The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-07-25
THE BEAR \ PORK.
lie Found it Too Hot to Eat and tried to
Get Even oh the CnOii--.Am En-
tremcly Exciting Game
Of

IoutA's Companion: To one who
visits the lumbcrmen's winter camps.
deep in the Backwoods of Maine, New
Brunswick or Quebeck, the life led by
the loggers is likely to seem mohoto-
nous after the strangcness of it has
worn off. The sounds of tho chopping,
the shooting, the clanking ofthe teams,
give an ample warning to the wild
creatures of the woods. who %thercupon
generally agree TO give a wide birth to
Il ncishborhood which has suddenly
grown so populous and noisy.
A lumberman has strayed off into
the woods by himself. ~perchance, to
gather spruce gum for his friends i'll
the settlements, and he is fouud days
afterwards half eaten by bears and
foxes. A solitary chopper throws
down his AK and leans against a tree
to rest and dream. and a panther drops
down from the branches above and
tears him.
Vet, such vensencs is accomplished
but seldom, and makes no permanent
impression on the needless woodsman,
His onward march is inexorable.
The cook, it must be borne in mind,
is a most important parsonage in the
lumber camp. This | say Of camp
cooks in general, and assert it in par
ticular of the cook who figures as one
of the heroes in the story about to be
related. The other hero is the bear.
1t was a bright March morning a
Nicholson camp on Salmon river, ii
northern New Brunswick. There hat
been a heavy thaw for ONE days ant
the snow banks under the caves of til,
camp were shrinking rapidly. Thu
. bright chips about the door, the tram
pied straw and fodder around the sta
ble were steaming and soaking unde
the steady sun. Such winds as wer
stirring abroad that day were quit
shut of from the camp by the dar1
surrounding woods.
From the p%rotruding stove pipe
which did duty as a chimney, a fain
blue wreath of smoke curled lazily
The cook had the camp all TO himsel
for a while. for the teams and chopper
were at work a mile away, and til
"cookee," as the cooks assistant wa
called, had betakcn himself to Il neigh
boring pond TO fish for trout throus
the ice.
The weather being mild, lie left til
camp door wide open, and, swingin
to his berth, soon had himself luxuri
ously beaded in blankets--his own an
: as many other fellows blankets as h
liked. He hogan to dozc and dream
He dreamed Of summer fields and the
Of a lively Sunday-school picnic, and q
last Of the music of the band, which Il
heard crashing i'll his ears. Then til
cymbles and drum became unbarabl
loud, and, Weakening with a start, 1
! remembered where he was, and thru:
l his head in astonishmcnt over the eds
: of the bunk. The sight that me. h
eyes filled HIM with alarm and ind,;
nation.
The prolonged thaw had brought o,
the bears from their snug winter qua
tiers, and now, in a very bad hum,
for having been walked up too 500
. they were prowling through the. 70
est in unusual numbers. Food w
: scarce; in fact, times were very la,
with them, and they were not only ba
humored, but lean and hungry with;
To n particularly hungry bear t
smell Of our cooks simmering pc
had come that morning like tho in,
tation to a feast. The supposed i
vitation had been accepted with a ra
turous alacrity. Bruin had found t
door open, the coast clear. the quartz
"A very inviting. With the utmost 60