The Opelousas courier., 1886-11-20
GREAT BEAR HUNT.
AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE IN
THE ARCTIC REGIONS.
How the Greedy Expedition Was
Saved From Staryation-A
Story Told by One Of
the Survivors.

n Cincinnati Enquirer the following pea
story, which has hitherto been s%carcel.
! more than mentioned in the accounts O.
Starvation Camp. He says:
Bacon, shrjmps and sealskin stew, al
in small quantities, had been our fare fol
over two weeks, and there was not a full
round of rations left. More than half o.
the men in camp were incapable o.
work, but that was little matter, fol
there was no more to do than three could
handle. The steady cold made us al
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
a time. 1t began to look. with only one day
between us and starvation, as if it might
be better for us all to go 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, but
what good were they2 There was nc
game, no fish, During all our camp we
caught only two fish. Twas the hunter
of the pa: ty, and had tramHed 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 a bear. l had followed them
about until 1 was exhausted trying to
meet the beast, but had utterly failed.
On this day a light snow fell in the
morning, Just enough to obscure the
trail, but still | hunted. l gave it up
late in the afternoon and returned to the
camp. Brainerd had gone to the shrimp
ing ground, and was absent when l laid
by my gun. Suddenly he appeared run
ming 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 clmp he fell to the ground,
his assi.tance and two of them raised his
head in Their arms. He gasped and
looked at us wildly.
'"Brainerd !" exclaimed the Lieutenant,
'swhat is it,"
"Bear, beari" was all he could answer
in a choking whisper.
"Where, man, where5" | cried, reach
ing for my gun, all trembling and CULVER
ing with hope and fear.
"There," he said family, pointing to-
ward the ridge; she followed after me;
he's coming"
How can / tell the terrible excitement
that prevailed! The men were in a 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 nee for an ali night hunt over the
snow fields and icebergs. Nothing could
be more foolha'dy. They couldn't have
gone beyond the top of the ridge without
breaking down, to say nothing of carry
ing q gun and firing accurately. The
Lieutenant used his authority and / my
influence to quiet the men, and at last
the plan Of the hunt wal arranged. 1t
was really only a few minutes, but it
seemed an hour. Jan, the Esquimau,
and started up the ridge to meet the
bear if he should continue toward us.
Hardly had we got a rod from the
camp when q long white nose appeared
over an recovered rock at the top of
the hill. The men set up a shout and I
think it unnerved me, but it was a long
range ~shot-nearly three hundred yards
and the target was small. Iraised my
gun and taking quick aim fred. The
ball missed, but it did not go wide of
its mark. The bear was startled. He
paused just too short a time to give the
Esquimau q chance at him, and turned
tai and ran. I heard the bowls and
groans of disappointment behind me. |
believe that some of those poor, half
half.frozen men would have shot
me in their anserif they had had their
guns at hand.
"Jan," | said hastily, stake the course
to the left and go round the ridge and
keep well to the west, so as to get be-
tween the bear and the water. Twill po
in the same way on the east"
The faithful Esquimau understood the
plan at once and set out without a word.
| crawled to the top of the ridge as fast
as l could and saw the bear a long way
out of range still on the run. He turned
round for a second and looked back. and
then, as if satisfied that he was pursued.
his fight. / 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
fegerish with fear. 1t seemed as if every {
possible obstruction got in nv way. and
many a time fell to the ground. It /
q terrible chase. May l never have
| Ike it, f,
It seems incredible now, butt actually /
went ten miles out of my way to get in t
of that bear. KNEW that he would q
top running when he got over his scare /
md saw nobody in purs uit, and I had to
AXE this roundabout course to keep out |
# sight. Mighty little of that distance
pissed on the run. Most Of it was s
'rawled. But had no thought of giving {
lp..l plugged on, and at last, two hours f
nd a half after leaving camp, I gained i
he position ! wanted. I climbed 4 low
ill, and there was Bruin, one thousand I
ards away, sitting down after his hard
within thirty yards of o1,en water i
had not succeeded fully in nv plan. Q
could still escape, but his back was 7
oWard me and / did not despair. Al 4
at the same moment that saw the +
'ear discovered Jan the Esanimau. ~ 9
mi distance, and we both made for the i
east. With the utmost care not to alarm II
lm, We raWle over the ground, APP il