JUST UP THE ROAD - HISTORY OF ELKMONT, PART 8

Out the door came a huge black bear with what appeared to be a hind quarter of deer in its mouth. Ma picked up a piece of railing while charging at the bear, screaming at the top of her lungs. The bear reared up on its hind legs preparing for a fight. Ma Gretchen never checked up, getting closer and closer. The bear began to bristle. It dropping the meat and began showing his teeth. Ma took a swing hitting the bear right square in the nose. The bear was stunned momentarily but showed no signs of leaving. She whacked him across the back this time. he went down seeming to be paralyzed in his back legs. 

By this time Herman had made it up to them, he was screaming "Ma, Get Back". By now, Ma Gretchen was saying things that no child should hear. The bear apparently realized he had met his match, wobbled off into the brush, letting out a low rumble. Ma and Herman stood there waiting to see if he would come back.-------- After things settled down a bit, Ma fell to her knees crying. She only now became frightened about what had happened.

Herman consoled her the best he could. He really didn't know what to say but he blurted out "Ma, the bear didn't have a chance, he didn’t' have a chance. You whipped him fare and square. He ain't coming back because he is ah hurting too bad."

Gary Compton