The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-07-31
A Wyoming Bear Story.

punt new cabin for himself at the
foot of mountain. Before his house
was finished, he went out one day
and killed fine fat dear. Bringing
the carcass home at night, he hung
it up against the back of his house,
and then hanging a blanket over
the doorway which was still without
a 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 plen-
tiful, and it was not long before his
deer was replaced by a big-horned
sheep, which is the most tender and
juicy meat that ever was 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 up watching,
he at last heard a sound at the back
of the house. Something was at
work on his wild mutton. There
was noise of scratching and tear
ing. 1t seemed as if several bears
were making short work with his
meat. He seized his loaded rifle
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 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 dozen bullets about in their
bodies without much inconvenience,
II they are not wounded in the heart
or the brain. So our friend laid
down his rifle and took instead
loaded shotgun. "This is the thing
for them," he said to himself; at
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. Some
thing appeared to be moving below
in the darkness. Taking a random
aim, he blazed away. The shot scat
tered and evidently took effect; for
there arose a chorus of growls and
howls and yells that would have
made the bravest mans hair stand
on end; there was scampering and
shutting of many feet up and down,
and around the cabin; even in the
thick darkness he could see many
great fat creatures running and sniff
ing angrily about to find who had
attacked them. He saw that he was
besieged on his own roof by at least
a 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 numbers, they
determed to have that man for sup.
per, even if they had to put off theii
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 as well as men, anC
old Frank stood with fear and trem
bling in the middle of the roof
ready to receive with the butt of hi
gun the first nose that should ris,
above the edge. If two had hap
pened to moHnt the roof on oppo
site sides, there would have been
small chance of life for the poo
man. But the bears thought tina
solid ground was the safer place 70
them, so there they staid and VI
above sat old Frank shivering, hoy
long he never knew. 1t seemed cen
turtles. 1t was a sharp, frosty au
tumn night, and, as he had on YER
little clothing, Frank was soon chill
ed almost to his bones. But tn
bears coats were warm enough
They were more hungry than the,
were cold, so there they sat an,
growled and waited for their prey t
come down and began to blow
Every joint in the poor mans bod
stiffened but it seemed pleasante
to freeze to death than to be cate
up by those ugly beasts, so he Dor
his discomfort as best he could. Til
hours of that night seemed to b
endless, and the chill grew terrible
but at last a dull gray streak az
peared in the East. No man wa