OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - The Ohio Hunter [Chapter 13] ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sara Grimes McBeth saramcb@socket.net June 22, 2005 ************************************************************************** ARRANGE FOR A BEAR HUNT. 137 CHAPTER XIII ANOTHER TRIP TO THE SWAMP-A DOG ENGAGE- MENT · .KILL A LARGE CATAMOUNT--COURAGE OF A DOG CAPTURE A BEAR--CARRY A BEAR TEN MILES ON MY SHOULDER - TAKE ANOTHER BEAR SELL THE BEARS FOR TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS. THIS TRIP PROVES A DAMAGE TO MY HITH- ER TO STRONG CONSTITUTION. ON this occasion, as I was making preparations for a bear hunt, I concluded that I had not quite dogs enough, so I went to my brother-in-law and asked him if he would let me take his dog. He replied that he would, though he did not know how he would succeed in a bear chase, as he was entirely unaccustomed to such sport; but he had never yet been whipped by anything but man, and he would risk him with a bear. His name was Turk, and as I shall have occasion to refer to him several times during my story, I thought it best to have him formally introduced to the reader. He was a large, strong, and sinewy dog, but good-natured and agreeable in his manners, unless molested or imposed upon then he was ferocious and revengeful. One special reason I had in desiring his services in this campaign, was, that I had to pass a house on my road to the swamp, where lived a 138 THE OHIO HUNTER very wealthy farmer who always kept a large number of dogs, among which was a very ferocious bull dog (whether these were kept to guard his money or property, I never learned). But they were very annoying to the traveler, especially if he, too, had dogs. On several occasions they had come out and declared war against my dogs, generally came off victorious. I determined this time to give them their equal. My hounds were so very afraid that they would not venture inch from my side. The old bull dog came out as usual, and Turk met him with undaunted courage. The bull dog at once locked doubtful and would not make the attack. Turk would never attack another dog first unless told to do so. I saw that we were likely to pass in peace, and not having sufficiently forgotten the insult of former a feeling of revenge at once rose in my breast for an insult offered a dog is always an offense to his master. I turned to Turk and told him to "bite him!" Turk, always willing, to obey commands, grabbed him with his immense jaws about the throat, and commenced shaking him violently. His adversary was rendered almost helpless by the superior advantage gained by Turk, but rallied all his power to resist his foe. Sometimes he would succeed in regaining his feet, then Turk would throw him again. The farmer chanced to observe what was passing, and hastened in maddened terror to obtain revenge. He came close ROUSS OF A PANTHER 139 up to the dogs and was brandishing the club in his hand wherewith he intended to destroy their lives. But I met him in the way and told him they belonged to me. I then turned round and spoke to Turk, who relinquished his hold of the bull dog. As soon as the latter had time to regain his self- complacency he followed his master to the house considerably humbled, and, I hope, improved in disposition and manners. The hounds stood by at a little distance and looked on, and I think enjoyed the sport. After all was over we proceeded on our way to the swamp, Turk and the hounds rather exultingly. We reached the swamp just at dark. and lay down by the side of a log to sleep. Just before day-light the next morning, I heard a noise, the sound very much resembling that of a person in distress. Bill immediately hastened to the spot from whence the sound proceeded, and I followed as rapidly as I could, accompanied by Turk and the other dogs. I had plucked a brand from the burning fire before starting, and now built another fire and lay down under the tree until day-light. When I looked up in the tree I saw not a bear, but a large catamount--the largest one I had ever seen. I now saw that he was getting uneasy, and would come down soon. I thought this was a good opportunity for initiating Turk into the mysteries of hunting, so I took the hounds and Bill to a little 140 THE OHIO HUNTER distance and tied them, and watched for the catamount to come down. At length he descended, and Turk met him at the foot of the tree. The encounter was indeed terrific, but Turk proved himself equal to the occasion. The snow was very soon covered with blood, and it was for some moments doubtful which of the combatants would prove victorious. At length it was clearly decided in favor of the gallant Turk the catamount making an unconditional surrender. I now concluded that. Turk would be perfectly safe with a bear, and before long had an excellent opportunity of testing his skill in that kind of fighting. In the contest with the catamount he was considerably scratched and otherwise injured, but had no deep wounds. This catamount measured six feet in length, and had immense paws. I then went back to my place of stopping for the night, and cooked my breakfast, gathered up my traps, proceeded a few miles further in the swamp and built me a temporary habitation, and then started on a bear chase. I very soon found a track, and pursued it. As yet Turk knew nothing at all of bear, but he soon gave good evidence that he would not be very slow in learning. In tracking a bear, Bill was always the regulator to tell us when the bear was gone from his bed, and as soon as he smelled him he would start. He now went along for rods, his nose close upon the trail; presently he A BEAR ENCOUNTER 141 started upon a full gallop, and the other dogs after him, I bringing up the rear. Soon they commenced barking loudly, which convinced me that they had him treed. I now made my way to the spot as rapidly as possible, but when the bear saw me approaching he immediately came down to the ground. Turk met him at the foot of the tree in the same manner he had the catamount, but he soon found himself embraced by arms more potent than the catamount's. But the other dogs were at work, and Turk endured the violent caressing as amiably as was profitable under the circumstances. The only indignation shown was a violent grip at the bear's nose. This is an indignity which a bear cannot endure without great expressions of pain, and the halloo that he gave was almost deafening! Bill had the bear by one hind leg, and succeeded in removing that means of support from under him. These extreme annoyances caused the bear to loosen his grasp, and Turk succeeded in making, good his escape from so passionate an embrace; yet he did not retreat, but planted himself firmly before the bear. His exasperated foe raised his fore foot and gave Turk a violent rap against the side of the head which brought him to the ground, and then turned with redoubled energy upon Bill. But this was nothing new to Bill; for he had learned in many a previous contest how to meet such