HUNTING A BLACK BEAR IN HIS DEN. 295 



HUNTING A BLACK BEAR IN HIS DEN. 



ON a cold and cloudy day in January, 1804, I sur- 

 veyed a tract of one thousand acres of land on the Little 

 Miami, which included the Old Chillicothe town, about 

 three miles north of this place, assisted by William and 

 John Stevenson, or Stinson, as they were commonly 

 called, as Chainmen, both of whom were old hunters. 



In running the 'back line of the survey, which was 

 mostty through a large thicket, I was about one hundred 

 yards in advance of the chainmen and marker. Having 

 halted to set the compass, my attention was attracted by 

 a pile of fresh earth at the root of a large white-oak 

 about twenty yards distant, which had fallen several 

 years before ; the trunk of which gradually rose from the 

 root till about twenty-five feet back, it was elevated 

 several feet from the ground. - A small dog which ac- 

 companied us ran to the place and commenced .barking 

 quite fiercely. I hastened to see what the dog had dis- 

 covered, and, springing upon the fallen tree, and looking 

 over it, I discovered a large bear snugly ensconsed in his 

 den within six feet of where I stood, staring at me with 

 no very pleasant countenance, which induced me to -e- 

 treat in double-quick time ; but finding I was not pur- 

 sued, I halted when I reached the compass that I had 

 left standing. 



The chainmen and marker hastened up, and inquired 

 what was the cause of my running so fast ? Upon in- 

 forming that I had found a bear, they accompanied me 

 back to the log, which we all mounted and had a fair 



