The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-01-09
BRAVE MAINE WOMEN.
THEY DO NOT HESITATE TO At
TACK A BEAR WITHOUT GUNS.

Female Inhabitants Of Lumber Dis
triot siny an Enormous Creature which
Had Killed Two stoors.
II read about Mrs. Lewis killing the
two bucks in the Adirondaczs, and about
Mrs. Becky Latimer's deer hunting ex-
PLOTS in Pennsylvania" said q New
Yorker who has been hunting up in
Maine, "and now l would like to read
about the way some women up in the
pine forests have of showing their grit
and skill when it comes to dealing with
certain wild animals
ga family named Mcdonald lives way
back in the wilderness Of the Molus
river. It consists of the husband, Rod
erick Mcdonald, his wife and his sister,
both young women. They have a snug
little farm in there, and keep few cat
tie. Their most valuable possession in
that line was yoke Of steers. One day
Mcdonald was obliged to go to one of
the settlements several miles away, and
his business was to keep him over night.
His wife and sister were left alone to
look after things during his absence.
Just before dark q great believing was
heard among the cattle in the barnyard.
The sounds were Of such an unusual
character that the two women became
satisfied that they were cries Of terror.
Mrs. Mcdonald, armed with pitcbfork,
and her sister, carrying an AK, hurried
to the barnyard.
"There they found an enormous bear,
standing deasntly between the PROSTATE
bodies Of the two steers, each Of which
he had felled to the ground and killed.
The other cattle were huddled in terror
IN corner of the yard. The bear
growled and snarled and showed his
teeth as the women approached, but, in
spite of his terrible front and threaten
ing attitude, the sight of the steers lying
dead on the ground was more than the
plucky young women could stand, and
they rushed with desperate intent on the
snarling bear.
THEY KILLED THE BEAR.
"Mrs. Mcdonald charged with her
pitohfork and thrust its sharp, long tines
deep into the bears neck The bear
gave a howl of pain, and striking the
handle Of the pitchfork powerful blow
with one forepaw he wrenched 1t from
Mrs. McDonald's hands and sent it fy-
ing across the barnyard. While the bear
was doing that Miss Mcdonald pitched
into him with the ax, and at the first
blow disabled one Of his terrible forelegs
The bear turned on her and she rained
blows thick and fast upon him as she
backed slowly away. Mrs. Mcdonald
quickly regained possession of the pitch
fork and renewed her attack ON the bear.
"Between the attacks Of the two de-
termined and pluoky women the bear
was so badly harassed that he made an
effort to escape from the field, but the
women pressed him too closely. The
battle was not of long duration, for the
lusty blows Of the axe in the girls hands
and the deep and painful stabs inflicted
by Mrs. Mcdonald with her pitchfork
soon had their effect on the bear, big
and tough as he was, and In ten minutes
after the fight began he was stretched
dead by the side Of his victims, the two
steers. The two nervy women had their
clothing nearly stripped from them by
the claws Of the bear, but beyond few
scratches they were not injured.
They were not on the scene in time
to save the valued steers, but their pluck
in avonging the death Of the cattle
aroused so much enthusiasm and ad.
miration at the settlement that a purse
was raised among the lumbermen and
hunters, with which another yoke Of
steers was bought and presented to Mrs
Mcdonald and her brave little sister.
ANOTHER woMAR's BEAR.
"In that same Molus river wilderness
but nearer the hesdwRters, lives during
the summer and sometimes as late as the
middle Of November, If the weather il
not too severe, a family named Baker
They are Boston people, but on account
Of the health of one Of the family, whC
isbepefted by the spruce and pine air o.
the region, they spend most OF the yea
in their commodious cabin In the Molul
woods.
Bakers wife is pretty woman o
about thirty, and has learned 10 handl,
the rife like an old woodsman. She in
sisted on making one of party that hRt
formed to rout out and kill big bea
that had been located In a swamp mil
n or so from the cabin. She was stattonet
by the guide at a spot where In his judg
ment the bear would not be likely I,
come out when the dogs got after him
as he had no faith in a woman's abiht.
to stand and shoot at a bear as /
bounced into sight out Of thicket
"His Judgment was right, for whel
the dogs got on the track Of the bea
Mrs. Baker heard them taking cours
that would fetch bruin out Of the swan
at place where she would be unable {
see it OF get shot. But she wasn't ther
to be fooled, and she started on a ru
for the spot where the bear was evidentl
headed for, and she got there before an
one else did. The bear, tremendou
big fellow, as black as ink, broke throug
hethicR brush on the edge Of the swami
and was putting in his best licks aero:
the opening for cover on the other side
But he never reached cover. Mrs. Bake
put one rife ball close behind his lei
shoulder and another through his loin
When the guide, Mr.. Baker and Rnotht
member Of the party came tearing
the spot, Mrs. Baker was sitting on I'll
carcass Of the bear as cool as a oucun
Der, and with mock disgust exclaimed;
- "'You're n nice lot Of hunters, d,
clarel If it hadn't been for me tn
bear would have been a mile away
the woods before you stupid things kns
what had become Of itr"-New Yor
Sun.