civilities, and he could ward off the 142 THE OHIO HUNTER blows with perfect safety. Turk, too, was soon ready for service again, and surrounded with so many antagonists the bear concluded his safest retreat was in the tree top. This would have been a very secure asylum but for old killall, the only passive enemy when on the ground, and the only dangerous one when in the tree top. With unswerving fidelity it brought the bear to the ground, yielding him an easy victim to its coadjutors. Soon after the chase last described, I started for another bear hunt, taking along with me my old friend Radabaugh as partner. We went to my old camp, and upon our arrival on the ground found it previously occupied by some hunters who had stopped there to rendezvous. They were hunting coon and our object was bear. We asked them if they had seen any signs of bear since they had been in the woods. They said they had, but declined giving any further information on subject, unless we would take them along as partners. I replied that so many having an interest in the spoils would so diminish the profits as to make it of little account to any one but they were persistent in their request to share the sport with us, and it was finally agreed that one of the men should go along with us. Early the next morning we started for the bear site, which was about six miles from our camp. We traveled until about noon when my Radabaugh abandoned the chase, saying he was CAPTURE A BEAR 143 no match for' myself and Myers, which was the name of the stranger who had joined us. Myers was counted a great traveler, and Radabaugh knew me of old, and although he was a very skillful hunter, he was rather too short-geared and fleshy to keep up with me in a bear chase. Myers and myself still kept in search of the bear track, until at last we came upon the trail of a small one. We soon routed the bear from his hiding place, and before long the dogs had him treed. When we came to the tree, I told Myers I wanted to bring him down from there alive, and give the dogs a chance for another fight, for this was a favorable opportunity for training them. At that time I could shoot an eye out of a bear with almost perfect certainty, from the top of the highest tree; so this time I thought I would only graze its nose enough to make it a little furious, and then he would descend upon the dogs for revenge. The ball pierced the flesh just as I intended it should, and the bear came rushing down to wreak his vengeance upon his exultant foes. Turk met him at the base of the tree just as he always did, and there followed an open field and fair fight; for some time it was doubtful how the contest would end; sometimes one appeared in the ascendency and sometimes the other, but at last Turk gained the advantage of power, and biting the bear fiercely in the breast, held him securely until the ferocious little animal expired. 144 THE OHIO HUNTER We were about twelve miles from camp and it was night. Myers said we would hang it up and come after it some other time. I replied, it must go to the camp that night or I should stay with it; for the snow was leaving very rapidly, and before we could return for it the snow would be gone, so that we could not find it; and the little time the snow did remain I wanted to improve in catching the large bear, whose track we had seen the previous day. Accordingly I shouldered the bear and we proceeded on our journey. I carried it about two miles and halted, and laying down and I mounted it upon his shoulders and we started again. We had only gone about twenty rods when Myers gave out! He said he could carry it no further if we lost it entirely; and once more proposed leaving it until some more favorable opportunity for getting it to camp. I replied that the should be taken into camp that night, skinned dressed; and I would eat a piece of it before I slept. Meyers said if I would do all that, I was welcome to it, and could have it all, and he would not take any part, for he certainly was not able to do it, I told him I was willing to work according to my strength, and he should have a share just the same. At half past one o'clock we reached the camp, Myers completely exhausted. He lay down immediately to rest, and I, after having carried the START ANOTHER BEAR. 145 bear over ten miles of the route, dressed it, cooked some of its ribs, ate my supper and retired just a few minutes before four o'clock. I slept until six and got up and was ready for the big track I had seen the day before. The was Sunday morning, and my friend Radabaugh was a member of the Disciple church, and Myers belonged to the Methodist; but as for myself I respected no particular day, although a member of the Disciple church. I believed that the "Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." and if I found a favorable opportunity for making a good bargain, or doing a days work to any profit, the Sabbath was seldom any hindrance. But although I felt very little respect for the day itself, I always respected the opinion of others, and would not ask them to violate it. So I did not ask either of my companions to join me in the chase, but only asked them if they would allow me to take their dogs. They replied that they would. I now shouldered my gun, and with a little provision in my knapsack, and my dogs by my side, started for the chase. I had only proceeded a few rods, when one of them called to me and said he did not like to see me go off alone, and said he would accompany me. We accordingly went on until about noon before we found any track; then we started a bear, and the dogs and ourselves fol- lowed it at a rapid rate. After following it sev- 10 146 THE OHIO HUNTER eral miles we heard the dogs barking violently. This was a signal that the bear was either treed or cornered. We hastened to where the sound proceeded from, and found in the top of a tall sycamore the largest bear we had caught that summer. I reached the tree first, and set down and waited until Radabaugh came up. We were both very tired, and rested a few minutes, then I told him to shoot. He did so making a dead shot the first time. The weather had been moderating all day, and the snow disappearing very rapidly We then undertook to draw the bear into camp, by, means of bark, but as it was nearly night, and as both of us were exhausted we lay down by the side of our game and slept until morning. Then we had to draw our game into camp on bare ground. This was the most fatiguing march I had ever taken, and before many months I learned that trip to the swamp had done me more injury than any previous chase I had ever taken. Soon after this I found myself broken in constitution and weighed down with years; and from the night that I carried the bear so many miles I have never been able to endure what I could before, without sensibly feeling it. After camp we had to carry our bear five miles further before we could obtain the means of conveyance. The two bears netted us seventy- five dollars, but this was a poor recompense for the health strength it cost.