200 HUNTING SPOUTS OF THE WEST. 



HUNTING ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD MERRITT, 



ICHABOD MERRITT was born in Massachusetts, in 

 June, 1796. In 1804 his parents removed to the dis- 

 trict of Three-Rivers, in Lower Canada. At that time 

 there was an abundance of game in that part of Canada, 

 and also in the adjoining parts of Vermont. For many 

 months during the fall and winter, hunting and trapping 

 was a regular, and also a profitable business. It was 

 here, and in his youthful days, that Mr. Merritt inured 

 himself to hardship, and self-possession in case of diffi- 

 culty. He usually spent his winters in the woods, either 

 trapping the martin and sable for their fur, or hunting 

 the bear, moose, or deer, with which those woods 

 abounded. In the fall of 1815, he, with a brother, 

 killed ten bears, the skins of which they sold for one 

 hundred dollars. I give his account of his killing one 

 of them, as something of a specimen of the rest. " The 

 dogs," (for a hunter in those days could not hunt with- 

 out two, and sometimes with more dogs) he remarked, 

 " had started a bear, and it appeared to be coming 

 partly towards me. I moved in a direction to head it. 

 Soon it came in sight, and when about twelve rods from 

 me it jumped upon a log, and turned to look and listen 

 for the dogs. At this time I fired at it. The ball 

 struck the jawbone, and glancing, lodged in the skin in 

 its neck. The bear was hurt but little, and continued 

 in her course, coming near where I was loading. Tho 

 dogs overtook and seized it. In my haste to load, I had 



