Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-07-30
A Wyoming Isear Story.

from "a Rocky Mountain Hermit" by Alfred
Tery Bacon in st. Nicholas for August1
At the nearest ranch on the western side
of the mountains there lives a German who
was the-frst pioneer to bring cattle in among
these valleys. Not long ago this old fellow
built new cabin for himself at the foot of
mountain. Before his house was finished
he went out one day and killed fine, fat
deer. Bringing the carcass home at night,
he hung it up against the back of his house,
and then hanging blanket over the door
way which was still without door, 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
become of it. But game was plentiful and
it was not long before his deer replaced
by bg-horned sheep, which is the most
tender and juicy meat that ever eaten.
This time he was more careful and lay awake
half the night, fearing that he should lose
his stock of fresh meat When it was very
late and he was about to give mp watching
he at last heard sound at the back of the
house. Something was at work on his wild
mutton. There was a noise of scratching
were making short work with his meat. He
seized his loaded rife and jumped out of
bed with very scanty clothing on. 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, it
they are not wounded in the heart the
brain. So our friend laid down his rifle and
took instead loaded shot-gdn. "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
hung. Something appeared to be moving
below in the darkness. Taking random
aim he blazed away. The shot scattered and
evidently took effect; for there arose cho-
rus of growls, howls and yells that would
haye made the bravest mans hair stand on
end; there was scamperlng and shufhlng OF
many feet up and down and around the cab
in; even in the thick darkness he could see
many great fat creatures running and sniff
fing angrily about to find who had attacked
them. He that he was besieged on his
own roof by at least dozen furious, hungry
bears. ''They didn't scare worth a cent" he
said. 1t was not long before they discovered
whence the shot had come, and knowing
very we'll that there is strength in numbers,
they determined to have that man for supper
even if they had to put off their supper till
breakfast time. So while some sat down
here and there the others walked about
grunting and growing over their injuries:
Bears can climb quite well as men and old
Frank stood with fear and trembling in the
i aoe4 o1e J1- 10, iva will
| 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 q small chance OF life tor
| the poor man. But the bears thought that
| solid ground was the safer place for them,
| so there they staid and up above sat old
| Frank shivering, how long he never knew.
| 1t seemed centuries. 1t was a sharp, fros-
| ty autumn night and as be had on very
| little clothing Frank was chilled al
most to his bones. But the bears coats
| were warm enough. They were more hun
cry than they were cold, SO there they sat
| and growled and waited for their prey to
| come down and be eaten. Soon bitterly
| cold wind began to blow. Every joint in
| the poor mans body stiffened; but 1t
| seemed pleasanter to freeze to death than
| to be eaten up by those ugly beasts, so he
/ bore his discomfort best he could The
| hours of that night seemed to be endless
| and the chill grew terrible; but at last q
| dull gray streak appeared in the east. No
| man was ever more glad to see the first slgr
| of dawn than was that chilly watcher Bears
are very shy by daylight, and as the twilight
little by little grew into broad day Frank
| visitors trotted away disappointed and sulkJ
up to their dens on the mountain. Thell
victim, more dead than alive, was able al
last to climb down and kindle fire to warm
| himself He still lives to tell the story III
| the same log cabin but it has good stou'
door now and he will never again go bear