Year: 1875




So saying, Mr.. Pope, with bag Of grain
ON his horse, started of TO mill, leaving his
wife and baby alone in their solitary log
cabin in The wilderness.


This conversation occurred in the town
of Kirby, Vermont, in the spring of the
year 1911, when that region was but little
settled, when even women understood they
we're in constant peril from wild beasts.
Jesse Popes cabin stood close 10 The foot of
the Kirby mountains, in whose rocky fast
nesses bears, catamOupts and wolves had
their inaccessible dens. Bears, especially,
were SO thick as TO be source OF constant
dread 10 those who had hocks, or we're
compelled 10 leave their homes unprotect-
ed, while they went to the larger settle
menls on necessary business.


Mrs. Pope fully understood the peril that
surrounded her during her husbands alb
sence. Her cheerful talk with her husband
was not mere brsvado. She said what she
did, as much 10 keep her own spirits up as
to dispel her husbands anxiety. She
knew that he must go TO the mill, and
there was no way for her but TO stay at
home and be as brave as possible. She was
a brave woman. Nature had endowed her
with courage, and The surroundings OF her
early life had all tended to foster aud
strengthen it. She fully understood her SIT
ustion, and when her husband passed out
of sight she knew she and her baby were
alone in the great wilderness, beyond the
reach Of help should anything serious oc-
cur. But she had always lived in the will
derness. The howl of the wolf and the
growl of the bear were familiar sounds TO
her, and she had become accustomed 10 a
lonely life in The woods. So, instead of
shutting herself in the house, she went on
with her work as usual.


After the breakfast dishes were washed
and put away, she brought out her little
'linen wheel" and went TO spinning fax.
| They must have clothes for summer wear,
and that was the season 10 spin and weave,
before the summer fully set in. can re-
member my mother and her spinning
wheel, and can imagine just how Mrs.
Pope looked, sitting with one foot on the
treadle. can hear The buzz of the wheel
as II few round; can see just how often
she dipped her fingers in the little cup of
water, as she drew out the tibers of fax,
and dexterously shaped the strong SYM
metrical thread, in manner that would
astonish modern housewives.


All the long forenoon her musical wheel
kept hummng its pleasant tune, stopping
only now and then MS its mistress either
crowed to the baby in the cradle, or looked
out 10 see that no wild animals were prowl-
ing about. Noon came and went, and moth
ing disturbed them. The baby in the era
die vert off TO sleep, and she kept on with
her work. After time she rose and look
ed out again. This time she saw an as
founding sighti Coming down the noun
tain-side from the woods, she beheld full
grown bear, not hundred yards distant.
lie was on his way TO the yard where the
sheep were in fold, and she knew he was
after the sheep. She had a gun, but that
would not avail anything for she had new
er learned TO use 1t. She had an axe, but
she knew an axe to be poor weapon to
fight bear with. The next thing she
thought of was pitchfork. Their few sheep
were treasure 10 the family. All their
winter clothing was TO come from the sheep,
and now that they were in peril, she was
aroused 10 instant action. The one absorb
ing thought of saving the sheep banished
all sense Of personal danger. Instead of
shutting herself up in the house she darted
out and closed the door amer her lest any
thing should molest The baby. Then run
ming into the log barn, she snatched up the
pitch fork, ran around the barn, and plant
ed herself directly in the bears path.
Brandislling her pitchfork and screaming
at him, she attempted 10 scare him back 10
the woods. But the bear was ravenous
with hunger, and he came straight down
the hill at her, showing his teeth and growl-
ing fiercely. AS he approached and sprang
toward her, Mrs. Pope lodged and dealt
him a blow, the iron ring OF the fork strlk-
ing him exactly on the end OF the nose.
The shock stunned the bear for an instant,
and during that one instant, with almost
superhuman strength, Mrs. Pope plunged
both tines of tho fork into The bears side,
where she supposed the heart 10 be. Either
good fortune, or the hand Of Providence,
directed the weapon, for one OF the tines
passed clear through the bears heart, aud
he fell over dead, leaving her not only vic
tOrious, but unhaTmed Amer the excite
ment of the contest was over, Mrs. Pope
went back to the house, shuddering at the
extremity of peril she had been In. But af-
Ter a time her nerv business passed of, and
she went on with her work again, and SC
the afternoon wore away.


AT length, when the sun was about an
hour high, she saw her husband emerge
from the woods near the house. She left
her spinning wheel, and, with the baby in
her arms, met him at the door as II nothing
unusual had occurred.


AS he came up 10 the door leading the
horse with one hand, and holding on the
bag of hour with the other, he spoke out:


swell, wife, 1 am thankful nothing has
happened 10 you while was gone. sup
pose II was foolish, but 1 couldn't help
worrying all the time"


"I don't know as ii was foolish, husband.
But hitch the horse, and bring the bag In.
want TO talk with you"


When the bag was deposited In the house,
Mrs. Pope said, $50 you were nervous
about us then"


Eyes. don't remember ever being 30
nerS GUS before in my life,"


l swell, husband, was nervous, too. 1