Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-10-06
Mrs. Pope and the Bear.
BY FRANCIS Il. GAGE.

iItSC '" stI III ttN w III DIIuU tllc lWdTS 0llt
Of their den> They will be rtvenous, and
like rs not they will break into the ward
and carry off some of the sheep. | saw
bear-tracks up the mountain this morn
ing
" Well" said Mrs. Pope, "Thcy neeln :,
expect to get any or our sheep. If they
off in some way. We need the sheep too
much to have them carried off by bears"
4" | wish you understood using the gun,
wife When | am gone l worry about
leaving YOU and the baby all day alone.
The wood, are so near cant help think
ing some wild animals may come down
from the mountains and attack YOU
"You needn't fear about that" answer.
ed Mrs. Pope. 4" To be sure it is lonesome
with neither man nor dog about | pre-
sumo should feel safer if | understood
handling a gun, but | don't believe any
thing will come near in the daytime. Sc
don't worry about us, only he sure and get
back before dark
Well, good bye. then. Don't expose
the baby or yourself to any danger, and
III be back before night"
So saying. Mr.. Pope, with a bag Of grain
on his horse, started off to the mill. lcav-
ing his wife and baby alone in their solta-
ry log cabin in the Wilderness
This conversation occurred in the town
of Kirby, VT, in the spring of the year
1911. when the region WIS but little set
tied when even women understood they
We're in constant peril from wild beasts.
Jesse POpe's cabin stood close TO the foot
of the Kirby mountains, in whose rocky
! Businesses, bears. citamOuntS and wolves
had their inaccessible dens. Bears espe-
ciallv. were SO thick rs to be a source of
constant dread to those who had fiocks, or
We're compelled to leave their homes un-
! protected. while they went to the larger
settlements on business.
Mrs. Pope fully understood the peril
that surrounded her during her husband :,
absence. Her cheerful talk with he hIs-
band WAS not mere bravado. She said
what She did aS much to keep her own
spirits up rs to di>pel her husbands anXi-
ely. She knew that he must 90 to mill.
and there WAS no way for her but to stay
ut home and be as brave aS possible. She
WAS a brave woman. Nature hal endow-
ed her with courage, and the surroundings
of her early life had all tended to foster
and cherish it. She fully understood her
Situation,and when her husband passed out
of sight She knew she and her baby were
alone in the great wilderness. beyond the
reach of help should anything serious oc-
cur. But She had always lived in the will
derness. The howl of the wolf and the
growl of the bear were familiar sounds to
! her, and she had become accustomed to Il
! lonely life in the woods. SO. instead of
shutting herself in the house she went on
! with he work rs usual.
After the breakfast dishes were washed
and put away, she brought out the little
- linen wheel, and went to spinning flax
/ They must have clothes for summer wear.
and thlt was the season to spin and weave.
before the summer fully set in. cln re-
member my mother and her spinning 9
/ wheel, and can imagine Just how Mas
! Pope looked, sitting with one foot on the
:readle.
/ All the long forenoon her musical wheel
kept humming 4 pleasant tune. stopping
only now and then as the mistress either
crowed to the baby in the cradle. or look
ed out to see that no wild animals were
prOwling about Noon came and went.
and nothing disturbed them. The baby in
the cradle went off to sleep and she went
on with her work. After a time she rose
and looked out again. This time She saw
IN astounding sight, Coming down the
mountain side from the woods. she beheld
a full grown bear. not a hundred val DIS
distant He was on his WAY to the ward
where the sheep were in fold and she
! knew he wa> after the sheep. She had n
gun hut that would not avail anything. for
she had never learned to use it. She had
an Az. but she knew an AK to be a poor
weapon to fight a bear with The ext
thing she thought of was Il pitchfork
| Their few sheep Were 4 treasure TO the
family. All the winter clothing was to
come from the sheep, and now that they
were in peril. she was aroused to instant
action. The one absorbing thought of
saving the sheep banished all sense of per
>onal danger. Instead of shutting herself
mp in the house she darted ont and closed
the door after her lest anything should mo-
lest the baby. Then running To the log
barn she snatched the pitchfork. ran round
the barn. and planted herself directly in
the bears path.
Brandi>hing her pitchfork and scream
: ing at him. she attempted to scare him
back into the woods. But the bear was
ravenous with hunger, and he came
straight down the hill ut her, showing his
teeth and growing tiercely As he ap-
preached and Sprang towards her. Mis-.
Pope lodged and dealt him 4 blow. the
iron ring of the fork striking him hard
and exactly on the end of the nose. The
shock stunned the bear for Il moment. and
during that one moment. with almost su-
perhuman strength. Mrs. Pope plunged
both tines of the fork into the bears side.
where She supposed the heart to be. FL
tner good fortune. or the hand of Prov-
dencc, directed the weapon. for one of the
tines passed clear through the bears heart,
and he fell over dead leaving her no. only
victorious but unharmed
After the excitement Of the contest was
over Mrs. Pope went back TO the house.
shuddering ut the extremity Of peril she
had been in. But after 4 time her merry
BUSINESS passed off. and She went on with
her work again. and SO the afternoon wore
away. At last. when the sun WAS ahout
an hour high. she saw her husband emerge
from the woods near the house. She left
her spinning wheel. and. with the baby in
her arms, mt him ut the door as if moth
ing unusual had occurred.
As he came up to the door leading the
horse with one hand, and holding tile bac
of flour with the other, he spoke out
We'll, wife, am glad nothing has
happened to you while was gone. | sup
pose it was foolish. but couldn't help wor-
rying all the time"
" don't know as it was foolish. hus-
band. But hitch the horse and bring the
bag in. | want to talk with you.''
When the bag was deposited in the
house, Mrs. Pope said $50 YOU were
nervous about us thcn?"
Yes. | don't remember ever being so
nervous before in my life
Well. husband, | was nervous too. I
couldn't help thinking what could do, if
a bear should come down from the noun
tain after the sheep"
Why, common sense would tell YOU
what to do; shut the door. take care of
v'nr>elf and baby, and let the sheep 90
" DO You think so. h,lsbando"
"Of course do What else could YOU
have done?"
" You will see, if YOU 60 out behind the
barn and look
Il Behind the barn. What do you
mean?"
I 1Ub 7