Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-08-26
A WYOMING BEAR YARN.
Staying Out All Night in The Cold to Escape
an Encounter with Bruin.


an Encounter with Bruin.
Alfred Terry Bacon, in st Nicholas
for August, tells this story:
At the nearest ranch on the western
side of the mountains, there lives Ger
man who was the first pioneer to bring
cattle in among these valleys. Not long
ago, this old fellow built new cabin for
himself at the foot of amountain. Be-
fore his house was finished, he went out
one day and killed fine fat deer. Bring
ing the carcass home at night, he hung it
up against the back of his house, and
then hanging a blanket over the door
way, he went to bed. He slept soundly,
but there dimly seemed to him to be
some disturbance about the house during
the night, and when he went out in the
morning every bit of his fine deer was
gone, and the bear tracks up and down
the mountain side showed what had be-
come of 1t. Bnt game was plentiful and
il was not long before his deer was re-
placed by big-herned sheep, which is
the most tender and juicy meat that ever
was eaten. This time he was more care
full, and lay awake half the night, fearing
that he should lose his stock of meat.
When it was late and he was about to
give up watching, he heard a sound.
Something was at work on his mutton.
It seemed as if the bears were making
short work with his meat. He seized his
rifle and jumped out of bed in scanty
clothing. Going to the doorway and
drawing aside the blanket, he saw that
the night was cloudy and as dark as
Egypt He stopped and thought for a
moment that it would be impossible to
kill bear in such darkness, even if he
should be able to hit it, for these beasts
are so tough that they will carry a dozen
bullets about in their bodies without
much inconvenience, if they are not
wounded in the heart or the brain. So
our friend laid down his rife and took in
stead a loaded shotgun. ''This is the
thing for them," he said to himself; sit
will pepper them all over and scare them
so they never will come again" Then,
with gun in hand, he silently climbed the
projecting logs at the nearest corner of
the cabin, and, creeping across the roof,
peeped over the edge above the place
where the sheep was hanged. Something
appeared to be moving below in the dark
ness. Taking random aim he blazed
away. The shot scattered and evidently
took effect, for there arose a chorus of
growls and bowls and yells that would
have made the bravest mans hair stand
on end; there was a scampering and
shutting of many feet up and down, and
around the cabin, even in the thick dark
ness he could see many great fat crea-
lures running and shifting angrily about
to find who had attacked them. He saw
that he was besieged on his own roof by
at least dozen furious, hungry bears.
''They didn't scare worth cent" he said.
1t was not long before they discovered
whence the shot had come, and, knowing
very well that there is strength in num-
bers, they determined that man for sup
per, even if they had to put off their sup
per till breakfast-time. So, while some
sat down here and there, the others walk
ed about, grunting and growing over
their injuries.
Bears can climb quite as we'll as men,
and old Frank stood with fear and trembl-
ing in the middle of the roof, ready to
receive with the butt of his gun the
first nose that should rise above the edge.
If two had happened to mount the roof on
opposite sides there would have been
small chance of life for the poor man.
But the bears thought that solid ground
was the safer place for them, so there
they staid; and NV above sat old Frank
shivering, how long he never knew. It
seemed centuries. 1t was a sharp, frosty
autumn night, and, as he had on very
little clothing, Frank was soon chilled
almost to his bones But the bears coats
we're warm enough. They were more
hungry than they we're cold, so there they
sat and growled ana waited for their prey
to come down and be eaten. Soon a
bitterly cold wind began to blow. Every
joint in the poor mans body stiffened;
but it seemed pleasanter to freeze to death
than to be eaten up by those ugly beasts,
so he bore his discomfort as best he could.
The hours of that night seemed to be
endless, and the chill grew terrible; but
at last dull gray streak appeared in the
east. No man was ever more glad to see
the first sign of dawn than was that chilly
watcher. Bears are very shy by daylight,
and as the twilight little by little grew in
to broad day, Franks visitors trotted
away, disappointed and sulky, up to their
dens on the mountain. Their victim,
more dead than alive. was able at last to
climb down and kindle a fire to warm
himself. He still lives to tell the story in
the same log cabin, but it has good
stout door now, and he will never again
go bear hunting with a shotgun.