Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-09-19
EVENING STAR,
A GOOD BEAR STORY.

| nr
some other of them old Norwegen bays at the
North, where the rain freezes as Il comes
down, and stands up in the air, on winter
| mornens, like green mountains o. ice all in
streaks. Well, the schooner was layen at snr
chOr, and all the hands was out in the small
boats, looken for wales all, except the can
tain, who said he want very well that day
Well, he was walken up and down on deck,
| smoker and thinker, | expect, mostly, when
| all on a sudden he reckoned he see one o. them
big white bears-polar bears, you know, big
as thunder, with long white teeth He reck-
oned he see one on EN- sclumpen along on
great cake O. ice, they lay on the leeward side
of the bay, up again on the bank. The old
cap wanted to kill one O. them varmints most
wonderful, but he never Tucked to get q
chance Now tho, he thought the time had
come for him to walk into one on 'em at least,
| and fix his mutton for him right So he run
| forrad and lay hold on to a small skiff that
| was layen near the fore 'stal, and run her out
and launched her. Then he tuck a drink
and-here's luck-and put in a stiff load of
| powder, a couple of balls, and Jumped in and
pulled away for the ice.
| st want long fore he got cross the bay,
for it was narrer piece O. water-not more
| than half a mile wide-and then he got out
on to the ice. 1t was a smart and large cake,
and the bear was way down to the tother end
ont, by the edge o. the water So he frst
walked STRAIT along, and when he got putty
close he walked round catercornered- like
| likes if he was driven for plain plOver-so
| that the bear wouldn't think he was comen
arter him, and he dragged himself along on
| his hands and knees low down, mostly Well,
| the bear didn't seem 10 mind him none, and
| be got within bout fifty yards on him, and
| then he looked so savage and blythe bear
did-that the captain stopped, and rested on
| his knees, and put up his gun, and he was
| agoin to shoot But just then the bear turned
round and snuffed up the captain-just as one
| Of Lifts hounds snuffS up an old buck, Mr.
Cypress-and begun to walk towards MIN,
slowly like. He cum along, the captain said,
clump, clump, very slow, and made the ice
| bound and crack again under him, so that the
water come up and purity much kivered it all
| over.
Well, there the captain was all tho time
| squat on his knees, with his gun pinted, wait
| en- for the varment to come up, and his knees
| and legs was mighty cold by means of the wa
| ter, that the bear riZ on the ice as was men,
| tionen At last the bear seemed to make up
| his mind to see how the captain would taste,
| and so he left off wsken slow, and started off
| on smart and swift trot, right towards the
| old man, with his mouth wide open, roaren,
| and his tail sticken out stiff. The captin kept
| still, looken out all the time putty sharp,
| should say, till the beast got within ten yards
| on him, and then be let him have it. He
| aimed right at the feshy part Of his heart,
| but the bear lodged at the aash, and rared
| up, and the balls went into his two hind legs,
| jist by the jynt, one into each; and broke the
| thigh bones smack of, so that he went down
| right aft on the ice, thump, on his hind-quar-
| ters, with nOthen standen but his fore legs,
aud his head riz up, growlen at the captain.
| When the old man see him down, and tryen
to slide along the ice to get his revenge, likely
| thinks he to himself, thinks he, might as
We get up and go that ere creter's throat -
| So be TUX out his knife and opened it. But
| when he started to get up, he found to his as
| tonis shment, that he was fruz fast to the ice -
| Don't laugh; it a fact; there amt no doubt
The water, you see, had been round him a
| smart and long while, whilst he was waiten
| for the bear, aud it's wonderful cold in them
regions, as L was sayen, and you II freeze in q
mlnnit if you don keep moven about martly.
So the captain ne strained first one leg, and
| then he strained the other, but he could Mt
| move 'em none. They was both fruz fast in
| the ice, about an inch and half deep. from
knee 10 toe tight as Jarsey oyster perryauger
| on a mud fat at low water. So be laid dow
his gun, and looked at the bear, and doubled
| up his fists & Come or, you bloody varmint, -
| says the old man, as the bear swalloped along
| on his hinder eend, cOmen at him. He kept
getten weaker, tho, and eOmen slower and
slower all the time, so that, at last be didn {
l seem to movo none, and directly, when be d
! got near that the captin could jest give him
| a dig in the nose by reachen forrard putty
| smart and far, the captin see that the beast
| was fruz fast too, nor he couldn't move a step
| forroara DO ways Then the captin burst out
| Iaughen. aud clapped his hands down to his
/ thighs aud roared. The bear seemed 10 be
most onmighty mad at the old mans fun, and
| set up such grOwien that what should come
l to pass, but the ice cracks, and breaks all
/ around the captin and the bear, down TO The
4 aHr nd N IrH CT hap
! and comen of shore, away they hoated on q
| cake of ice about ten by six, OF TO sea, with
4 out the darned a biscuit or quart of liquor
| to stand em on the cruise There they sot,
4 the bear and the captin, jest SO near that
| whom they both reached forrard, they could
jest about touch noses, and mother one ne
able to move any part on him, only cXceptiI
| his upper part and fore paws"
| "By Jolly that was rather a critical pre-
| dicament, Venus" cried Ned, buttoning his
coat. I" should have thought that the cap
| tan's nose and ears and hands would have
4 been frozen too
"Tkat quite naytr'l to suppose, sir, but
you see the bear kept him warm in the upper
| part, by bein So cloast to him, and brethen
| hard and hot on the old man whenever he
| gruwle6 at him. Them polar besrs is won
| derful hardy animals, and has a mOnstrOuS
| deaf o. heat in 'em, by means Of their beil
| able to stand such cold climates. L expect
| And so the captin knowed this, and whenever
he felt chilly, he jest TUX his ramrod and
I stirred up the old rascal, made him roar and
| saual, and then the hot breath would come
| pouren out all over the captin' and made the
| air quite moderat and pleasant
"Well, go on Venus. Take another nom
i first"
I "Well, there aint much moro ont. OF
l they went to sea, and sometimes the wind
druV 'sm northe, and then agin it druv ZEN
southe, but they went southe mostly; and 81
I 1t went on, until they were out about three
| weeks. So at last one afternoon
| &c But, Venus, stop; tell US in the name o
| wonder how did the captin c0ntrive ID supper
L life all this time ?''
| "Wby, sir, to be sure, it was q hard kind
o life to support but hardy man will gel
| used to almost"
"No, no; f; what did he eat what did hs
feed onf"
| "O-O-I'd liked to've skipped that ere