Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-11-08

mo-" he cries; he's off again. Fire.!
FIRE my left barrel through the smok'
with "eye Of faith" and examining in
couple of fresh cartridges, George and
rush on, if any mode of progress through
a tangled swamp can be called rush
We kick and wrest off the dry deat
branches, scramble over the fallen pine
but the bear. Nowhere a sign Of him
Nothing but forest and silence.
George keeps on; do my best to fol
low. He glides along like cat, in one
hand an uplifted axe, descending now
and then TO sever an opposing bough
He gets over the ground two feet TO m!
one.
lie VOLTA, qui sen va There he goes
again, Venez, Come on" cries George
and perform the speediest coming on o
which | am capable, Slow enough it is
though. Every few steps the tangled
branches of fallen cedar must be burst
through, but on | press and scramble and
tumble and crawl till George is reached.
He stands on a PROSTATE tree, axe up
raised, head bent forward and to one side
an admirable statue Of alertness.
Ecoutez. Listen he whispers.
A moments stiffness. Then a crack
ling. loud and near, up the hillside.
George jumps through the thicket, and
springs up the slope like flash.
Follow him: could as easily fit up
to heaven without wings. So scramble
on through he level swamp. 1t is said,
"blood will tell; | can swear ,ha;
weight will. The burden Of my two
hundred pounds handicapped me in this
swamp race with bear. Every ,hicket
crawled through. every windfall
scrambled over, told on me, till last
was forced to halt. With perspira,ion
bursting from every pore, and breath on
ly caught in gasps, leaned against a
tree. and imagined the feelings OF
the losing horse in race. My
hear, bea, loudly as the drumming OF
a partridge, the whole forest seemed to
reverberate with its quick thud, thud,
thud, and the blood leaped to my head
and temples until my brain was in a
whirl.
While The trees were dancing before
my reeling sight thought, "What an
unlucky wight am |. After twenty years
Of small game shooting, to at last ac,u-
ally meet bear in his haunts in the for
est, &c; within thirty yards Of him, and
on the poin, Of gratifying one of the pc,
ambitions OF my life, and then TO bang
away a couple Of shots like fool With
the buck aguc, while my noble quarry
coolly makes off. and ! am left empty
handed
Worse than that, the brute runs away
so slowly tina, George sees him again and
again-keeps up with him, in fact. Alas,
my ",oo, too solid flesh" Were a
light, nimble fellow like George, nigh,
have shot bear yes, a halfdozen
times over. And then my gun. Wha,
fool. to bring little snipe gun into the
woods in quest OF the king Of the forests,
the beas, before which all others quail,
from the Atlantic TO the Mississippi, and
then to FIRE away d, this lordly game as |
would pull trigger on a woodcock One
bird missed, up hips another. Blu, where
shall | find another bear, when have
been all my life getting up with this frs,
one: Then, If had only sho, him,
wha; yarns | would spin to my sporting
iIiends-
lie yoici encore. Here he is again -
sounded Georges voice, loud and clear,
through the forest, and cut short my rev.
erie.
Ny heart s,illed, and my brain stead
led in an instant. Again sprung for
ward. II may get him yet ; may re-
,rieve my fortunes" thought |, as drag
ged, crawled, and pushed myself ahead
through the underbrush.
George hears me crashing along, and
shouts from the mountain side, " He's
maxim down by the lake. Right ahead
o yer. Look out for him.
scramble on, impelled by one single,
strong desire-to get one good, fair shot
at that bear.
| keep on and on. Not word from
George. At my right, through the
leaves, l catch bright glimpses Of the
lake, sleeping in the sunlight. l slacker
pace. All is silent as sanctuary.
"Well the bear is off, and George with
him. I'll keep on slowly, cool off, and
perhaps get my second wind that we
read about, whatever that may be-" Sc
thinking, l sling myself up on fallen
cedar that lay breast high across my
route, swing my legs over, sit and rest
moment, then leisurely drop down on the
other side.
"Knar-r-r-r-rF And from under 6
cedar only seven PAGES away mass o.
blackness springs fer me, sudden and
swift.
have not time to take step. Had
time allowed, there is no opportunity
The fallen cedar is at my back; an
pinioned between its branches. But NJ
thought of retreat or dodging enters my
mind. There is time but for one single
impulse, and that is-shoot. My gun il
in my right hand. both barrels full cock
Instantly ! pitch it to my shoulder, yet il
this instant the whole forest scene, will
the on-dashing, black brute in the cen
tire, is accurately and indehbly photo
graphed on my sight. | see the beas
leaping on all fours, headquarters high
fore-shoulders low, head down and akew
snout turned TO right, lin curled up lik