Smyrna times., 1898-06-01

on the bed OF evergreen bOughS IN camp
on the shore of Moosehead lake, came
the scream of a bear somewhere off in
the dark forest. 1t was a queer sound
that was much like the shrill call of
dinner, with a rising infection at
the end, with which New England farm
wives summon the men from the fields
to the MONDAY meal. 1t was repeated
several times at intervals and came each
time from nearer the camp. The guide
got up and went out to the maple grove
a few rods away, took down from
limb the buck that was hanging there,
dragged it nearer the camp and hung it
up to a tree within plain sight of the
doorway.
"When we know that bear is prowl-
ing round, it is we'll to have our venison
where we can see it, )" he said. "He
won't come so near the camp, but if we
left the meat out among the naples he'd
be apt to spoil some of it before morn
ing. A bear is Il hungry creature and
will eat about everything, from honey
to carrion-a stale salt mackerel will
draw one farther than anything else
but he is shy about coming around
camps where people are. You'll see that
this one will come near enough to find
out that there are people here. and then
will go away"
The New Yorker was for going out
to try shot at the bear, but the guide
told him that it was of no use.
"He won't come into view anyway"
he said, land if you show yourself at
the door he'll not come within rifle
shot. Remember that he can see in the
dark, but unless you should get a
glimpse Of his eyes you couldn't distin-
guish him among the shadows five steps
away. Just listen, and we may hear
him."
The New York man lay down again
upon the boughs. The scream came once
again close at hand and after that was
heard no more. Presently the guide lift
ed his head and signaled the New York
er that he should listen. There was a
sound of cracking twigs and rustling
bushes somewhere outside the open
space in front of the camp, but no noise
of footballs. Then came a little sharp
sound of snufing and after that the
noise of something moving through the
bushes again. The snuffings and then
the moving on again kept up until the
bear had completely circled round the
camp, and then the sounds from him
died away. Bruin had found out all he
wanted to know about the camp, decid-
ed that venison there was likely to come
too high in the way of risk in getting it,
and gone away without showing him
self or exposing his skin to any greater
risk than that of random shot.
"That's the way with BEARS" OBJ
served Meserve as the two men lighted
their pipes "You almost never get a
shot at one unless you catch him swim
ming a pond-and in that case you
want to make sure of your shooting or
he'll come aboard your boat, which
makes things bad-or run him down
with dogs, which is expensive, for the
more valuable the dog the more certain
he is to get killed. It's only the ours
that will yap at the bears heels and run
away when he turns ON them that es-
cape damage in bear chase, and, once
in sight of the bear, they're the most
useful too The bear is like what l have
read of elephants He can't bear the
sound of little dog swapping behind
him and keeps turning round to drive
him off and so gives the hunters {
chance to come up.
GGThora boar. that cfaUof
round this shore for years, and he gave
fishermen no end of trouble by robbinl
their camps when they were out on thC
lake fishing. He bothered them worst il
the early spring, when they came up t.
the lakes to fish through the ice. 1t wa
about that time that the bear would
come out from his winters sleep leal
and hungry, and it took heap to fiji
him up. He was a great traveller, ant
before the fishing season ended he wOul'
be heard of from one end of the lake t.
the other. They could tell that it wa
one bear that did the business, for thi
one had a foot with some of the toe
gone, and the tracks about the camp al
ways showed this mark.
"This bear run his rig up and dow
the lake for three years without get
ting into trouble. He came to grief a
last in a very queer way. A man nam
ed Silas Thompson, camping alone o.
the east shore of the lake, was out O.
the ice minding his lines one Marc
day and thinking how he would hav
to go home sooner than he had intended
owing to an accident that had happene
that morning at his camp. In some wa
he had dropped his rum jug and broke
it in two or three places. There was
bottle with some molasses in it standin
by the fireplace, and by grabbing up th
Jug quickly and holding it over the bo
tie he managed to save quart or tw
of rum in the shape of black strap
that's the state of Maine name for rur
and molasses mixed together, and it
an entioing drink. He had just mad
, up his mind to go to the camp to try
little of ths mixture when he saw
bear coming out ON the ice from thf
direction, and the bear was staggerin
drunk. It had broken into the camp an
was drunk on Silas Thompson's rul
and molasses. The bear didn't seem
know where he was at or where |
wanted to go, and while he fioundere
round ON the ice Thompson made ci
cult past him, got to the camp and can
q back with his gun and sho: him.
v proved to be the bear that had robbie
# the fishermen's S camps so long. He dis
i happy, and the fishermen's troubl
q were ended so far as he was concerned.
!. New York Sun.
y The English Walnut.
Possibly few trees in the old wor
,r are more profitable than the Engli
/. walnut, which thrives in England al
9, all over the northern part of the con
nent of Europe. The wood is especial
y used for gun stocks and for many artlcl
of furniture and is found profitable fro
trees of 10 years of age and upwaI
. There is always a good demand Tor {
nuts, SO that there are two distinct Ill
of profit-by the timber and by the fru
In our country they thrive in any p'
tion of the eastern states, although
they progress northwardly the tips
, the last years shoots are destroyed
l. winter. The living portions push
again, however, and generally bear
na abundantly as before.
81 q In the vicinity of Philadelphia tn
no are numerous trees, planted by the eal
Id German settlers, which bear every ye