We had as yet had no use for our dogs since we left the Saranac. They had travelled quietly with us as we moved from place to place, or stayed inactive at the tents while we remained stationary2. The game was so abundant, that the real difficulty was to restrain ourselves from destroying more than was needful for our use. We had indeed, failed to live strictly3 up to the law we had imposed upon ourselves, for we had at all times trout4 and venison beyond our present wants, excusing ourselves on the ground that an excess of supply was always preferable to a scant5 commissariat. More than one deer was slaughtered6, if the truth must be told, for no better reason than that given by an Irishman for smashing a bald head he chanced to see at a window: it presented a mark too tempting7 to be resisted the lake from our camping ground. We stationed two of our boats between the island and the shore nearest the main land, and the other on the opposite side, and sent Cullen upon the island to beat for game. It was scarcely five minutes, before the voices of the dogs broke upon the stillness of the morning, in a simultaneous and fierce cry, as if they had started the game suddenly, and fresh from his lair8. Away they went in full cry across the island, the deer sweeping9 around the upper end, and returning on the opposite side, as if loth to take to the water; but true to their instincts, the hounds followed, making the hills and the old woods ring again with the music of their voices. Presently, a noble buck10 broke cover, directly opposite to where the Doctor and Smith's boat lay. As our object was rather to enjoy the music of the chase, than to capture the deer, they shouted and hallooed as he entered the water, and he wheeled back, and went tearing in huge affright through the woods, up the island again. Still the howling was upon his trail, and as he approached the upper end, he again took to the water, to be frightened back by Martin and myself, and with renewed energy he bounded across to a point stretching out into the lake on the opposite side. Here Spalding and Wood were stationed, and they, by their shouting, drove him back again to the thickets11. By this time, the poor animal began to appreciate the full peril12 of his position, for turn where he would he found an enemy in front, while the cry of his pursuers followed him like his destiny. Thus far every effort to escape by taking to the water had failed, and he seemed to think, as Martin expressed it, that "day was breaking." He essayed it again on the land side, and was driven back by us, and thus he coursed three times round the island, until, in desperation, he plunged13 into the broad lake and struck boldly out for the opposite shore, three quarters of a mile distant. Spalding shouted to us, and when we rounded the headland, we saw that he and Wood had headed, and were driving him towards a small island, of less than half an acre, covered only with low bushes, half a mile down the lake. We did not propose to harm him, but we intended to drive him upon that little island, and by surrounding it, keep him there for a while by way of experimenting upon his fears, or rather as Martin said, "to see what he would do." As he approached the shore, he bounded upon the island, and tossing his head from side to side, as if looking for a place of concealment14 or escape. Finding none, he dashed across to the opposite side and plunged into the lake. He was met by the Doctor and Smith, and turned back. He rushed in another direction, across the island, to be headed by the boat in which I was seated, and again in another direction to be headed by Spalding. Thus met and driven back at every turn, he at last stationed himself on a high knoll15, near the centre of the island, apparently16 expecting that the last struggle for life was to be made there. We rested upon our oars17, making no noise, and watching his movements. The bushes were low, coming only up midside to the animal. He watched us latently for half an hour, tossing his head up and down, looking first at one, then at another, as if calculating from which the attack upon his life was to come. At last, as if overcome by weariness, or concluding that after all there was no real danger, he laid quietly down. In answer to his confidence in the harmlessness of our intentions, we rowed away back to the island where we started him. We had not reached it, however, when we saw him enter the water, and swim to the main land, and glad enough he seemed to be when he had regained18 the protection of his native forests.
We took our dogs from the island, and rowed to the broad channel of the inlet which enters the lake on the left hand side, as you look to the south. There are two of these inlets, which enter within a quarter of a mile of each other, each of which comes down from little lakes, or ponds, deeper in the wilderness19. The one we entered flows in a tortuous20 course through a natural meadow, stretching away on either hand forty or fifty rods, to a dense21 forest of spruce, maple22, and beech23, above which gigantic pines stand stately and tall in their pride. Three miles from the lake, the hills approach each other, and the little river comes plunging24 down through a gorge25, over shelving rocks, and around great boulders26, as if mad with the obstructions28 piled up in its way.
