Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-21
ARCTIC BEAR HUNT.
An INCIDENT OF POLAR EXPLOR-
ALTON.
The Lucky Shot that Saved the
Greedy Survivors from Absolute
Starvation and Death.

sergeant ranclS Long, OF Brooklyn,
survivor OF the Greedy Arctic expedition
tells the following bear story, which has
hitherto been scarcely more than men
toned in the accounts of Starvation Camp
He says:
Bacon, shrimps and seal-skin stew, all
in small quantities, had been our fare for
over two weeks, and there was not a full
round of rations left. More than half the
men in camp were incapable of work, but
that was little matter, for there was no
more to do than three could handle. The
steady cold made us all drowsy, and there
was the worst danger in sleep. If man
was allowed to have his sleep out he would
certainly never wake, so we had to make q
rule that no one should sleep more than
two hours at time. 1t began to look.
with only one day between us and starya-
ton, as if it might be better for us all to
go 10 sleep together and die unconscious OF
the terrible cold and the pangs of huger.
We had plenty Of hunting, fishing and
cooking utensils, ammunition and all
that, but what good were they? There
was no game, no fish. During all Of our
camp we caught only two fish. | was the
hunter of the party, and had tramped the
region over and over, and rarely had the
luck to get shot at anything
"The day before we came to our last
round of rations had discovered the tracks
Of bear. had followed them until about
exhausted trying to meet the beast, but
had utterly failed. On this day n light
snow fell in the morning, Just enough to
obscure the trail, but still | hunted. |
gave it up late in the afternoon and re-
turned to camp. Brainerd had gone to the
shrimping ground, and was still absent
when | laid by my gun. Suddenly he APP
peared running down Cemetery Ridge as
fast as his poor weak legs would bring him.
We all started up and waited his coming
in the most painful excitement. When
he reached the camp he fell to the ground
all out Of breath. The men crawled to his
assistance, and two of them raised his head
in their arms. He gasped and looked at
US wildly.
90 Brainerd,' exclaimed the Lieutenant,
"what is it?''
80 Bear bearp was all that he could
answer in a choking whisper.
"' Where, man, where?' | cried, reach
ing for my gun, all trembling and CULVER
ing with hope and fear.
"'There,' he said, family, pointing
toward the ridge. He followed after me.
He's coming.
GLOW can | tell the terrible excitement
that prevailed? The men were in perfect
frenzy. Cruel suffering had made them
worse than unreasonable. Some of them
could think of nothing but cursing poor
Brainerd for not killing the bear, and
were with difficulty restrained from falling
upon him to wreak vengeance. He had
not taken his gun with him; nobody ever
did who went shrimping, and they cursed
and rayed at that and burst into tears ut
the loss of their last chance for life. Others
and they were the weakest men in the
party-Were for starting out at once for an
all-night hunt over the snow-felds and
icebergs. Nothing could be more fool
hardy. They couldn't have gone beyond
the top of the ridge without breaking
down, to say nothing of carrying a gun
and firing accurately. The Lieutenant
used his authority and l my influence to
quiet the men, and at last the plan of the
hunt was arranged. 1t was really only a
few minutes, but it seemed an hour. Jan,
the Esquimau, and l started up the ridge
to meet the bear if he should continue
toward us.
Hardly had we got rod from the
camp when long white nose appeared
over an recovered rock at the top of the
hill. The men set up shout and think
it unnerved me, but it was a long-range-
shot-nearly three-hundred yards the
target was small | raised my gun and,
taking quick aim, fired. The ball missed,
but did not go wide of its mark. The bear
was startled. He paused just too short a
time to give the Esquimau chance at
him and turned tail and ran. / heard the
howls and groans of disappointment and
rage behind me- L believe that some of
those poor, half-starved, half-frozen men
would have shot at me in their anger if
they had had their guns at hand.
"'Jan,' l said hastily, take the course
to the left and go around the ridge and
keep well to the west, SO as to get between
the bear and the water. l will go in the
same way on the east
"The faithful Esquimau understood the
plan at once and set out without word.
crawled to the top of the ridge as fast as |
could and saw the bear a long way out of
range, still on the run. He turned around
for a second and looked back, and then, as
if satisfied he was pursued. continued his
flight. ! didn't go straight after him, but,
keeping out Of his sight as much as pos
sible, crawled and ran and slid up and
down the icy slopes, making all the time
for the water. | was fe'erish with fear
1t seemed as if every possible obstruction
got in my way, and many time fell to
the ground 1t was a terrible chase May
| never have another like it. 1t seems in
credible now, but [ actually went ten
miles out of my way to get in front of that
bear. knew that he would stop running
when he got over his scare and saw no.
body in pursuit, and | had to take this
roundabout course to keep out of sight
Mighty little of that distance was passed
on the run. Most of it was crawled.
" But l had no thought Of giving up.
| plugged on, and at last, two hours and a
half after leaving camp, gained the posi-
ton | wanted. l climbed low hill and
there was bruin, one thousand yards away,
sitting down after his hard run within
thirty yards of opsn water. | had not
succeeded fully in my plan. He could
still escape, but his back was toward me
and | did not despair. Almost at the
same moment that saw the bear discoy-
cred Jan, the .Eskimau, at some distance,
and we both made for the beast. With
the utmost care not to alarm him we
crawled over the ground, approaching
nearer and nearer to our prey. We had
got perhaps half the distance when Jan
raised his gun and fired. think it was
bad Judgment, for we might have got much
closer. But there was no time for regret.
excitement gave me more strength, and |
ran with all my might straight toward the
bear. He got up and looked at me and
seemed not to know whether to run again
or stand and make fight for it. ] re-
sisted the temptation to fire at him until |
was within one hundred and fifty yards.
Then | stopped running, threw my cap
down, pulled off my mittens, and acted as
deliberately as if l were out practlcing at
target.
My excitement seemed to leave me, or
rather to make me steady took long,
careful aim and fired. The bear turned
slightly, but it was evident that had
missed l fired again quickly. Another
miss Ny heart sunk low. Jan had not
been able to gel. another shot, and was not
now where he could fire with any hope Of
hitting. The bear began to make for the
water. Ready to die with despair if |
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