Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-01-02
al1oaih's Column.
ANOTHER BEAR STORY.


going after his cows one night, and had
singular bit of experience. He kept
the cattle near meadow, and in going
for them had to pass through clump of
bushes where raspbcrrles were abundant.
The path was very narrow. and in some
places SO much overgrown by the bushes
that person might be very near an OBJ
ject and not see it. Suddenly large
bear rose up before him and sat on his
launches not three feet away. Mr.. D
was tall and very powerful man, not
easily frightened, but he did not 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 scram-
bled 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 afternoon in August. We were in
a field close to wood, where several
acres were covered with the bushes, and
as 1t 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 a while we climbed upon the
trunk of fallen tree. for the sake of
reaching the high bushes that were
bending under the weight of the luscious
fruit, when we saw a bear. not more
than ten feet distant. helping himself to
the same berries. At first he did not
see US, and we watched him for a little
as he ate the fruit. 1t 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 90 and
catch onother
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 disturbed in that way. and seemed to
think be had as much right there as We.
He simply let 90 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 we'll aimed,
for it struck him squarely in the face.
1t scattered the berries all over him, and
the tin pail fell rattling among the bush
es and stones. | never saw such pic
ture of astonishment as the bear present
ed. For a brief instant he seemed
paralyzed, and then. dropping on four
feet, he ran away screaming like child
who had been frightened by a turkey
gobbler
. We hear stories about bears attacking
! people without provocation, but | be-
lieve most of them are purely imaginary
| or greatly exaggerated. l have hunted
the black bear in the New England
States, and in the British Provinces
have threaded the forests on foot. and
secured the plains on horseback. but
never yet saw a black bear that would
attack a man, unless it were a dam
. whose cubs were meddled with, or a
bear that had been wounded and driven
t into a corner. Under such circum-
? stances any animal will fight in self.
: defense. The chief difficulty with black
bears is, not that they hurt you, but
that you cannot get near enough to hurt
}. them.-Harper's Young People.