The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-06-09
A NIGHT WITH 4 BEAR.
BY AN ARTIST.


| / have met with many periiots adveh-
lures in my career but the one which
perhaps dwells most forcibIy on my mind,
occurred TO me on an occasion when |
was benighted in one of the vast forests
near Mount Washington and the Com
monusac River. Looking about me in
the dark for a place of shelter, where |
! could lie down, espied close beside me
what appeared to be small log cabin.
Glad of shelter made by hands, has
tened towards it, and pushing it open, [
entered, and found myself in gloom as
black as the blacklist night.
Glad of shelter for my weary head, [
threw myself upon the earth, and in a
| little time was unconscious of all that was
! passing around me; the last thing | res
membered being the sighing of the wind
through the branches of the trees, and the
rush of the swollen river. How long I
slept, know not but 1 awoke with a
start, and vivid sense of danger impend-
ing over me. did not rise to my feet
but lay motionless as though some great
weight was upon me which chained me
down, The wind had risen, and the
branches of the trees swayed and creaked
above my head, and mingled with the
music of the falling water. Through the
door, which l had left partially ajar, l
could see a glimmer of light, and knew
thereby that the moon had risen above
the mountains.
Suddenly gave a start My heart
seemed to stand still, and my hair crept
with terror on my head, while felt a
chill like ice pervading my entire being.
My head was lying close to the wall on
one side of the cabin and just outside the
| logs | heard the deep, hoarse growl of
some wild animal. lay as still as death
The sound was again repeated, this time
coupled with another The beast was
digging in the ground close to my head i;
and from the sound of the busy claws in
the earth, knew that i; had nearly worked
lis way beneath the bottom log of the
cabin. With asshudder in which SEEM
ed almost to feel the claws upon nay skull,
| sprang to my feet, and bounded TO the
opposite side of the cabin. A ceasing of
the mining operations on the part of the
| oiutO1 anu q uOSP 5iO"is 1Oiu AAO tudl my
motions were known, and that they were
disliked by my unwelcome companion.
My situation was a most unwelcome
one. Besieged ia that narrow place by
either bear or a panther, with 10 weap-
ons of defence, and the brute at any time
! liable to force an entrance, l hardly knew
which way to turn, or what to do to en-
| ha IoTf Al
where it had been at work, and followed
round, outside, to the spot where l stood,
giving utterance to another of its furious
growls which seemed to me ominous of
the fate it meant for me. l glanced to-
wards the door, and saw to my dismay,
that it stood slightly ajar. and that there
was nothing to prevent the brute from en-
tering the moment it should discover the
aperture.
Forgetting that the brute had followed
without my motion inside, sprang to-
wards the door with the intention of clos
ing it. threw myself against it, but to
my dismay, found that it would close no
further. Either the door or logs, or both,
had warped out of place, or else it had
never shut tightly as it should have DONE
| heard the hurried tread of the brute outs
side, and knew that in moment it would
be at the door, and completely at its
mercy. Hurriedly looked about for q
place of refuge, and by the faint rays oI
the moon which streamed in through the
crevices of the upper logs, l saw pole
stretched across upon which the former
occupants of the cabin had hung such
things as they desired to have out of their
way.
l desired to be cut of the way now, and
springing with all my strength, l caught
upon the pole and drew myself up into
the roof of the cabin but hardly had
done SO, when the door was dashed wide
open, letting in flood of moonlight and
huge bear at the same moment
The bear saw me in an instant, anC
rearing upon its launches, regarded m'
with much solemnity for a few moments
while / was engaged in drawing up ny
legs as far as possible out of its reach, il
case Bruin meditated an attack upon them
For the space of about two minutes The
brute sat there mOtionless, with its little
eyes glowing like Goals of fire and ther
it gave mighty spring towards the roos
upon which | was perched, but missed 1t
aim, and dashed itself against the oPposIt