As we approached these falls, Smith, who sat in the bow of the boat, motioned to the boatman to lay upon his oars, and pointed29 to an object partly concealed30 by some low bushes, forty or fifty rods in advance of us. Remaining perfectly31 still a moment, we saw a bear step out upon a boulder27, look up and down the stream, and stretch his long nose out over the water, as if looking for a good place to cross the rapids. After scratching his ear with one of his hind32 feet, and his side with the other, he turned and walked deliberately33 from our sight into the forest. By this time, the boat with the dogs came in sight, and we beckoned34 its occupants to come to us. One of the hounds only had ever seen game of this kind. But Cullen declared that there was no game that they would not follow when once fairly laid on. We wanted that bear. It was the only one we had seen; indeed it was the only one I had ever seen wild in the forest. We went to the spot where we last saw him, and there in the sand, by the side of the boulder, was his great track, almost like a human foot. Cullen called the attention of the dogs to it, and hallooed them on. They took the scent35 cheerfully, and with a united and fierce cry they dashed away in pursuit. They had ran but a short distance, when they seemed to become stationary, and deep, quick baying succeeded the lengthened36 and ringing sound of their voices.
"Treed, by Moses!" cried Cullen, as he dashed forward, the rest of us following as fast as we could.
"Not too fast," said Martin, "not too fast. There's no hurry; he won't come down unless our noise frightens him. Let us go quietly; there's plenty of time. Belcher has got his eye on him, and will stay by him till we come." We travelled quietly, and as silently as we could for near half a mile, and as we rounded a low but steep point of a hill, there sat bruin, some twelve rods from us, in the forks of a great birch tree, forty feet from the ground, looking down in calm dignity upon the dogs that were baying and leaping up against the tree beneath him. Did anybody ever notice what a meek37, innocent look a bear has when in repose38? How hypocritically he leers upon everything about him, as if butter would not melt in his mouth? Well, such was the look of that bear, as he peered out first on one side, then on the other of the great limbs between which he was sitting, secure, as he supposed, from danger. But he was never more mistaken in his life. In watching the dogs he had failed to discover us. We agreed that three should fire upon him at once, reserving the fourth charge for whatever contingency39 might happen. Smith, the Doctor, and Spalding sighted him carefully, each with his rifle resting against the side of a tree, and blazed away, their guns sounding almost together. It was pitiful the scream of agony that bear sent up. It was almost human in its anguish40. It went ringing through the woods, dying away at last almost in a human groan41. After struggling and clasping his arms for a moment around the great branch of the tree, his hold relaxed, he reeled from side to side, and then fell heavily to the ground, with three balls within an inch of each other, right through his vitals. He was larger than a medium sized animal of his species, and in excellent case.
The next thing in order was to transport him to our boats. This was done by tying his feet together, then running a long pole, cut for the purpose, between them, and lifting each end upon the shoulder of a boatman, he was "strung up," as Allen expressed it, clear from the ground. They stumbled along as best they could, over the rough ground, and through the tangle42 brush, towards the river. It was a heavy load considering the unevenness43 of the path, and the men were compelled to halt every few rods to breathe. We got him safely to the landing at last, and tumbling him into the bottom of one of the boats, started down stream towards our shanty44. A proud trio were Spalding, Smith, and the Doctor that afternoon, returning with their game across the lake; and they certainly had some occasion to congratulate themselves, for this was the first wild, uncaged bear either of us had ever seen, and him they had succeeded in capturing.
We dined that afternoon on a roasted sirloin of bear, stewed45 jerked venison, fried trout, and pork. I cannot say that I altogether relished46 the roast, though some of our company took to it hugely. The truth is, that with some of them venison and trout were beginning to be somewhat stale dishes, they did not relish47 fat pork, and a change therefore to roasted bear meat was peculiarly acceptable.
