A man and his dog

Robert Longley (5th Great-grandfather) fought in the American Revolution as did three of his brothers. In researching one of those brothers, Zachariah Longley (1729-1815), I came across this little story. Zachariah was a Deacon of his church in Massachusetts. After the Revolution, he removed to a frontier settlement, Norridgewock, in Maine. Which is what led me to A Gazetteer of the State of Maine and a story of someone else who settled in the vicinity.

Thomas Towne, who soon came to reside with his son Eli, had been a Revolutionary soldier, and was a mighty hunter; and many are the stories of his contests with moose, deer, bear and wolves. On one occasion he fired upon and wounded a bear that was swimming across the pond. As the animal approached the shore the dog swam out and attacked him. Bruin seized the dog and plunged his head under water; upon which the veteran soldier and hunter rushed in, and seizing the bear's head, thrust it under water, crying out fiercely, "Drown my dog, will you!" The bear was soon overcome and the dog rescued.