Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-07-21
! A Bear on a Toboggan. /:
SO By Paul Pastnor -
yXTHEN I was boy of 16, Fred
i. By Paul Pastnor.



wv Brace, Charley Robbins and my
self, all cifums, and all about the same
age, lived in little back-country town
in the northeastern part of New Hamp-
shire. We were farmers boys, and,
like most boys and men of backwoods
communities, enjoyed going hunting
occasionally, when farm work and
school permitted. Game. both large
and small, was plentiful, and it was
no unusual thing TO find deer, bear.
or a wildcat. hung up in front of the
village store as proof of the skill or
bravery of some local Nimrod.
There was considerable rivalry
among the boys of the village, TO sec
who would be the first to win distinc-
ton by killing bear. Only one young
elbow had succeeded in doing this be-
fore our day, and though he was now
married and had family of very small
Boys of his own, the glory of the deed
still elung TO him. and he was even then
accorded certain measure Of honor by
his fellow-citizens, as "the man who
killed bear when he was 49,"
1t is hardly necessary TO say that
Fred, Charley and l were wild to emu
late the deed of Mr.. Byron Potter, as
his name was, and so share with him
the distinction of having been ''the
champion boy hunter of the country"
Mr.. Potter, being no longer boy, his
mantle, Of course. ought TO fall upon
somebody who was. And the glory of
II seemed ample enough for three OF us.
So when Charley Robbins came run
ming breathlessly one winter morning.
to tell me that one of his fathers sheep
had been carried off in the night by a
bear, and that Bruins tracks could be
plainly seen crossing the pasture in the
direction of the woods, the first thought
that occurred to both of us, after
mingling all our ordinations OF excite
ment and delight, was to go and tell
Fred, and get him to join VS. IN an all
days hunt for the marauder. Before
either of us had tasted bite Of break
fast, w hr-'ried TO Fred's house, and
confided tie glorious news TO him.
The Opportunity had come for us to
distinguish ourselves. We agreed that
we wou li.ve that bear, or perish in
the attempt.
As soon as we could get our break
fasts, we were off with our shotguns,
heavily loaded with buckshot. over our
shoulders. Fred took his toboggan, as
he said, "to bring the bear home on;"
aud as things turned out II was very
lucky that he did. We also had Mr..
Braces big deerhound Dan, who was
IN excellent bear dog. Dan went
on ahead through the snow,
and II wasn't long after he struck the
bears trail, back of Charley's house,
before the old fellow was baying on
the scent with an eagerness that made
the blood race in our veins.
The snow was over foot deep, and
we had no trouble in following Bruins
well-marked pathway through the
woods. The dragging carcass Of the
sheep made quite wide furrow.
splotched over now and then with
blood
Right over the top of "Little Sad
dleback" went the bear. and down into
lbe valley beyond. Here, through a
deep ravine. flowed Stony brook,
dear to the hearts of trout-loving boys.
BY the time we reached the brook
Did Dan was barking so madly, quar-
ter of mile below us, and high up on
the opposite bank, that we rightly
Judged he must have either brought
Bruin to bay, or found the animals
den. Hurrying down the bed Of the
brook as fast as we could go we came
In few minutes to aplace where there
had been a landslide. The loosened
earth had started near the base of a
small cliff. some 300 feet above the
brook, and slid down into the water,
which it had turned, for a short dis
lance, into a new channel At the
base Of the cliff was a large opening
that looked like cave. In front of
this. on a projecting shelf, or thresh-
Did of rock, stood old Dan, barking
Justify.
"Hurrah!" cried Fred. That's
where the bears gone! Old Dan says
.e's in there. But it's a hard place TO
ret at the rascal. isn't it ?"
1t certainly did seem so. The bank
vas steep and entirely bare of trees. 1t
was covered with a glistening sheet of
'now; and we all wondered how the
pear could have climbed up to his den.
o sheep in his mouth.
We stood watching the cave for half
in hour or more. Old Dan got tired
parking al last. and whistle from Fred |
brought him down TO us. Still the bear
lid not see fit to show himself. and. !
nxious though we were 10 get a shot /
i him, none of MS felt like climbing |
he bank to toll the old fellow out.
Finally a brilliant idea seemed to |
trike Fred, and he began al of a sud |
len to beat like lamb. Fred was an /
EXCELLENT mimic. and the beating was
true TO life, plaintive. and
With that indescribable quaver in the
ong-drawn ma-a-a that is character
site of 4 young. unweaned lamb. In
ess than two minutes out came Bruin |
- D.. Io1 ,f ,-ro1- o.,I 1.o<~,,