BEARS IN TROUBLE. 289 



house, where the owner was waiting our arrival. 

 There were now three of us armed with guns, 

 half a dozen servants, and a good pack of dogs 

 of all kinds. We jogged on towards the de- 

 tached field in which the bears were at work. 

 The owner told us that for some days several 

 of these animals had visited his corn, and that 

 a negro who was sent every afternoon to see at 

 what part of the enclosure they entered, had 

 assured him there were at least ^ye in the field 

 that night. A plan of attack was formed : the 

 bars at the usual entrance of the field were to 

 be put down without noise ; the men and dogs 

 were to divide, and afterwards proceed so as to 

 surround the bears, when, at the sounding of 

 our horns, every one was to charge towards the 

 centre of the field, and shout as loudly as pos- 

 sible, which it was judged would so intimidate 

 the animals as to induce them to seek refuge 

 upon the dead trees with which the field was 

 still partially covered. 



The plan succeeded: the horns sounded, the 

 horses galloped forward, the men shouted, the 

 dogs barked and howled. The shrieks of the 

 negroes were enough to frighten a legion of 

 bears, and by the time we reached the middle 

 of the field we found that several had mounted 

 the trees, and having lighted fires, we now saw 

 them crouched at the junction of the larger 

 25 T 



