Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-10-30
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.

Climbs Tree to Escape the Clutches of
Wounded Besr-A New York Police
man Who Has Saved Twenty-N Nin
Lives "A Brave Young Sailorinan
Miss Jessie Loughran, of Jerse,
City. N. j., who has been visiting hel
aunt, Mrs. James Davis, near Wood
ford, Vt, has had lively adventur,
with a large black bear She is NJ
enthusiastic wheelwoman, and wher
she came from Jersey City she brought
her bicycle with her. She had gone
about five miles from her aunt's house
and was returning home when she
heard the sharp crack of rifle Miss
Loughran would probably not have
paid more than passing attention tc
the shot had she not heard immAai.s.-
~ aitoiwaru heavy body crash
through the underground skirtine the
roadside. She turned around, and
doing so lost her balance. To save
herself from fall she dismounted.
Hardly had she left the wheel when
a large black bear burst ont of the
woods in full view of her. 1t was
evident that the animal was wounded,
for it was snorting with rage, and en-.
deavored to lick its left shoulder.
Miss Loughran screamed and made a
desperate attempt to remount her
wheel. Never before did her wheel
behave so disreputably. It wabbled
as it never wabbled before, and ca
vorted with all the wickedness Of an
unbridled bronco. At least, that is
what she thinks it did.
No sooner did the bear see Miss
Loughran than it gave Il snort and
made dash for her. Half frightened
to death Miss Loughran made another
desperate attempt to mount her wheel,
and this time was successful. Just as
her feet caught the pedals and the
first burst OF speed was acquired, the
bear shot up alongside her and with
one dart of his paw tore jagged piece
out of the side of her tapping skirt.
The wheelwoman looked down upon
the enraged bear, and wondered how
long the race would last. So long as
the bear did not get tangled up in the
wheels, and she ran against no OBJ
struction, she was reasonably sure of
getting away from the animal. But
fate had not decreed that Miss Lough-
ran should escape absolutely un-
scathed. The bear got over the
ground with surprising celerity.
Once when rounding turn in the
road the bear drew so near the wheel
again that it tore another piece from
Miss Loughran's skirt. The sharp
claws even went deeper and scratched
Miss Loughran's leg. At that Miss
Loughran screamed at the top of her
voice
"It's wonder / was not heard in
Woodford," she said afterward. T
thought every minute was to be my
last"
Not mile had been covered in the
race with the bear, yet Miss Loughran
imagined that she had gone at least
half way to the New York State line.
The bear, though painting hotly, was
beginning to gain steadily on her; the
excitement of the race was telling on
her and she was rapidly losing both
nerve and strength. She began to
pedal with renewed vigor, but the
squirt was made too late. The bear
was upon her. Both its forepaws fast
ened themselves on the'hind wheel of
the bicycle. The claws sank deep
into the tire, and wheel, rider and
bear went toppling over, confused
mass, in the dusty highway.
When Miss Loughran struggled to
her feet she was covered with dust
and bleeding from scratch in the
face. Turning about, she saw the
bear making desperate attempts to
free itself from the wheel. Then Miss
Loughran did what few city girls are
capable Of doing. She climbed tree.
She knew that it would be worse than
useless to run away, for it would not
be long before the bear would be free
and after her. How she ever got up
that tree she will never be able to tell
lucidly. But after desperate strug-
giles and many sobs she got as high as
the lower limb, over which she swung
herself. In her excitement she forgot
that bears can climb trees. 1t was
not until she was perched there that
this thought came to her.
"Great goodness! Suppose that
bear should climb this tree!" she cried.
The thought made her shudder.
Happily. for her, this occurrence was
averted. just as the bear had sue
ceeded in getting itself untangled from
the wheel a pack Of hunting dogs ran
out into the road short distance
above. The bear Immediately turned
tail and fed into the woods OH the op-
posite side of the road, followed by
the dogs. A minute later two young
hunters came into view. Both were
running. When they saw the bicycle
they stopped.
II wonder where that bear got this
wheel?" said one of the hunters.
"Ify you please, it's mine," said Miss
Loughran.
The hunter looked around in aston
ishment.
II thought I heard voice, Harley"
said he to his companion.
MAsS LOuSHfdH Stu uOWH tue UfluK
of the tree, rather the worse for her
experience, yet relieved to know that
her peril was past. 1t took few words
to tell her story. Beyond the fact
that the rear tire was badly punctured
the wheel was not much injured.
Miss Loughran insisted on trun-
ding the wheel herself to her aunt's
home, though she was accompanied
the greater part of the way by the two
young men, one of whom was from
New York and the other from Rut-
land, Vt.
IT never expected to have such an
exciting time in quiet old Vermont"
said Miss Loughrau, "but then one
cannot always tell what is going to
happen. My only regret is that the
horrid bear was not killed. New
York Sun.
Saved Twenty-Five Lives.
In the Century there is an article by
kho uo, Tb Jora Doozo,o1t o,,@;t1a1