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Due to possible accidents or a surprise attack by Indians, men did not~ work alone in their fields and clearings.
Neighbor Morse was not at the clearing when Ben arrived, so he commenced to fell a tree. Chips flew and there was a cracking noise as the bark began to split. Looking to the left, Ben saw a good-sized bear lumbering away into the timber. Soon she stopped. She was not liking the sound of the axe. Ben was putting plenty of power behind that axe and it didn't take him long to make ready for the fall. With the crash, the tree fell across a Ła11en log, sending pieces of rotted wood flying into the air. A whimper from two bear cubs reached the mother bear before it reached Ben. She had clawed out a portion of the dead log and had made a place of shelter and protection for her cubs. A bear is a coward and will promote no fight unless it is cornered or its offspring is in danger. Giving severa1 grunts and a deep growl, she was now running around trees and through brush to reach her young ones. It took but a few seconds for this to transpire and Ben was unprepared for the outcome. He was in the path which the bear was taking as she came into the clearing. Perhaps bears do little thinking, but this one decided Ben was responsible for hurting her young ones. Bewildered, he turned to reach for his gun, but discovered that the tree stump upon which he had left it was too far away for him to retrieve it. A blow from his axe did little harm to the bear except to infuriate it. Before he realized what was happening, the beast was tearing his flesh and overpowering him.
Morse seemed in no hurry to be about his work that morning, but on hearing Ben's scream for help; he bounded over the zigzag fence and dashed to his assistance. With the entrance of Morse and his noisy shouting as he came, the bear released Ben and was about to deal him a blow with her paw, when a shot from Morse's gun reached its mark. The bear attempted to make a comeback, but it was too late. It was a pitiful sight to see her trying to crawl to her little ones, but Ben was in no condition to feel sorry for the animal.
Agnes was at the barn when she heard the faraway scream of terror and then the shot. Realizing that there had been an accident of some kind, she thrust the wooden milk pail into little William's hand and hurried to the clearing. Regardless of modesty, she lifted her skirt and tore her top petticoat from her body to use making tourniquets for the most serious bleeding. She and Morse then fashioned a makeshift stretcher out of some limbs and her second petticoat, placed Ben on it and carried him to the house. Like all pioneer women, she had some training in the use of herbs and the care of the sick. Since there were no sedatives available, she and Morse gave hard liquor to Ben until he was out of his misery. Morse hastened to town for a doctor. After an examination, the doctor decided that other than sewing up the major wounds there was 1ittle he could do. The ligaments in Ben's legs had been torn and pulled away. He had no knowledge of how to put them in order. After many weeks of suffering, Ben arose from his bed, a cripple for life. With one leg in a better condition than the other, he could get about with a crutch; but he wondered how he could care for his home and earn a living for the family. Neighbors were kind, but he disliked charity. His wife Agnes did not lack courage to assume her new role in life, but she found much of adversity to test her in the battle for security for her family.