37 



AN AMERICAN HUNTER 



flower River, met Mr. Leiser and his party of hunters return- 

 ing to Vicksburg. Mr. Leiser told Dr. Hamberlin that he 

 saw the largest bear track at the big Mound on Lake George 

 that he ever saw, and was afraid to tackle him. Dr. Ham- 

 berlin said, " I never saw one that I was afraid to tackle." Dr. 

 Hamberlin landed his skiff at the Mound and his dogs soon 

 bayed the bear. Dr. Hamberlin fired and the ball glanced on 

 the bear's head. The bear caught him by the right thigh and 

 tore all the flesh off. He drew his knife and the bear crushed 

 his right arm. He cheered the dogs and they pulled the bear 

 off. The bear whipped the dogs and attacked him the third 

 time, biting him in the hollow back of his neck. Mr. Wilson 

 came up and shot the bear dead on Dr. Hamberlin. The party 

 returned to Satartia, but Dr. Hamberlin told them to put the 

 bear in the skiff, that he would not leave without his antagonist. 

 The bear weighed 640 pounds.' 



" Dr. Hamberlin lived three days. I knew all the parties. 

 His son John and myself hunted with them in 1843 an< ^ J 844> 

 when we were too small to carry a gun." 



A large bear is not afraid of dogs, and an old he, 

 or a she with cubs, is always on the lookout for a chance 

 to catch and kill any dog that comes near enough. While 

 lean and in good running condition it is not an easy mat- 

 ter to bring a bear to bay; but as they grow fat they be- 

 come steadily less able to run, and the young ones, and 

 even occasionally -a full-grown she, will then readily tree. 

 If a man is not near by, a big bear that has become tired 

 will treat the pack with whimsical indifference. The 

 Metcalfs recounted to me how they had once seen a bear, 

 which had been chased quite a time, evidently make up 

 its mind that it needed a rest and could afford to take it 



