Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-12-03


She had found the board not far off, but
no papoose strapped 10 it, only something
that told the story Of what had happened.
There were bear tracks around the spot.
One Of the prints showed only two claws.
The Red-Sky-of-the-Morni went back
to camp with the news the other squaw
followed with the Jug
When the Water Snake -with-the- Long
Tail heard that his papoose had been eaten
by bear he felt suppose, very much as
any white father would have felt under the
circumstances. lie vowed vengeance against
old Two Claws, but consoled himself with
drink Of the fre-water before starting on the
hunt
The braves with him followed his exam
pie. 1t wasn't in Indian nature to start
until they had emptied the jug, so it hap
pened that old Two Claws got off again.
Tipsy braves can't follow trail worth
cent.
Not very long after that woman in
neighboring settlement heard her children
scream one day in the woods near the house.
She rushed out and actually saw a bear lug
ging off her youngest.
She was sickly, feeble sort of woman,
but such sight was enough to give her the
strength and courage of a man. She ran
and caught up an ak. Luckily she had a
big dog. The two went at the bear.
The old fellow had no notion OF losing
his dinner just for woman and mongrel
cur. But she struck him tremendous
blow on the back at the same time the pup
got him by the leg He dropped the young
one to defend himself. She caught it up
and ran, leaving the two beasts to have It
out together.
The bear made short work with the cur;
hut nf fo1l tba
child, he skulked off into the woods.
The settlers got together for a grand hunt
but old Two Claws--for the tracks showed
that he was the scoundrel-escaped into the
mountains, and lived to make more trouble
another day.
| The child Oh, the child was scarcely
hurt. 1t had got squeezed aud scratched a
little in the final tussle that was all.
As to the bear he was next heard of in
our settlement.
The hostler hesitated, winked his one eye
with an odd expression, put fresh quid
into his cheek, and finally resumed.
A brother-in-law Of my uncle, man Of
the name of Rush, was one day chopping in
the woods about half mile from his house,
when his wife went out to fetch him his
luncheon. She left two children at home.
a boy about five years old, and baby just
big enough to toddle around.
The boy had often been told that if he
strayed into the woods with his brother,
bear might carry them off, and she charged
him again that forenoon not to go away
from the house but he was an enterprising
little fellow, and when the sun shone so
pleasant and the woods looked so inviting
he wasn't to be afraid Of bears.
The woman stopped to see her husband
fell big beech he was cutting, and then
went back to the house but just before she
got there she saw the Oldest boy coming out
of the woods on the other side. He was
alone. He was white as a sheet, and so
frightened at first that he couldn't speak.
"Johnny," says she, catching hold of him,
"what is the matter ?"
"a bear" he gasped at last.
"Where is your little brother ?" was her
next question.
al don't know" said he, too much fright
ened to know anything Just then.
"Where did you leave your brother 7"
says she.
Then he seemed to have gotten his wits
together little. GA bear took him p said
he.
You can guess what sort of an agony the
mother was in.
Where was it ?"
ain the woods" he said. "Bear come
along-I rum"
She caught him up and hurried with him
into the woods. She begged him TO show
her where he was with his little brother
when the bear came along. He pointed out
two or three places. In one of them the
earth was soft. There were fresh tracks
crossing it-bear track. There was no
doubt about it.
1t was terrible situation for poor woman.
Whether to follow the bear and try to re-
cover her child, or go at once for her hus-
band or alarm the neighbors what to do
with Johnny meanwhile-all that would
have been hard enough for her to decide
, even if she had her wits about her.
She hardly knew what she did, but Just
followed her instinct, and ran with Johnny
in her arms, or dragging him after her, to
where her husband was chopping.
Well, continued the one-eyed hostler. |
needn't try to describe what followed. They
went back to the house, and Rush took his
! rifle and started on the track of the bear,
vowing that he would not come back with
out the child or the bears hide.
, The news went like wild fire through the
settlement In an hour and half dozen
men with their dogs were on the track with
Rush. 1t was 80 much trouble for him to
follow the trail that they soon overlook him,
with the help of the dogs.
But in spite of them the bear got into the
mountains. The two dogs got up with him,
and one, the only one that could follow
scent, had his back broken by a stroke of
his paw. After that it was almost impos-
sible to track him, and one after another Of
the hunters gave up and returned home.
At last Rush was left alone, but nothing
!, could induce him to turn back. He shot
some small game in the mountain which
he cooked for his supper, slept on the
ground and started on the trail again in the
morning
Along in the forenoon he came in sight of
the bear as he was crossing a stream. He
had good shot at him as he was climbing
the bank on the other side.
The bear kept on, but it was easier track.
ing him after by his blood
That evening a hunter, haggard, his
clothes all in tatters, found his way to a
backwoodsman's hut over in White Valley.
1t was Rush. He had found no trace of his
child, but he had killed the bear. 1t was
old Two Claws. He had left him on the
hills aud come to the settlement for help.
The hunt had taken him a roundabout
course, and he was not more than seven
miles from home. The next day, gun in
hand, with the bearskin strapped to his back
the carcass had been given to his friend,
the ckwoodsman-he started to return by
an easier way through the woods
1t was sad revenge he had had, but
there was grim sort of satisfaction in
bringing home the hide of Two Claws.
As he came in sight of his log house, out
ran his wife to meet him, with-what do
you suppose ?-little Johnny dragging at
her skirts, and the lost child in her arms
Then, for the first time, the man dropped,
but he didn't get down any further than his
knees. He clung to his wife and baby and
thanked God for the miracle.
But it wasn't such miracle, after all.
Little Johnny had been playing around
the door, and lost sight of the baby-and
maybe forgotten all about him--when he
strayed into the woods and saw the bear
Then he remembered all that he had heard
of the danger of being carried off and eaten,
and of course he had terrible fright
When asked about his little brother he did
not know anything about him, and | sup
pose really imagined that the bear had got
him.
But the boy had crawled into a snug
place under the side of the rain-trough, and