Father said that one night grandfather and Orin Loomis were out hunting coons with the dogs, having taken their axes to chop down coon trees, but no guns, when they found a bear, on a small island, in the middle of a swamp.

But I find his bear story so well told in the "_Wadsworth Memorial_" that I will quote from that: "In the fall of 1823, as Butler and Loomis were returning after midnight from one of their hunts, and had arrived within a mile or two of home it was noticed that the dogs were missing.

Presently a noise was heard, far back in the rear.
"'Hark! What was that ?' said Loomis.

They listened awhile, and agreed it was dogs, sure.
"'Orr, let's go back,' said Butler.
"'No, it is too late,' answered Loomis.
"'But,' said Butler, 'I'll warrant the dogs are after a bear; don't you hear old Beaver?
It sounds to me like the bark of old Beaver when he is after a bear.' "Butler was bound to go back, and so they started.

The scene of the disturbance was finally reached, after traveling two or three miles.