The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-11-27
BAFFLED The BEAR
Exciting Domestic Event In the
Early Days Of Vermont.
TALE OF AN ALL NIGHT SIEGE.

An Ugly Visitor That Gave Herself a
Warm Reception In a Settlers CABIN
a Quick Retreat by the Inmates and
a Display Of Presence of Mind.
Two of the first English settlers In
the town Of Addison, Vt, were John
Strong and Zadok Everest. Early in
the fall of 1776 Strong and Everest
had TO go TO Albany for provisions.
Pioneer women seldom worried, but
for some reason Molly Strong felt IN
easy after her husband had gone. She
and her sons got In a good supply OF
fuel and did the chores early
When they came back to the cabin
the baby was crying for his supper,
and Mrs. Strong gave him a cup OF
warm milk and sat him down In front
of the fireplace. She had just swung
the kettle Of samp from the FIRE when
sbs heard noise. Looking round, she
saw the blanket that served for door
swing aside as a great bear thrust her
head into the room. The children
screamed, and the bear backed out IN
haste, but Molly Strong knew that she
would return.
quick, children" she said as she
caught up the baby. Climb the lad
der. Let sister go up first, now John
ME, now Frank-hurry, hurry"
When the Others were safe In the loft
Mrs. Strong climbed up with the baby
and drew the ladder after her. She
laid 1t across the hole, and then she
and the children sat down and waited
The floor of the loft was made Of
round poles laid closely together, but
not fastened 1t was dangerous TO
move about on it,
Peering down through the pole floor,
they listened and watched for the bear
to come back. They could hear hel
moving round the house, and once a
big paw crashed through the oiled pa
per at the window hole. Finally she
came to the door and, after blinking
uncertainty at the fire, walked In. Two
cubs followed her. The old bear pres.
emily upset the pan of milk on the ta-
bic, and the cubs began to lap it up
eagerly.
"Id like a taste of that myself,
Frank whispered.
80 would l." Johnnie replied. "Tm
awful hungry"
Next, the bear found the pudding
kettle and took mouthful of the boil
ing samp. jumping back with a cry
with swift blow Of her paw, and then
sat up on her launches, growing and
whining, and began to dig the pud-
ding out of her mouth. The cubs sat
and watched her In grave wonder
That was too much for the children,
who burst into laughter Instantly the
bear gave a loud roar and rushed to-
ward the hole with the ladder across
1t. Mrs. Strong gave hurried orders:
Get me pole, Frank, quick! Now
get another. Punch her If she tries to
climb up. Re careful. Don't fal
through"
The baby, awakened by the noise, be
gan to wall, and Mrs. Strong soothe(
him with one hand while with th,
pole In the other she warded off th'
bear. The little girl clung crying t
her mothers skirts, but the boys eacl
had a long pole and prodded the bea
through the rungs Of the ladder. TIL
big brute finally shuflled off toward tn
door. She pulled down the blanke
and tore it into shreds; then she wen
out, followed by her cubs.
"She's gone" Johnnie said, "D
you think she'll come back, motherT
81 expect she WILL son, but we ca
manage her--lf we keep awake"
81 won't go to sleep" groaned JOIN
ME. I'm too hungry
| Nevertheless, the silent wait in tn
dimly lighted loft made them n
drowsy. and before the bear returne
Mrs. Strong knew by their heav
breathing that the children wei
asleep. 1t was near midnight whe
the bear came in and renewed her e
forts to reach the loft Mrs. Stron
raped her sharply with her pole, an
there was roar that brought the boy
TO their feet,
Dazed and only half awake, john
ran across the loft His foot slippe
into a gap between the poles, aud as |
fell other poles spread apart Down /
went into the room with the bear m
! her cubs. The bear did not see hi
, fall, but she faced about at the noi'
and started toward him.
Quick as a fash, Mrs. Strong brougl
her pole down on the nearest cub al
e pinned him to the floor, The be-
= turned to rescue her squealing O
+ spring. and Frank drew his brother |
: into the loft unharmed.
= = No injury to herself could ha'
! weakened the old bears courage Ill
! the attack on her cub, and althou!
at intervals she slouched in and out
n the cabin. she made no further {
$ tempt to reach the loft As it gre
light, Mrs, Strong, watching throu'
: the chinks in the wall, saw her lei
her cubs across the clearing into t
4 woods.
/. As soon as She thought 1t safe 5
:. lowered the ladder and the family cal
It down. They saw no more of the be-
: and when Mr. Strong came home
y made the cabin secure with a dc
= made from basswood slabs and hui
J, on wooden hinges. -- Youths Compf
ion.