Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-07-16
WHOLE NO. $3.50.
How the Dutchman Esode the Bear.
Nashville Advocate

Nashville Advocate.
About the beginning of the pres
ent century, five or six DutchInen
settled on Sycamore creek, in what
was then Davidson, but now Cheat
ham county, Tennessee. They
were a hardy set of fbackwOodsmen,
ready at a moments warning for a
"fight or fnot-race" with either
man or beast. They were farmers,
in small way; and when not en-
gagged as such, spent much of their
time in the woods, with gun and
dogs, in pursuit of game, then
abundant in the country. Often,
when much younger than / am
now, have Listened to their thrill
ling adventures with the denizens
of the forest, but to none with more
interest than the following:
Upon certain occasion, two of
the brothers Jake and 10, as they
were famiIiarly called) left home,
with gun and dogs, for bear-hunt.
They crossed Cumberland river
about where Ashland City is now
situated, and on the waters of Har-
peth river their dogs struck the
AAdat vi q lSttSC BCttf duQ SOOU4 itdQ
him on the run. But contrary to
the usual custom of bears, this one
would not take tree, but made di-
rect for Harpeth river, about one
mile distant, which it struck at
bluff, twenty feet high, from which
1 it threw itself into the water, and
swan across. The dogs, being i'm
close pursuit, found a less precipi-
tous point, descended to the river,
and followed after. In the mean
time, Jake reached the bluff, and
fired at the bear as it approached
the opposite bank of the river, but
without doing the bear any serious
injury. The hunter hastily reload
ed his rifle, rode down the river to
an accessible point, crossed over,
and came up with the bear and
dogs, engaged in regular fight.
He saw at a glance that the bear
was at work on a favorite dog, and
that if he did anything for that
dogs relief, he must do it quickly. |
He hastily disiuounted, ran up
within a few feet of the bear, pre- |
sented his gun, and attempted
to shoot it, but the gun failed to
fire. He made a second attempt, |
but with no better success. He |
hastily examined the printing of his
gun, and discovered that il was
wet. This mishap occurred in cross
ing the river. He threw down his
gun, drew his hunting knife from
its scabbard, ran up to the bear and
thrust ii into the bears side; but in
the act of making a second stroke,
he discovered that the knife had
broken off at the handle, the blade
remaining in the bear. He after
ward discovered that the knife had
struck rib and glanced upward,
without doing the bear any serious
damage. Up to this time the bear
had paid no attention to the hunter,
but was still at work on the dog.
In the excitement OF the moment,
and without thought of the conse-
quences, the Dutchman leaped as
tride of the bear. Here the contest
between the bear and the dogs
closed, but not so between the hun
ter and bear. Bruin, not liking
such familiarity, made an effort TO
reach the hunters leg with his
open mouth, but the Dutchman
prevented this by taking hold of
the bears ear, and holding its head
ON a line with its body. The bear
then made a similar effort to seize
the hunters leg ON the opposite
side, but the hunter prevented this
by taking hold of the bears spare
ear. Being a man of great strength
and courage, in this manner he pro-
tected himself from the fangs Of the
bear. After resting awhile, the !
bear arose from its recumbent posi- ,
ton, and moved off through the
canebrake, the Dutchman on his
back, and the dogs quietly follow
ing. Not until this stage of the !
did the hunter realize {
his danger; sitting astride huge |
bear in 4 thick canebrake, with no ,
means OF defense, and no assistance
Of any kind at hand. His brother 2
10 had been thrown out of the q
chase at its beginning, and he had \
lot seen him since. He at once :
calling for his brother q
who finally answered him from the I
opposite side of the river, and dis :
ant nearly one mile. in the mean n
lime, the bear having gone about s
)ne-QudrtSf Oh lHlle luEOuSi lne v
stopped, and made an y
)ther effort to free itself from its d
'ider. This il did by deliberately
placing its forepaw between its own
leck and the hunters arm, trying
o pull the hunters hand from its
AR; but so deliberate were the
)ear's movements that the hunter
vas enabled to retain his grip ON s.
he BEARS ear for a considerable G
ime; but when he could endure 1
he pressure no longer, he would q
ct go his hold on the bears ear, >
,ermit the bears paw to pass, and i
hen seize the ear again. The bear n
would then make a similar effort n
N the opposite side, but with the q
anne results. In this manner the Il
)utchman protected himself from p
he fangs OF the bear until his p
rother 10 arrived, and dispatched p
he brute with his hunting-knife. Il
l.,