The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-11
.BESIEGED BY GRIZZLY BEARS.
STRANGE ADVENTURE or A WYO
MING PIONEER.
Frank rrager Lost His Head at the Sight
OF q Thleving Bear and rs Result
spent the Night Fighting the Bic
Brutes or the Roof OF His Cabin.

Brutes or the Roof OF His Cabin.
Il have heard good many stories Of
men hunting bears, but have heard but
one OF bears hunting man, said the ranch
man from Wyoming to reporter OF the
Kansas Ciy Star
"Oh, you needn't turn up your noses
and acctise me of springing an ordinary
Wild West yarn on you. The man that mad
the experience is still living within the
shadow OF Laramie Peak. His name is
Frank Prayer and he is one Of the pioneers
Of Wyoming He went to the country
when 1t was bowling wilderness, with all
sorts Of wild animals and wilder men,
"Old Franks house il still standing
at least, it was when went to see him
year or two ago. He built it Of heavy
unhewn logs, more for protection against
the Indians than for home. The windows
were only about six inches square, regular
loopholes, about the height OF tall man
from the floor The door was near one OF
the corners OF the house, and at this point
projected log used as towel rack. At
the rear was the meat pole, on which he
could hang the carcass Of an elk. The
roof was gabled, constructed OF layer
of fve-inch logs. Upon this rested covei-
ing Of green elk skins to make it water
proof. This was covered with about a
foot OF earth. So you can see that old Frank
was prepared to withstand siege OF con-
siderable length.
@One morning Frank looked out from the
door OF his cabin and saw a bunch OF about
twenty elk in his horse pasture. He got
his rife and killed two without moving
from the shadow of his house. He dressed
them and hung them up on the meat pole.
When he got up the next morning ne
found he had had visitors during the night.
his larder What they had not eaten they
had destroyed or buried. When a bear
turns thief he is penurious as well as cheeky
and bold. ,,. -.
more elk to put on the pole. Then he
| loaded bis rife and double-barrelled shot
/ gun. When night came he sat up and
waited for callers. They were rather slow
in coming, and when they had n OF put in
their appearance by midnight he went to
| bed.
when he was about half asleep the
peculiar half grunt, half growl of the grizzly
brought him to his feet in an instant. Peep
ing out through the loophole into the gloom
Of cloudy night he could bil zee see sns snd
pulling away at one Of the elk. In his haste
he grabbed the shotgun, but the loophole
was too narrow to get the weapon in line.
odd Frank has since confessed that ne
lost his head in his anxiety TO get even ior
the theft OF the night before. AS soon
as the bear made off with the carcass Frank
forgot observation-disclosures amInuni-
ton, danger, even overlooking IN ms hurry
that he was clad only in thin undershirt
and with his old two-barrelled blunder,,
buss dashed out of the door and climbed
on the projecting log and thence on to the
roof Sneaking over the ridge TO the caves
on the opposite side he saw the bears form
dmly outlined in the darkness, working
away on the carcass OF the elk.
aThe beast was too busy to notice the
coming interruption OF his feast, and Frank
got within four feet Of him. Cooking botn
Barrels he poked the muzzle out and turned
loose. The charge ploughed ditch in that
the hide and flesh clear to the backbone.
THAT bear let out below and roar
that made the mountains echo; he
kicked and bucked like an outlaw bronco,
would have made Sitting Bulls liveliest buck
look like an ordinary cakewalker.
ness came bears. A fitting CLEAN OF moon
light showed eight. Old Frank saw by
they had him freed, and he would have
mortgaged his claim for his Winchester
and a full cartridge belt.
AT first he thought Of making leap
and cutting for the door. But IN no time
ton. The one he had shot was still bawling
and cavorting, but the others charged
around the cabin and tried to climb up TO
the roof The caves projected ABOUT three
feet over the side, and several OF the brutes
were big enough to reach few inches
over the edge. Frank says he never ap-
preciated dirt roof until then. The bears
could not get clawhold to pull themselves
up, for the dirt would give way and down
they would roll.
used his old gun as a club, and If it had
been a light fowling piece, such as is made
to-day, instead Of an ancient weapon OF
sturdy make, he wouldn't have lasted long
at this part OF the conflict. AT first he tiled
beating them over over the seer Down
by hitting him on the haunch as to annoy
a bear by rapping him on the head. The
blows hardly brought an answering grunt.
Then he took to pounding them on the
paws, and his efforts were rewarded ny
| good vigorous bawls.
Occasionally there would be hlh In
the attack, and Frank would rush from
| side to side in an effort to find an opening
for leap but only to find 4 bn GeaI III lymg
! indefinitely provided they did not tackle
the corner by the door, where he had scram,
| bled TO the roof He was careful to avoid
the place, although he kept an anxious
| eye upon it.
forced u pom him, he began to get cold. The
| frost was nearly an inch thick and the tenn
perature was below freezing He, tried to
| climb down the chimney, but the hole was
too small, and he came near wedging him
self into II permanently.
Then he dug the earth loose at the comb
of the roof. When he reached the raw
hide covering of the timbers he could get
no further. 1t was the one dry spot how.
ever, where he could shield his cold and
bleeding feet from the frost, and he was
not slow to take advantage OF it. 1t was
to this spot that he would retreat when
ever there was a cessation of hostilities,
and during these intervals he would slap
his feet and legs and wave his arms to
quicken his circulation and escape freezing
to death.
But his breathing spells were not fire.
quent or OF long duration. Another CLEAN
Of moonlight revealed the forefeet and
head Of a bear clambering up the projeo-
ton near the door. A few blows on the
paws and he dropped TO the ground. But,
as luck would have it, he tumbled against
the door and pushed II open. Then began
the looting OF the cabin, in which every
bear in the bunch took Fart.
"Pandemonium would have been quiet
compared with the uproar that arose from
below. Sounds OF breaking glass and
crookery, rafting Of pots and pans, told a
l l.