The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-27
WIDOW RODDY'S THREAT.
When the Bear TOOK Possession Of
Her Dismal Swamp" Cabin.

rbe Widow Declared That Her Nice,
clean Cabin Floor Couldn't Be
nrssed Up by ''the Critter,'' so Bruin
climbed the Chimney and Was Shot
on the Roof.
From the New York Advertiser.
The Widow Roddy lives at the head of
80 Dismal" The Dismal is a mar
-. valley that rummages its tortuous
raw through the widest portions of the
Rio Black mountains in Western North
carolina. Bear creek romps and splurges
tbropqb It. growing larger and less up
ro,rious as it descends, though at the
pa5dv cabin it is a mere rill, trickling
+,om the spring where the widow does
her washing and obtains water for other
family uses. Both valley and stream are
optlv named. for the bears that used to
bo numerous are still occasionally to be
found and the spot is really dismal in its
Wild and rugged isolation. The nearest
bouse IS two miles. Late one afternoon
Mrs Rsddv and Lish, her S-year-old son,
returning from little "sang" hunt in the
reighboring cove, found the cabin door
standing wide open, though the widow
felt sure that they had left it closed
couple of hours before.
~ inst know that old SOW of Roy's has
boen thar" exclaimed the widow, grow
ing irate at the thought. Tho critter
can open the door almost like human -"
Rov. a lad of 10, was Mrs Roddy's
oldest child He was supposed to be at
work in a little streak of bottom land half
IL !
about all the tlllable portion of the
Widows rugged homestead. She hurried
forward with little Lish trotting closely
behind but upon attempting to cross the
threshold a bear shuff1ed forward from
within. reared itself up and blocked their
further advance He was a bear of the
common black species, somewhat larger
than full grown hog, and apparently,
until aroused, nearly as lethargic and in
offensive.
Bruin. at present, seemed to be about
as much surprised as Mrs. Roddy and her
SON. for he stood stalk still and gazed stu
pidly at the mountain woman, who did
not faint or run or even scream. Instead
of that she was thinking rapidly. Roy
had missed some pigs during the last few
weeks. and his mother now made up her
mind that this unlooked-for intruder
might be largely responsible for their dis
appearance
As soon as she could resolve upon a
course of action she seized a bucket of
water from the shelf at the door and
dashed its contents into the bears face.
The animal, snOrting and shaking its
head backed further into the house, when
Mrs Roddy boldly closed the door and
latched it, thereby shutting him up inside
the one-roomed cabin.
Run, Lish, run !" she exclaimed. "Tell
Roy thar's a bear shet up inside er the
house, an I'm a-watching of him to see
as he don't sit away"
How the widow proposed to stop the
brute should he attempt to git away"
she did not indicate, Perhaps she didn't
know herself; but she was reSOlute, and
resolution counts for a good deal in bear
fight.
Lish battered briskly down the trail to
where Roy was pulling fodder, and in
stantly transformed his brother from a
state of extreme lstlessness into one of
Superabundant life and energy.
In the house, dyou say" he painted,
as they ran back to the scene of action.
"Jest a-settin' beyant the door a-grin-
min, when ma an me come up, returned
Lish "Ketch hold of my hand, Roy;
can't keep up"
Hes got three of my pigs inside of
him, said Roy. Hell wish he'd let 'em
alone afOre he gets out"
hutu luGH dEllNEu MIS-. INOuUy was
still on guard, armed with an AK from the
woodpile. Then Roy remembered that
he was weaponless.
well, mother said he, after taking in
the situation, you've got the bear shet
up in thar, but you've got my gun shet up
in thar, too" ...... ...-..-
The widow looked through the little
hole near the chimney that went by the
name of a window. 1t was about a foot
mt oh III
carefully. nothing could she now see of
the bear amid the Obscurity that reigned
within
II reckon he must have gone down sui
lar, said she, for we left the trapdOor
open to kinder dry out them new taterS.
Now, hoy, 'sposen you slip inside nd git
Your gun. I'll watch out at the winder -
hoy cautiously pushed open the door
little way and peered in. But his rife
instead OF being upon its usual rack on
the wall, was leaning against the wall in
Ihe furtheSt corner beyond the fireplace,
with the pouch and powderhorn hanging
10 the ramrod. He now remembered
placing 1t there yesterday, after trying to
XII a predatory hawk. He saw no sign
OF Bruln. except an overturned chair and
Splnnlng-wheel. So he tiptoed across the
Puncheons and was in the act of grasping
ms gun, when up numbered the bear from
lhe little dirt hole underneath the floor,
door
Mrs. Roddy, from her window, shouted
70 Llsh to ''shet that thar door" The
Attle fellow at once obeyed, but Roy, re
memberlng that the rife was unloaded,
old not relish the situation
Goodness alive, MOTHER he cried.
what did you tell Lish to do that for7''
Shoot him, Roy! Shoot him while
you've got him closet" called the resolute
woman, who knew that her son was a
good shot and seldom missed.
how can l shoot him with a empty
gum Open that thar door," shouted the
eXasperated young man.
- He'll git away if we open the door
Eant you load up In thar" questioned
the widow, forgetting in her eagerness
Ior the destruction of this pig destroyer,
something of her natural anxiety for her
sons safety.
amt no bear fighter, mother, but
posen | should load up and shoot-do
you want the house all tore up by bleed
IL an a kicl1in' an a dyin' bear7"
Massey, no. Roy" exclaimed Mrs
noudy, whose neat, housewifely instincts
AZ once took the alarm. "Mebbe had
better let him out!p
30 she ran round and pushed open the
Ioor. The bear meanwhile was standing
TTTs NJ. Roy and this outlet for escape.
me animal was evidently becoming ex-