Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1882-02-02
A BEAR HUN


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In the summer 0f 18l2 nsII par
~ Of Us took . jaunt 10 &e White
Mountains, well provided wh imple-
menfs for cunning and fiahiz
There were three besides .vself in
the party. First came Ben iIroy-
rare old Ben lone az the est men
that ever joined any party He. had
big body, Tor his heart 1usd not
have been held in q small ne. He
had seen some forty yea &incs his
natal morn, and ifhe bad sorrows
he never told them. Ia not tall
NOT over Eve feet eevee and ret
be turned the beam ct 81 hundred.
II - Wns konnd nd - Is
''c0rpofak Son. and sI@6ys - sea- %
smiles and good-humoF. The top 81
his pate was bald, and the locks that
gathered daintily about his temples
and neck were well bespsinkled with
gray. But he could run.
The next was Ned Hobson--"Ed-
mund NJ" think, his natural name
was; but | never heard him called else
but plain Ned. He was younger than
Ben-sOme six or eight years-and
just Ben's opposite in frame, being
tall and slim, well formed, and pos
sessed of good blood and muscle.
Next came Harris B. Horne-a
short, square-shouldsred Vermonter,
in the middle-age of life, with black
hair, and dark brown eyes; a face
made up of shrewdness and good-na-
ture; frame firmly and compactly knit;
and genial flow of humor and anec-
dote. ever ready to ell up the gap of
what might otherwise be a silent mo-
ment. aHe was a crack shot with his
rihe-sure of bulls eye at two hun
bred yards.
Last, but by no means least, came
your humble servant--a very fair spe-
cimen OF the genus homo-looking for
all the world like colonel of infantry
on q pleasure trip.
The summer was drawing to q close
so near it that one or two nipping
frosts had been experienced upon some
of the intervals-and we had come
down as far Conway, N. H. Bears
were then generally plenty in that
section late in the season, and on the
present occasion quite q number Of
corn-6elds had been visited by them.
So we determined upon bear hunt.
One bright morning we took our
trap and guns, and started off for o
corn-feld where, we had been in
formed, these black ''varmints" had
done considerable mischief. The field
in qeustion waa zpan aslieh, piece o.
table land-or, rather, . long, wide
swell-in the town of Albany, which
rises upon one side from Swift river.
We reached the spot little before
noon, and fond the old farmer Just in
the act of cursing the ''infernal cree
turs." When we told him the object
of our visit, he was highly delighted,
and offered US all the assistance in
his power. With him we went out to
the corn-6eld, which we found to be q
piece newly cleared, upon the edge Of
the forest, and surrounded by q
common blush fence" We easily
found the place, upon the wood side,
where the bears had entered, and here
We made arrangements to set our
trap.
The trap is shaped like q fox-trap,
with jaws from ten inches to foot in
height, aud stout springs upon both
ends. These jaws are armed with
sharp teeth, or spikes, from two to
three inches in length, which are
firmly riveted upon the under side,
and when closed stand about an inch
and half apart. To this trap is made
fast q stout chain, long enough to al
low fair sweep, upon the end OF
which Is an iron ring some six inches
in diameter. Into this ring is driven
"clog "A stick of strong wood some
three feet in length, or longer or
shorter according to the nature Of the
path by which the bear will make his
exit. If the trap were made fast, 90
that it could not be dragged away,
the bear would be sure to either tear
himself out or break the trap. Upon
finding himself in such q Elk" and
fast at that, his rage would know no
bounds. But by driving in the stout
clog We have him secure enough
The moment he finds himself in the
trap he starts of. We will be sure.
if the fence be not Ear of, that he can
get over that. When he reaches the
woods he viii ere long find himself
fast. The clog has got across two
small trees through which he has
passed. Now he has gone that far
without any insurmountable obstruc-
tons, and he naturally fancies that he
has Numbered into fault; 80 he care
fully begins to study his way out
He knows the trap il not absolutely
fixed. because he has already dragged
it long distance, and hence he will
not make any effort to tear himself
out. Perhaps he frees himself from
his trouble, and once more iogs along.
But very soon he finds himself in an
other INK" The trees are thick, and
he can pass where the transverse clog
cannot. Maybe in this effort, or the
next one. he gets the chain turned
about tree. All his ingenuity il al
fault. His leg has become inhamed
and sore, and every effort now gives
him the most excruciating pain. He
lies down. and finds that he feels cas-
Ter; and there he j. likely to lie until
his trappers find him-when powdsr
and ball put an end to his life.
We found the place where the beal
entered the corn-6eld to be an excel.
liant av.r& fow cha kraw, - -.:.