Year: 1879

IN THE WHITE MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS WITH


OLD ALLEN THOMPSON, The MOUNTAIN MN


ROD.


On a recent Sunday evening we were all
feet on % the fender and listening 20 tie SS'H wnd 2d
whistling down the chimney for the cold
searching winds of autumn are already blow
ing up here in the White Mountains, and the
brilliant tiuts and falling leaves are heralding
the rapid approach of winter. There came
knock at the door. Come in said one of
US and the grim face of old Allen Thompson,
the well known guide, hunter and fisherman
of the White Mountain region, appeared il
the interval and nodded significantly to me.
Guessing that something was on the tapis,
jumped up with alacrity and stepped out into
the hall. Thompson closed the door and
whispered softly in my ear, See here I've
got bar in trap over on Round Mountain,
and If you want to See some fun tomorrow
morning | want yer to be on hand at six
o'clock, and don't yer let 10 one know, cause
if there are too DIany Of us some one ii get
hurt" | promised the requisite caution, and
entered the room with au elastic step. A
bear hunt was pleasure had hardly hoped
TO enjoy among the White Mountains


At half past five Monday morning was up
and dressed. Thompson was already har-
Messing up his team across the way. After
hasty breakfast bundled myself up in my
overcoat, for the air was keen and the frost
lay thick and white upon the ground, and We
drove merrily h-Thompson, his two sons
-"Bub" and "Ed'-and myself. After II
sharp drive of half an hour, We arrived at
the farmhouse where Thompson proposed to
leave the horses. Here We were joined by
several others, swelling our number to seven
or eight. Securing an axe or two and some
stout ropes Thompson lit his pipe, shoulder
ed his gun and led the way. Climbing over a
stone wall we entered n rocky steep pasture,
at the farther end Of which Thompson had
set his trap for the bear. The sheep were
quietly grazing around us, totally unconscious
of the Partially bears have for mutton, and
to which seven or eight Of their number had
already fallen victims


For the benefit of those not thoroughly
versed in the ject of bear-hunting | will
take occasion TO explain here, that in order to
hunt "A bear successfully, it in first necessary
to persuade him TO put his foot into trap.
Bears are usually shy and 90 out upon their
marauding expeditions in the nighttime.
Dogs that will track bear are rarely found,
so it happens that he is seldom seen, except
when met accidentally, at time when the
hunter is usually unprepared for him. The
modus operandi, then, is this large steel
trap, made especially for the purpose and
weighing from thirty to forty pounds, is set
in the woods where the tracks of a bear
have been observed, or in some sheep pas
ture he has begun to frequent. A quarter of
mutton or leg of beef is placed beyond the
trap, and the latter carefully concealed with
leaves and small twigs. stick is then
placed at each end of the trap, for the bear
is cautious animal and never steps on u
stick when he can step over it. He accord
ingly steps between the sticks and into the
trap, as he advances toward the meat One
end of strong chain is attached to the trap,
and the other end TO stout billet of wood,
three or four feet in length. This acts as
clog, catching against trees and bushes and
retarding the progress of the bear and also
leaving trail by which be is easily followed.


1t was under Just such combination of
circumstances precisely that the bear under
consideration found himself on that eventful
Sunday of his life in the steel trap of Allen
Thompson. In a few minutes We reached
the spot where the trap had been set. The
ground in the vicinity looked as if a couple
of small cavalry regiments had had an en-
counter. The bushes were beaten down in
all directions. Small spruce trees the bear
had encountered in his rage were broken off
or torn up by the roots. When the bear had
recovered from the surprise which that mys-
terious grip laid ON his paw had occasioned
him, he started for the woods. The clog had
caught, the bear had turned and wreaked his
vengeance on the shrub or sapling which had
detained him, and then darted off in new
direction; and this had been repeated until
the bear had travelled over a good portion of
the pasture before he finally reached the
woods. In one place the chain had got wrap
ped around small tree and the links
half buried in the wood. Thar" said old
Thompson mo even-foot OK that ever drew
breath could have drawn that chain into the
wood like that" And so thought we all.
That bar started for church on the wrong
Sunday" faeetiously remarked one individual,
''He got into the wrong pew, at any rate, "
laughed old Allen and amid such and sundry
witty remarks at bruins expense we took up
the trail in earnest. Every few steps we
came across trees and roots of trees that had
caught the clog and consequently suffered So