Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-11-30
Another Bear Story.

Mr.. D., one of our neighbors, was 60.
ing after his cows one night, and had sim
gular bit of experience. He kept the cattle
near meadow, and in going for them had
to pass through a clump Of bushes where
raspberries were abundant. The path was
very narrow, and in some places so much
overgrown by the bushes that person
might be very near an object and not see it.
Suddenly a large bear rose up before him,
and sat on his launches not three feet away.
Mr.. D. was tall and very powerful
man, and not easily frightened, but he didn't
like such familiarity as that. There was no
time to retreat, and he had no weapon with
which to defend himself, but he clinched his
huge fist and struck the bear terrific blow
between the eyes. Bruin was not prepared
for this, and as he sat up so straight, and
could not brace himself quick enough, the
blow knocked him clean over upon his back +,
in the bushes. He roared, and scrambled
to his feet, and ran off as fast as his legs
could carry him, much more disturbed by
the event than Mr.. D. was.
A year or two after this, my father and |
were out gathering raspberries one after
noon in August. We were in field close
by a wood, where several acres were covered
with the bushes, and as it was newly cleared
land, they grew very tall. Indeed, person
might be picking berries ten feet distant
from you, and, if he kept quiet, you would
not know it.
After while we climbed upon the trunk
of fallen tree, for the sake of reaching
some high bushes that were bending under
the weight of luscious fruit, when we saw q
bear, not more than ten feet distant, help
ing himself to the same berries. At first
he did not see us, and we watched him for q
little as he ate the fruit. II was surprising
how skillfully he would take bush in his
paws and hold it down while he ate of the
berries, and then let it go and catch another.
But we wanted those raspberries, and
father shouted and swung his pail around
his head, thinking to drive the bear away.
But the beast did not propose to be dis
turbed in that way, and seemed to think he
had as much right there as we. He simply
let 60 the bushes, and looked at us.
Father grew impatient with swinging the
pail of berries around his own head, and
threw it with all his might at the head of
the bear. 1t was well aimed for it struck him
| squarely in the face. 1t scattered the ber-
| ries all over him, and the tin pail fell rat
\ Ting among the bushes and stones. | never
saw such picture of establishment as the
bear presented. For brief instant he
seemed paralyzed, and then, dropping on
four feet, he ran away screaming like child
who had been frightened by turkey gobbler.
We hear stories about bears attacking
people without provocation, but believe
most of them are purely imaginary or greatly
exaggerated. | have hunted the black bear
in the New England states, and in the Brit
ish Provinces; have threaded the forests on
foot, and secured the plains on horseback,
but never yet saw a black bear that would
attack man, unless it were dam whose
cubs were meddled with. or bear that had
been wounded and driven into q corner,
Under such circumstances any animal will
fight in self-defense. The chief difficulty
with black bears is, not that they hurt you
but that you can not get near enough to
hurt them.-Harper's Young People.