Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-09-05
Lieut.. Schwatka rs q Musk OK Hunter

The leader of the overland arctic ex
petition of 1879 describes, "a Musk-O,
Hunt" with the aid of numerous illu
strations. He says after their first
chase after the game: "Great fears wert
entertained by the experienced hun
ters that the musk-oxen had heard oul
approach, and were now probably
doing their level best to escape. The
sledges' were Immediately stopped anC
the dogs rapidly unhitched from them
from one to three or four being given
to each of the eleven men and boys
white or native, that were present
who, taking their harnesses in their
left hands or tying them in slip-nooses
around their waists, started without
delay upon their trail, leaving the
two sledges and few of the poorer
dogs in charge of the Innuit women,
who had come along for that purpose
and who would follow on trail with the
empty sledges as soon as firing was
heard. The dogs, many of them old
musk-ox hunters, and with appetites
doubly sharpened by hard work and a
constantly diminishing ration, tugged
like mad at their seal-Skin harness lines,
as they half buried their eager noses
in the tumbled snow of the trail, and
hurried their attached human being
along at flying rate that threatened
broken limb or neck at each of the
rough gorges and jutting precipices of
the broken, stony hill-land, where the
exciting chase was going on. The
rapidlty with which an agile native
hunter can run when thus attached to
two or three excited dogs is astonish-
ing. Whenever steep valley was en-
countered the Eskimos would slide
down on their feet, in sitting posture,
throwing the loose snow to their sides
like escaping steam from a kissing loco
motive, until the bottom was reached,
when, quick as thought; they would
throw themselves at full length upon
the snow, and the wild, excited brutes
would drag them up the other side,
where, regaining their feet, they would
run OH at constantly accelerating
gait, their guns i'll the meantime being
held in the right hand or tightly lashed
upon the back.
I'VE had hardly gone mile in this
harum-Scarum chase before it became
evident that the musk oxen were but a
short distance ahead on the keen run,
and the foremost hunters began loosen
ing their dogs to bring the oxen to bay
as soon as possible; and then, for the
first time, these intelligent creatures
gave tongue in deep, long baying, as
they shot forward like arrows, and dis
appeared over the creSts of the hills
amidst perfect bewilderment of flying
snow and tiuttering harness traces.
The discord of shouts and bowling told
us plainly that some of the animals had
been brought to bay not far distant,
and We soon heard rapid series OF
sharp reports from the breech-lOaderS
and magazine guns of the advanced
hunters. We white men arrived lust
in time to see the final struggle. The
oxen presented most formidable-look-
ing appearance, with their rumps firmly
wedged together, complete circle OF
swaying horns presented to the front,
with great blood-shot eyeballs glaring
like red-hot shot amidst the escaping
steam from their painting noStrilS, and
paving and plunging at the circle of
furious dogs that encompaSSed them.
The rapid blazing of magazine guns
right III theiI faces-So close, often, as
to burn their long, shaggy hair-added
TO the striking scene. Woe to the
over-zealouS dog that was unlueky
enough to get mis- harness line under
the hoofs of a charging and infuriated
musk-Ox; for they Will follow up a
leash along the gronnd with rapidity
and certainty that would do credit To
a atight-rope performer, and either paw
the poor creature TO death or fling
him high i'll the air with their horns. :"