Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-02

in the shelter Of rock to smoke their pipes
and take q drink. One of them, Jack Trum-
bull, in sighting over the bottle, which was
aimed at an angle of forty. five degrees toward
hill opposite him, discovered that it had
dawn bead" on two baby bears. They were
rolling and tqniblipg over one another in
play on the upper side Of al o'd log.
Trumbull lowered the bottle at once, laid
it on the ground, aud started up the hill
toward the Cubs. His companion, man by
the maize ~ Herbutt, followed him. The
little bears showed re- disposition to resist
capture, aud the men each t5ct one up in
his arms. The fishermen turned to go back
after their fishing tackle and bottle, but
changed their minds before they had taken
a step. On the other side of the hollow,
about three hundred yards away, and coming
directly and rapidly toward the spot where
they had set down TO refresh themselves, was
an old bear It vas plainly the mother OF
the cubs aud Trumbull and Herbutt started
for tire nearest clearing with their booty.
They expected 80 be iolI we'd close by the old
bear but they reached lun:ber cabin nearly
two miles distant without having s~tn ANY
signs Of her. An hour atterward while tIec
r'ers, awaiting the arrival OF messenger who
had oeet: sett alter arms and munition with
which the fsherifeE 'rrAnded to return in
search OF the old bear, bG;, ~ithout any
hat aud very much excited, came f5nr'pg
into the cabin
There's big bear mp the creek" he ex-
claimed, land If it amt drunk it's crazy.
WIS f|bin' down the creek, an Just rs | work.
&C ny self round the edge OF the big rock at
the lower ear . 'f'e dark hole, I cnme spare
on to the bear. 1t .',}6 'orlir, round on the
ground, and kickn' about az pn6o O .growl.
in, but not like Us if it was mad Fist
thought it had been shot an had got av'ay,
an Inv hrr uty in In
Then l looked agin an see two fish poles
broke iuto a dozen pieces, an fish line was
wound all round the bear. / was just goin'
to make a break for t'other side o the creek
to git away fore the bear seed me, but Just
then u did zee me. an riz upan' came rigut
for me, q ri'"rfin' away iist like I've seen
drunken raftmen dom, ! didn't wait no
longer, but jist pulled across The. brook an
made for here"
The messenger came in a few minutes
later, and Trembull and Herbutt started back
With sbotguns loaded with buckshot after
the beat' Wbentbey reached the spot the
bear Wits gone, Two hours had passed since
the boy had seen her. Thc bottle was found
near where 1t had been left. Il wac empty.
This was, explanation enough TO the hunters
why the beat hsd not followed them. Unable
Unable to resist temptation of strong drink,
che had tarried with the bottle shd drained
H. wien tne poy caine upon tue oeuI rue
S'Gs trunk. She had amused herself by
breaking Che fssbpoles into bits. While I'M
der the influence of TIE liquor sho had for
gotten all about her cubs, and 5hen the eff
fects had passed of she knew that 1t Ssnc too
,'ts 20 DO of any service to them, and at once
bethought Se--eIf of her own safety. SO well
did she look out foi fe-self that, although
about twenty men and boys naso teen scour-
ing the region ever since, they have nos die.
covared one trace of her. 1t is supposed that
she has eluded her pursuers in one of the
dense swamps around the head waters of the
Delaware.