub about twelve or fourteen
feet high. l hadn't sat there more than
minute till heard something inside
the stub, and soon made out that it
was couple of cub bears playing with
one another.
l looked on all sides of the stub to
find an opening, but none was to be seen.
Then | happened to notice the marks Of
claws up the side of the stub and l
understood it. The hole went in at the
top. sat my gun against bush, up
ended the branch of a tree, and was
soon at the stub, looking in at the two
cubs, which were about the size Of full
grown rat dogs.
I was so excited that l jumped down
into the stub and grabbed the cubs.
They at first began to squeal, and then
turned on me for fight. But they were
small enough 20 handle, and in minute
or two I had their mouths tied so they
could not bite, and their feet fastned so
they could not scratch.
| knew the old bear would be along
pretty soon and make it hot for me if
she found me in the nest, SO l swung
the youngsters into my buckskin belt
preparatory to getting out.
Get out? Did get out ? Land Of
love it makes me shiver to think of it
yet. could no more get out of that
stub than l could fly. The hollow
was bell-shaped, larger at the bottom
than at the top, SO large, in fact, that |
could not put my back against one side
and my feet and hands against the other
and crawl up, as rabbits and other ami
mails climb up inside of hollow trees.
In no way could I get up a foot
There were no sticks inside to help me
up. and 1 made up my mind | had to die
certain. About the time l came to this
conclusion l heard the old bear climbing
up the outside of the stub. With only
my hunting knife as means of defence,
and in such close quarters you may pos.
sibly imagine the state of my feelings.
The old bear was not more than half
minute, at the outside, climbing up
the stub, but it seemed like month,
at least. At last she reached the top,
but she didn't seem to suspect my pres
ence at all, as she deliberately turned
around and began slowly descending,
| foremost.
l felt as though my last hour had
come, and began seriously to think about
lying down and let the bear kill me, so
as to get out of my misery as quickly as
possible. Suddenly an idea struck me,
and despair gave way to hope. I drew
my hunting knife and stood on tip toe.
When the bear was about seven feet from
the bottom of the hollow, I fastened on
her tail with my left hand with vice.
like grip. and with my right drove my
hunting knife to the hilt into her haunch
at the same time yelling like whole
tribe of Indians.
.What did she do ?" chorused the
whole crowd, who had been holding their
breath.
What did she do? Well. you should
have seen the performance She didn'
stop to reflect moment, but shot out a
the top of the stub like bullet out o
a gun. A hairs breadth to the minute
| held on until we struck the ground
some thirty feet from the stub. Thel
the old bear went like lightning into tn
brush, and was out of sight in half
second. | was a little bruised by tn
fall, but that was all. took the cub
to Uniontown the next day, and on ac
count of the venture l got So apiece 70
them, and in those times $5 was goo
as $50 now.-PHsburgh Telegraph.
A masked burglar entered a roor