The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-12-08
Mrs. Pope and the Bear.


asP fAe yard and carry off some of the
S4ep. saw bear tracks up the noun
tain this morning."
"Well," said Mrs. Pope, "they
needn't expect to get any of our sheep.
If they come prowling around here, rll
drive them off in some way. We need
the sheep too much to have them car
ried off by bears"
"I wish you understood using the gun,
wife. When l am gone, l worry about
leaving you and the baby all day alone.
The woods are so near, can't help think
ing some wild animal may come down
from the mountains and attack you"
"You needn't fear about that" an
swered Mrs. Pope. 'Tlo be sure it is
lonesome with neither man nor dog
about. presume / should feel safer if
/ Understood handling a gun, but don't
believe anything will come near in 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 mill,
leaving his wife and baby alone in their
solitary log cabin in the wilderness.
This conversation occurred in the
town of Kirby, Vermont, in the spring
of the year 1911, when that region was
but little settled, and when even women
understood they were in constant peril
from wild beasts. Jesse Pope's cabin
stood close to the front of Kirby Noun
tains, in whose rocky fastnesses bears,
catamounts, aud wolves had their mac
cessible dens. Bears, especially, were
so thick as to be source of constant
dread to those who had fiOcks, or were
compelled to leave their homes unprO-
tected, while they went to the larger
settlements on necessary business.
Mrs. Pope fully understood the peril
that surrounded her during her hus-
bands absence. Her cheerful talk with
her husband was not mere bravado. She
said what she did as much to keep her
own spirits upas to dispel her husbands
anxiety. She knew that he must go to
the mill, and there was no way for her
but to stay at home and be as brave as
possible. She was brave woman. Ma
ture had endowed her with courage, and
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 reach OF
help, should anything serious occur. But
she had always lived in the wilderness.
The howl of the wolf and the growl oi
the bear were familiar sounds to her,
and she had become accustomed to a
lonely life in the woods. So, instead oi
shutting herself in the house, she went
on with her work as usual.
After the breakfast dishes were washed
and put away, she brought out hel
"linen wheel" and went to spinning
fax. They must have clothes for sum-
mer wear, and that was the season tC
spin and weave, before the summer fully
set in. l can remember my mother anC
her spinning-wheel, and / can imagine
just how Mrs. Pope looked, sitting with
one foot on the treadle. l can hear the
buzz of the wheel as it flew round; cal
see just how often she dipped her finger!
in the little cup of water, as she drew
out the fibers of flax, and deXtrously
shaped the strong, symmetrical threaC
in a manner that would astonish mod
ern housewives.
All the long forenoon her musica
wheel kept humming its pleasant tune
stopping only now aud then as its mis-
tress either crowed to the baby in th,
cradle, or looked out to see that no wilC
animals were prowling about. NoOl
came and went, and nothing disturbet
them. The baby in the cradle went OF
to sleep, and she kept on with her work
After a time she arose and looked Ou
again. This time she saw an astonish
ing sight! Coming down the mountain
side from the woods, she beheld full
dc Isa4o -
He was on his way to the yard wher
the sheep were in fold, and she knew b.
was after them. She had a gun, bu
that would not avail anything, for sh
had never learned to use it. She had al
axe, but she knew an axe to be poo
weapon to fight bear with. The mex
thing she thought of was pitchfork
Their few sheep were a treasure to tn
family. All their winter clothing wa
to come from the sheep, and now the,
were in peril; she was aroused to instan
action. The one absorbing thought Q
saving the sheep banished all sense @
personal danger. Instead of shuttin
herself up in the house, she darted ou
and closed the door after her, lest any
thing should modest the baby. The
running into the log barn, she snatche
up the pitchfork, ran around the barn
and planted herself directly in the bear
path. Brandishing her pitchfork an
screaming at him, she attempted t
scare him back to the woods. But tn
bear was ravenous with hunger, and h
came straight down the hill at hel
showing his teeth and growing fiercely
As he approached and sprang towar
her, Mrs. Pope lodged and dealt him
blow, the iron rung of the fork strikin
him exactly on the end of the nose. Th
shock stunned the bear for an instant
and during that one instant, with al
most superhuman strength, Mrs. Pop
PLUNGED both tines of the fork into th
bears siue "nere she supposed the hear
to be. Either good fortune, or the han
Of Providence, directed the weapon, 70
one of the tines passed clear through tn
bears heart, and he rolled over dead
leaving her not only victorious, but IN
harmed. After the excitement of tn
contest was over, Mrs. Pope went bac
to the house, shuddering at the extrem
ity of peril she had been in. But atte
a time her nervousness passed of, an
she went on with her work again, an
so the afternoon wore away.
At length, when the sun was about a
hour high, she saw her husband emerg
from the woods q ear the house. She LEI
her spinning wheel, and, with the bab
in her arms, met him at the door q
though nothing unusual had occurred
As he came up to the door leading hi
horse. with one hand, and holding o
the bag Of flour with the other, he spok
out: