The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-05
AN AMAZON or THE CATsKILBs.
Stniyyart Nance Bentiey, who Fought and
KILLED q Hear In Its Den-

htiled q henr In Its Don-
Two ladies' sat In an uptown Broadway
restaurant ut luncheon. One OF them. just re-
turned from late autumn sojourn among
the Catskills. had been recountinR to her
friend the glories OF the changing foliage and
the pleasures OF rustic life among the noun
tains at a season when they were not overrun
with visitors.
80 you were OF Palensville during part Of
your stayl" said the listener at last. Did you
SEQ or hear anything about my old friend.
Nance Bentley. while there2 Mol She was
famous character in that part OF the Catskills.
When met her there dozen years ago abe
lived in a cabin on the mountain side. and
used to go about selling berries to the Catskill
boarding house keepers in the season. At
other times che would make q round OF visits
at the farmhouses, staying at each place long
enough to BIO there over one washing day. as
they call Monday in the country. She was fond
OF wandering over the mountains. and In this
way became the heroine OF o terrible bear
fight which. suppose. the people still talk
about in the Catskill region. The story OF that
fight had tho distinction OF hearing from her
own lips.
Nance introduced herself to me In q man
per very characteristic Of the woman l was
standing on the piazza of my boarding place.
Hezekiah Diedrich's farmhouse. looking out
upon the valley. when heard somebody say:
".Hullo, stranger. whar dyer come fromp
Be yer the gal from York as 1 see er ridin'
onter Hezekis wagonT
with this salutation. came heavy slap on
my shoulder. which. to say the least, was start
ling The voice was 80 loud and harsh that
was good deal surprised on wheeling round
to find 1t to be that OF a woman And such wo-
man Very nearly six feet in height. dressed
in an old faded stuff Dress left unfastened
at her throat. which was brown and brawny
and terribly SCARED. The skirt Just reached
to the top OF very heavy pair OF hob nailed
shoes; around q waist Of no slender propor-
tions was buckled q broad leather belt. in
which was stuck long knife with a rough
wooden handle: and on her head. with its
growth of wiry. grlzzled hair. she wore an old
ragged sun bonnet. This was Nance Bentley.
whose quaint sayings and doings were stock
topics Of conversation about Palensville and
far beyond its confines. She talked with mo at
some length and ended by inviting me to visit
80 some days afterward I drove up the
mountains side to her house. cabin which
rolling around in front q it. tied BY chain.
and swapping at flies, 1t was an enormous
brute and although Nance t 50 G 1t Vas as
spectfuI distance, After she had finished
long recital Of her husbands illness and death
and funeral. which events had occurred two
wish wish t You could have heard her tell it
Citing "sr points by energetic gestures and at the
close, displaying the scars Of deep fqrrows
torn In her neck. arms. and breast by the
-" It was the day after the funeral she said.
The house seemed out OF kilter. somewhat:
in ans sot s n The TIVE II
quite er spell when fell er thlnkin, th h the
wood nile looked kinder slim and might Jest
ne ~ look L
started to sharpenin' up the axe ! got 1t
sharp. an on went up the T t6 9I size th
maple wood when !!eant up aen er big rock
to rest minute. Then heersa s1me sTar
whnin' that startled me- fur l knew what
myself: an they're hungry: but whar be they
~ went to looking round purity kse .tn. an
er hole biz enough fur ter crawl inter: Ail the
time ! could hear those critters inside er
fou nes and ." et FUR nv knife an got err good
holt onter the axe, an then thought:
Nance bentley. yer amt sartin sure them
80 Horsepower. I crep' in. an worked along
nigh on ter three or four foot. when l come
ter hum. an some cracks overhead made It
light enough ter see them, thar cubs. fur cubs
l reckon. but at sight Of me they set up or
squealin' that made me think their mother
IN Eht not b9 TOO lur away TO near en-
I'd staid on t the OUTSIDE S er that cave Thar
right In the open n. war the maddest bar that
regler streak. er Growlin' awful an er shown
OF her teeth. an er swingin' Of her head. an
burn a hole in me. / didn't have no time ter
think, so | Jest bringed the butt OF the axe
down on her head With ,S clip as ST. made her her
with roar that seemed 1T ter deaten me the
critter jest came into the cave. riz onter her
I, "A l,fr hlnI.t
drew it clean through her shoulder. but she
every bone in my body. But KEEP on or twist
in an or jerkin' OF the knife. when all on or
saddn lest as was er Et,nb kinder tuck
one OF her cubs an was afeard OF hurtin, 1t. I
never let so or that knife. but lest yanked 1t
fl, in up agin tOther side or the cave. hadn't
more n time ter breathe once when she como
on agin and Test Janbed tho knife inter her
other lab with her paw that tore all one side or
She KEEP er c!awin' at me. but 'peared
knife Wal, know'd ittcouldntlast mu eh long
the b'ar. She turned fur a minute ter smell
OF one or them cubs that he'd got hurt In the
m to g y kne ef het@een m teeth af
ia e a good holt onter the axe: then, er hoist
in of it over my head, l bringei it right down
didn't wait no time, but or grabbin' my knife
sashsd her across the throat over and oyer
caye, or goin' round, it ,peared ter cit dark.
thing knowed was er heerin' # Peck sayin; .,
49, Nance. old galyer amt done fur. be yerp'
"'Thcn he an lieHcki Diedrich were Asset
tin me onter my feet. They'd come along this
way a-huckleherryin' an had seen my sun
bunnet close bytho hole. whar r. pulled aside
erep' in. The bar was dead. an was nigh
dyin'; One poor little cub wuZ or lynn life
bar up ter the house."
The bear story was finished. and presently
the ladies laid their napkins on the table and
smoothed their dresses rs they rose from their
seats to go. Then the narrator added:
II often met and Ia lkei with Nance Bentley
q or that and wonder where she is that You
sh ould not have heard OF her. don't believe
she'd ever try to live away from those noun
Iains. and 1t didn't seem as II she gould ever
die at least under a century. At all events. II
should go to the Catskills any time In tho
next fifty years should expect to SEQ her with
ler belt aud knife and sun bonnet and pet bear
coming out from some cave or mountain gorge,
ike Rip Van Winkle with his dog"
Mr.. Berri's Sailing bicycle.
From he Siotir ON Journal