Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-09-02

woods she beheld a full-grOwn bear. not a
hundred yards distant He was on his
way to the yard where the sheep were in
fold, and she knew he was after the sheen
She had a gun, but that would not avail
anything, for she had never learned to
use it. She had an ak, but she knew an
ak to be poor weapon to fight bear
with. The next thing she thought of was
pitchfork. Their few sheep were a
treasure to the family. All their winter
clothing was to come from the sheep, and
now that they were in peril she was
| aroused to instant action. The one alb
sorbing thought of saving the sheep ban
ished all sense of personal danger. In
! stead OF shutting herself up in the house
she darted out and closed the door after
her, lest anything should modest the
baby. Then, running into the log
barn, she snatched up the pitch
fork, ran around the barn, and
planted herself directly in the bears path
Brandishing her pitchfork and screaming
at him, she attempted to scare him back
to the woods. But the bear was ravenous
with hunger, and he came straight down
the hill at her, showing his teeth and
growing fiercely. AS he approached and
sprang toward her Mrs. Pope lodged and
dealt HIM blow, the iron ring of the
fork striking him exactly on the end of
the nose. The shock stunned the bear
for an instant, and during that one in
slant, with almost superhuman strength,
Mrs. Pope plunged both tines of the fork
into the bears side, where she supposed
the heart to be. Either good fortune or
the hand of Providence directed the
weapon, for one of the tines passed clear
through the bears heart, and he fell over
dead, leaving her not only victorious, but
unframed. After the excitement of the
contest was over Mrs. Pope went back to
the house, shuddering at the extremity of
peril she had been in. But after time
her nervousness passed off, and she went
on with her work again, and so the after
noon wore away.
At length, when the sun was about 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, met him at the door as if moth
ing unusual had occurred.
As he came up to the door, leading the
horse with one hand and holding on the
bag OF flour with the other, he spoke out:
Well, wife, l am thankful nothing
has happened to you while was gone. [
suppose it was foolish, but 1 couldn't help
worrying all the time
q 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, then 2"
" Yes. don't remember ever being so
nervous before in all my life.''
"Well, husband, ] was nervous, too I
couldn't help thinking, what could I do
if a bear should come down from the
mountain after the sheep"
"Why, common sense would tell you
what to do; shut the door, take care of
yourself and baby, and let the sheep CO."
4" Do you think so, husband?"
"Of course do. What else could you
have done?"
"You will see if you go out behind the
barn and look"
Behind the barn! What do you
mean?"
=" l mean what say Go and look be-
hind the barn"
Mr.. Pope started out in the greatest
wonder, while the wife buried her face in
the baby's apron to smother the womanly
tears she could no longer restrain.
To his utter establishment Mr.. Pope
found the dead bear behind the barn, with
the pitchfork sticking nj its side.
When he went in and heard the whole
story from his wife he fully realized that
something had happened in his absence,
and that he had more reason than ever to
De thankful.
| am indebted to the wife Of James
Harris, Esq, of St. Johnsbury, for this
history of Mrs. Pope's encounter with the
bear Mrs Harris father-Rev. Timothy
Locks-lived not far from Mr. Pope's
house at the time. Mrs. Harris still dis
tinctly remembers seeing the bears skin
nailed on the outside of the barn, where
it remained all summer, while Mrs. Pope
became famous throughout the neighbor-
l. l. l. L !