The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-12-01
MRS. POPE AND THE BE6R


''I GU must look ont for the sheen, wife.
These warm days will bring the bears out
of their dens. They Will be ravenous, and
like as not they will break into the yard
and carry off some of the sheep. / saw
bear tracks 1p the mountain this morning.
Nv ell, ',i9aid Mrs. Pope, they needn't
expect 10 sSt any Of our sheep. If they
come prowlng round here, I'll drive them
off IN some way. We need the sheen too
much TO have them carried off by bears
y wish y2u understood using the gun
wife. When / am gone, / worry about
leaving you and the baby ali day alone.
The woods are So near, | can't help think
ing some wild animal may come down from
the mountains and attack you.''
. uu needn't fear about that" answer
ed Mrs. Pope. "TO be sue 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 viii come near i'll the daytime. So
don't worry about us, only be sure to get
home before DUSK
Don't expose the baby or Yourself TO
any danger, and I'll be back before night"
So saying, Mr.. Pope, with bag OF grain
on his horse, started off to the mill, leaving
his wife and baby alone in their solitary
log cabin in the Wilderness.
This conversation occurred in the town
of Kerby, Vermont, in the spring Of the
year 1911, when that region was but little
settled, and when even women understood
they were in constant rcriI from wild
beasts. Jesse Pope's cabin stood close 10
the front of Nirby mountains. in whose
rocky Businesses bears, catamouuts and
wolves had their inaccessible dens. Bears
especially, were SO thick as to be source
of constant dread to those who had floclls.
or were compelled to leave their homes
unpi otected, while they went to the larger
settlements on necessary business.
Mrs. Pope fully understood the peril that
surrounded her during her husbands alb
sence. Her cheerful talk with her husband
WAS not mere bravadO. She said what she
did, as much 20 keep her own spirits up as
to dispcl her husband 5 anxiety. She knew
that he must go to The mill. aud there was
no way Cor her but to stay at home and be
as brave as possible. She brave
woman. Nature had endowed her with
courage, aud the surroundings of her early
life had all tended to foster and strengthen
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 each of help,
should anything serious occur. But she had
always lived in the wilderness. The howl
of the wolf and the growl of the bear were
familiar sounds to her. aud she had become
accustomed to a lonely life in the woods.
So, instead of shutting herself in The house
she went on with her work as usual.
After the breakfast dishes were washed
and pat away, she brought out her ''linen
wheel and went to spinning flax. They
must have clothes for summer wear, and
that was the season 20 spin and weave be-
foIe the summer fully set in. | can re-
member my mother and lIerspinning- wheel
and | can imagine just how Mrs. Pope
looked, sitting with one foot on he treade
! can hear the buzz of the wheel as it flew
round | can see just how often she dipped
her fingers in the little cup of water, as she
drew ont the fibres of flax aud deXterously
shaped the strong, symmetrical thread. in a
manner that would astonish modern house
wives.
EM the long forenoon her musical wheel
kept humming its pleasant time, stopping
only now and then as its mistress either
crowed to the baby in the cradle, or look
ed out to see that no wild animals were
rrowlinC about Noon came and went,
aud nothing disturbed them. The baby
in the cradle vent off to sleep, and she
kept on with her work. After time she
arose and looked out again. This time she
saw an astonishing sight , Coming down
the mountain side from the woods, she be-
held full grown bear, not a hundred yards
distant lie was his way TO the yard
where the sheep were in fold. and she
knew he was after them. She had a gun,
but that would not avail anything, for she
bad never learned to use it. She had an
axe, but she knew axe to be a 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, aud now they were in