{
 "id": "james-mcintyre/fight-with-a-bear-in-the-northwest",
 "title": "Fight with a Bear in the Northwest",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "James McIntyre",
 "poet_slug": "james-mcintyre",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Musings on the Banks of Canadian Thames",
 "book_slug": "musings-on-the-banks-of-canadian-thames",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": null,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1884,
  "venue": "Musings on the Banks of Canadian Thames (1884)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-mcintyre_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36068",
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 60,
  "n_stanzas": 5,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 44,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Two youths, employed at the fur fort,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Resolved to have half-day of sport;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "From Jasper House, in the far north,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For game, they joyous issued forth.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The factor of the Hudson Bay",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Granted them a few hours’ play,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And it was in cold winter time,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When thick on lake was glassy rime;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But beneath, o’er all their route,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They saw below big speckled trout.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With hatchet, ice they did clear",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And the beauteous trout did spear,",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "For they were longing for a dish",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of this sweet and savory fish,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And they caught many, too, with bait,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For in the day it was not late,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But it was cloudy with snow storm;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Yet they saw the noble form,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "While the hurricane did blow,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of a fine, noble buffalo,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "So they resolved to have a treat",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of the delicious buffalo meat;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But he did on his haunches rear⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To their surprise it was a bear.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The lake being smooth, the youths did skate,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Resolved for to seal his fate;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A pistol shot made bruin roar,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And from him trickled drops of gore.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They round him skate, and fresh blood drew",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When they at him the hatchet threw;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He chased one and then the other,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For men on skates did him bother.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But the bold Scottish lad, McBeath,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Alas! he nearly met his death,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When he so boldly did press near",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To probe him with the sharp fish spear,",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "For with fell swoop the paws of bruin",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To him they almost did bring ruin;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But he so dexterously did skate",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That he escaped such horrid fate.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And now they skated back to fort",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For aid for to renew the sport,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They knew their game was no trifle",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "So they secured a trusty rifle.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Returning he had fled to wood,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But they tracked him with his blood,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For they did not yet despair",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But that they would capture bear.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "They saw the elder bushes sway",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "While he did force through them his way,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And heard the brushwood loudly snap,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Where he went through he left a gap.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They skated swiftly o’er the ice",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And were near brushwood in a trice;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Full soon the savage beast is slain,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With rifle bullet in his brain.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And now these hunters do take pride",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In skin as large as buffalo hide,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For Indian stripped the skin of bear",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And left the carcass in his lair.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}