"Gentlemen," said Smith to the Doctor and Spalding, as we sat after our meal, enjoying our pipes, "what say you to selling out your interest in that bear? If you're open for a bargain, I'll make you a proposition."
"Why," the Doctor replied, "there'll be nothing left but the skin, and that will be of no special value except as a trophy48."
"Not exactly," resumed Smith. "I'll deal frankly49 with you, gentlemen. There'll be a good many stories to be told about the killing50 of that bear, and my object is to appropriate the glory of the achievement. Now it wont51 be a matter to boast of, to say that we three fired into one bear, and that none of the largest."
"Oh! as to that," said the Doctor, "I intend to enlarge upon the subject, exaggerating the size of the bear, describing the terrible conflict I had with him, how I happened to save myself by remembering my double-barrelled pistol; how I made the three ball holes in him, while you and Spalding were running away, and how he bit me in the arm, and almost hugged me to death, while I was trying to get at the pistol. I shall shine in that bear story! Yes! yes! I shall shine!"
"Hear the cormorant52!" exclaimed Smith. "Hear him! And he'll do precisely53 as he says he will, only a great deal worse. We must buy him out, Spalding. We must purchase his silence for our own credit."
"Well, gentlemen," replied Spalding, "settle it between you—you are welcome to my share of the achievement. The scream of mortal agony which that bear sent up when our three balls went crashing through its body rings in my ears yet. I don't feel quite so proud of the shot as I otherwise should have done. You are welcome to my share of the glory."
"Spoken like a liberal and free-hearted gentleman," said Smith. "Well, Doctor, name the amount and nature of the blackmail54 you intend to levy55 upon me. But have a conscience, man! have a conscience!"
"It will be making a great sacrifice on my part," the Doctor replied, "but out of friendship for you, I'll make you a proposition. We'll toss op a dollar, and the one that wins shall have the honour of having killed the bear, and of telling the story in his own way, and the others shall indorse it."
"Agreed," said Smith, "but if you win, I shall have to borrow a conscience of Spalding, or some other lawyer, for there'll be need of a pretty elastic56 one."
"Yours will answer, I think," drily remarked Spalding.
"It appears to me, gentlemen," said I "that I've something to say about the killing of that bear."
"You," exclaimed the Doctor, "what had you to do with it, pray? There stands your rifle, with the same ball in it that you placed there this morning. You haven't discharged your rifle to-day."
"Notwithstanding that," I replied, "I am entitled to a portion of the glory, as I am chargeable with my share of the responsibility, of killing the bear. I was one of the first who discovered him; I was among the foremost in the pursuit; I was present, aiding and advising in the manner of the killing; I had my weapon in my hand, and was restrained from using it, only because you might fail to accomplish what my reserved bullet would have made secure. Now, if this bear had been human, and we were accused of killing him, I would be regarded in the eye of the law as equally guilty with you. I appeal to Spalding if this is not so?"
"H——is right," replied Spalding, as he sent a column of smoke wreathing upward from his lips. "Such is the law."
"We must buy this fellow off, Smith," said the Doctor, "we must buy him off. He's an old hunter, known as such, and he'll take to himself all the glory; and what is worse, the world will believe him. He'll spread himself beyond all bounds. He'll shine beyond endurance upon the strength of this bear. We must buy him off. It is against all conscience, but there is no help for it. We must buy him off. There's an impudence57 in this claim which reminds me of an anecdote related by Noah."
"By Noah?" asked Smith, interrupting him, "Noah who?"
"What ignorance there is in this world, even in these days of educational enlightenment!" remarked the Doctor to Spalding and myself. "Now, here is a decently informed gentleman, claiming to be a Christian58 man, to have studied the Bible, and don't know who Noah was. Such an instance of human ignorance in these times, is shocking."
