The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-15
GREAT BEAR.HUNT.
AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE IN
THE ARCTIC REGIONS.
How the Greely Expedition Was
Saved From Starvation-A
Story Told by One Of
the Survivors.

Sergeant Francis Long, of Brooklyn, q
survivor of the Greedy Arctic expidition,
tells New York correspondent of the
Cincinnati Enquirer the following bear
story, which has hitherto been scarcely
more than mentioned in the accounts of
Starvation Camp. He says:
Bacon, shrimps and sealskin stew, all
in small quantities, had been our fare for
over two weeks, and there was not full
round of rations left. More than half of
the men in camp we're incapable Of
work, but that was little matter, for
there was no more to Go thar three could
handle. The steady cold made us all
drowsy, and there was the worse danger
in sleep. If a man was allowed to have
his sleep out he would certainly never
wake, so we had to make a rule that no
one should sleep more than two hours al
time 1t began to look, with only one day
between US and starvation, as if it might
be better for US all to so to sleep to"
gether and die unconscious of the terri"
Bile cold and the pangs of hunger. We
had plenty of hunting, fishing and cook.
ing utensils, ammunition and all that, bu5
what good were they7 There was no
game, no fish. During all our camp we
caught only two fish. Twas the hunter
of the patty, and had tranped the region
over and over, and rarely had the luck
to get a shot at anything.
The day before we came to our last
round of rations l had discovered the
tracks of bear. I lad followed them
about until I was exhausted trying to
meet the beast, but had utterly failed.
On this day light snow fell in the
morning, Just enough. to obscure the
trail, but still hunted. I gave it up
late in the afternoon and returned to the
camp. Brainerd had gone to the shrimp.
ing gronnd, and was absent when I laid
by my gun. Suddenly he appeared run
ming dow Cemetery Ridge % 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 cut of breath. The men crawled to
his as:i,tance and two of them raised his
head in their arms. He gasped and
looked at US wildly.
"Brainerd /" exclaimed the Lieutenant,
"what is it,"
ssBear, bear!" was all he could answer
in a choking whisper.
"Where, man, wherei" I cried, reach
ing for my gun, all trembling and CULVER
ing with hope and fear.
7'There," he said faintly, pointing to-
ward the ridge; ''he followed after me !;
he's coming"
How can tell the terrible excitement
that prevailedl The men were in per-
feet 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 h.m-no.
body ever did who went shrimping-and
they cursed and raved at that, and burst
into tears at the loss Of their last chance
for life. Others, and they were the weak
est men in the party, were for starting
out at once for an all night hunt over the
snow fields and icebergs. Nothing could
be more foolhardy. They couldn't have
gone beyond the top Of the ridge without
breaking down, to say nothing of carry
ing gun and firing accurately. The
Lieutenant used his authority and my
influence to quiet tie men, and at last
the plan of the hunt was arranged. 1t
was really only few minutes, but it
seemed an hour. Jan, the Esquimau,
and I 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 ice-covered rock at the top OF
the hill. The men set up shout and I
think it unnerved me, but it was long
range shot-nearly three hundred yards
and the target was small. Iraised my
gun and taking quick aim fired. The
ball missed, but it did not 60 wide Of
its mark. The bear was startled. He
paused just too short time to give the
Esuuimau chance at him, and turned
tail and ran. heard the howls and
groans of disappointment 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," I said hastily, "take the course
to the left and 60 round the ridge and
keep we'll to the west, 80 as to get be-
tween the bear and the water. will 60
in the same way on the east"
The faithful Esquimau understood the
plan at once and set out without word.
I crawled to the top of the ridge as fast
as I could and saw the bear long way
out of range still on the run. He turned
round for second and looked back, and
then, as if satisfied that he was pursued,
continued his fight I didn't go straight
after him, but keeping out of his sight
as much as possible, crawled, and ran,
and slid up and down the icy slope, max
ing all the time for the water. I was
feverish with fear. 1t seemed as if every
possible obstruction got in my way, and
many time I fell to the ground. It
was a terrible chase. May I never have
another ! ke it!
1t seems incredible now, but I 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 nobody in pur' uit, and l had to
take this round about course to keep out
of sight. Mighty little of that distance
was passed on the run. Most of it was
crawled. But Ihad no thought of giving
up. plugged on, and at last, two hours
and half after leaving camp, gained
the position I wanted. 1 climbed low
hill, and there was Bruin, one thousand
yards away, sitting down after his hard