DRIVES. 195 



took a slioat from a drove belonging to captain J. Hart, 

 of Middlebury, in his presence. The captain followed 

 him closely, but the bear evidently gained in the race, 

 till he came to a brush fence, and not being able to 

 climb it with sufficient expedition, dropped the dying 

 pig in order to secure himself. Mr. Edmund Strong was 

 chopping on his land, when one of his hogs was taken 

 near by. After a severe contest with clubs, Mr. Strong 

 recovered the body of his hog ; and, using it as a bait, 

 afterwards caught the offender in a trap. Another 

 seized a full grown hog belonging to A. Whittlesey, near 

 the centre, and, notwithstanding men were near by, and 

 made close pursuit, he carried it off without difficulty. 



When Mr. Ephraim Clark lived in a log-house, a few 

 rods north of the parsonage, on the same side, his hogs 

 were fed across the road at a trough in the field. One 

 morning, as he returned from feeding them, a large bear 

 fell upon the hogs before he had reached the house. By 

 the time he had seized his rifle, and re-crossed the road, 

 the bear had secured one, and as he rose preparatory to 

 a retreat, received a, bullet in the chest. He then let 

 the hog fall, and made fiercely toward Mr. Clark, but 

 in making an effort to scale the bars, fell backward and 

 died. 



Mr. John Caruthers and his dogs fell in with one of a 

 moderate size, while traversing the woods near the east 

 line of the township, in search of horses. An engage- 

 ment followed, in which the bear had apparently the 

 advantage. To an early settler, the loss of a dog, his 

 companion and faithful sentinel, was a misfortune that 

 affected, not only his interest, but the best feelings of 