"Oh! I understand now," said Smith, "he was the gentleman who built the ark. Well, go on with your anecdote."
"Well, as I was saying," the Doctor resumed, "this claim of H——'s to a share of the glory of slaying59 the bear, reminds me of an anecdote related by Noah soon after the subsidence of the flood, and it shows that impudence is, at least, not post-deluvian in its origin. It seems that there were in the world before, as well as after the flood, some very meddling60 impudent61 fellows, who were always interfering62 with other people's business, claiming a share of other people's credit, trying to make the world believe that they were great things, and persuading everybody that whatever remarkable63 achievement was accomplished64, occurred through their counsel and advice, and as a consequence, claiming a large share of all the honors going.
"Well, after the rain had continued falling for a number of days, and the valleys were all full of water, and the angry surges went roaring, with the voice of ten thousand thunders, high up along the sides of the hills, one of these pestilent fellows—deriding the miraculous65 exhibition going on all around him—undertook, in his self-conceit, to lead the people to a place of safety. So he selected a lofty peak that shot up from a range of mountains, and commenced travelling up its steep acclivities. But the flood followed him, roaring, and boiling, and heaving, in its onward66 rush. Day by day, night by night, it crept up, and up, higher and higher, until the self-confident leader, who scoffed67 at the supernatural warning, had but a mighty68 small place above the surge, whereon to shelter himself from the destruction that surrounded him. About that time the Ark, with Noah and his people, all safe and snug69, came drifting that way.
"'Halloo!' says the occupant of the rock, 'send us a boat, and take us aboard. The freshet is getting pretty bad, and it is getting a little damp, up here.'
"'I can't do it,' says Noah, 'my craft is full of better people.'
"'But,' says the applicant70 for admission into the Ark, 'let me in, and I'll superintend the navigation. I'll man the wheel, and see that the sails are all right, and we can pick up a deal of floating plunder71 as we go along.'
"'Can't do it,' says Noah, 'we've got a good steersman and safe navigators on board already.'
"'Well,' says the applicant, 'I'll work my passage as a deck hand, asking only a small portion of such spoils as we may pick up. Come, bring us aboard.'
"'Can't do it,' says Noah, 'can't think of such a thing."
"'Then,' said the persevering72 applicant for a passage in the Ark, 'I'll go along for nothing—giving the benefit of my counsel and assistance free gratis73; more than all that, I'll stand the liquor all round.'
"'No use in talking,' says Noah, 'you can't come on board of my craft, on any terms. You'd corrupt74 my people, and set them by the ears in a week. You can't have a berth75 on any conditions. Good-bye!'
"'Then go to thunder with your old Ark,' indignantly responded the occupant of the rock, 'I don't believe there's going to be much of a shower, after all.'
"In a day or two, Noah drifted that way again. The mountain peak had disappeared beneath the waters, and the occupants were all gone." "I give up my claim," said I, "Doctor, in consideration of your anecdote. Take the glory of killing the bear. I see you're not disposed to give me a place in your Ark. So toss up the dollar."
The dollar was tossed up, and Smith won the glory.
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1
anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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slaughtered
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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knoll
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| n.小山，小丘 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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tortuous
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| adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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beech
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| n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的 | |
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plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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obstructions
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| n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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contingency
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| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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unevenness
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| n. 不平坦，不平衡，不匀性 | |
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shanty
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| n.小屋，棚屋；船工号子 | |
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stewed
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| adj.焦虑不安的，烂醉的v.炖( stew的过去式和过去分词 )；煨；思考；担忧 | |
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relished
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| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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cormorant
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| n.鸬鹚，贪婪的人 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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blackmail
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| n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓 | |
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levy
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| n.征收税或其他款项，征收额 | |
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elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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meddling
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 ) | |
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impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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63
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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67
scoffed
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| 嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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applicant
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| n.申请人，求职者，请求者 | |
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plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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gratis
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| adj.免费的 | |
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corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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