Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-11-10
THE HUNT AT HAMMoND's MILLS.
J. g. Hollands Version of an Event In
Wardsboro 90 Years Ago.

twas August, Just the twentyseventh
| The hour think about the eleventh,
That is, counting from midnight time
! Excuse that just for the sake of the rhyme),
When mounted upon chargers fierce
Appeared in haste two mountaineers,
Direct from Hammonds vale,
Both halted from their furious canter,
In Wardsboro, l think the Centre,
And told startling tale
A bear a bear! they cried, A bear
Has just been seen. By whomY when? wher
Cried each pale boy with jaws wide parted
And looks that showed them chicken hearted
What man has seen oneg oh it was no man,
Only good veracious woman
She saw and ready stands TO swear
She saw great black awful bear.
Now every man turn out, turn out,
Old, young, decrept, join the scout,
Gather ogether all your ours,
Leap to your horses-use your spurs,
If you've no spurs why take a stick,
SO that you 20 alfred quick.
Then heavens what rush and rum
For rifle long and ''trainiu gum"
Some went to loading, some 10 swapping,
Others their greasy iints to rapping.
Then bounded furious to the stable,
Those to keep horses who were able,
All others that attend the shoot"
Must needs of course trudge on on foot
Then quickly every horseman mounted,
And wildly every charger bounded,
And loud their clanking hoofs resounded-
Till the whole forest was surrounded.
Then ranged along the eastern border
With dogs and guns, ard all in order
line of men-some looking grave,
Others with aspect nobly brave,
All swearing to devote to ruin,
Poor, lonely, unsuspecting Bruin.
Then rose shout a shrill halo,
On-on-my boys, the forest through,
And if he fights don't start peg,
But kill him IF it takes leg"
All to their guns in fury started,
And all into the thicket darted,
Nor magic clan Of Rhoderic Dhu,
Fer quicker disappeared from view.
Babcork vas there, a hunter bold
Who hunted wolves and bears of old;
And swift o or rocks, and rotten logs.
Bounded and beloved Babcock's dogs.
Hark- hark-they cry, the track is found,
Ne thundors how the woods resound.
Ger ever hill and tangled glen,
Press on the furious painting men,
Each uttering forth a cry Of joy.
And yelling to their dogs "stuboy."
Then every cur put IN the faster;
And every one outstript his master
Till to their joys and glad surprize,
brushheap burst upon their eyes,
Round which they stopt in consultation,
With all the wisdom OF nation;
And choosing them delegation,
To make a tour Of exploration,
Waited with lolling tongues outside,
To hear by whom twas occupied
Not long they stood, not long they talked,
When forth the bear unbidden walked;
Handed her paw to each with grace,
And then walked off with rapid pace
Each dog was now chopfullen quite,
To see the 'creetur" so polite.
And thinking they had met her coldly,
They one and all determined boldly,
To go ahead have one embrace,
And get chance to kiss her face
With this droll custom unacquainted,
wonder that she had not tainted,
But being Green Mountain lass,
She was not frightened by such sauce,
For all alone in that condition,
She took 1t as an imposition
And turning on the noisy rabble,
Began a fierce, unequal squabble.
Babcock AT that time coming up,
Seeing her bite his darling pup.
Told his old gun to throw her lead,
Directly at the lady's head
He thought ms balls were safely lodged,
But they were not-the "crittur" lodged,
And turning round with bearing proud,
She swore that Babcock talk, d too loud.
Said he was out of order quite,
For a mere witness of the fight,
But there to stand was most absurd
For Babcock could not say a word.
The reason he could say no more,
Was, he had said the whole before;
And thinking she might wish for prey
Before he had aught else to say,
He dropped his cartridge and his bullet,
And jammed his musket down her gullet.
Disiking such an awful blunder,
She wheeled and ran as mad as thunder;
But men were near, and dogs were close,
Some bit her heels, and some her nose,
Till she, resolving to be- free,
Scratched up in haste hemlock tree.
Two bullets whizzed-the race was stopt,
She reeled, released her hold and dropt.
Bang! bang comes from another quarter!
What under heavens are they arter?'
cuba cub. has just been routed,
a shrill voice in the distance shouted;
Now for the cub sang out another
The poor black babe has lost his mother.
Then fathers cried in anguish wild,
In mercy Stay the homeless child.
onion they fly DER stumps and fences,
Like men devoid of half their senses.
Ger rocky height, through valley deep,
Like young hurricane they sweep,
Nor tangling brush nor mry swamp,
Can in the least their ardor damp,
Till tired and scared, the cub agreed,
just for experiment, to be "treed'
A moment more a bullet sped
And he like his fond dame was dead
They bore him from the fatal spot
And the place that knew him knows him not
Then men fatigued of each profession,
Joined in the long uncouth procession,
Led onward by the sturdy four,
The black unweldly corpse that bore
And on thy journey to the vale,
Each telling some tremendous tale,
OF bears that he had helped to Stay
In days and years now passed away
Till all arrived. Just for the fun
Each man fires off his old long gun,
Walks with conqueror's air away,
To tell the exploits Of the day.
The cub was laid beside the dame,
Both looked quite harmless, both quite tame.
! or as the good old saying saith,
Looked doubly beautiful in death
! Then matrons grave, and maidens bright,
Pressed on to see the novel sight,
While children young, and children older
| Peeped over one another's shoulder.
| Some upward raised by their papas,
Others led onward by their mas,
| Till all could have in truth to say,
! I've Seen two dead black bears today.
| The bears were sold, the large, and small,
Flesh. oil, hides legs, yea paws, and all,
And he who these poor lines has penned
| Has just received his dividend.
But long shall live in kitchen story,
| The wonders of that glorious day
! And long shall hunters claim the glory