The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-09-17
A Great Bear Hunt.
EXCITING EXPERIENCE IN TIE ARCTIC
REGIONS.


Sergeant Francis Long of Brooklyn,
a survivor of the Greely Arctic expc-
dition, tells he following bear story,
which has hitherto been scarcely men
toned 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 meu in camp were in
capable 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 a rule that no one should
sleep more than two hours at a time.
1t began to look, with only one day be-
tween 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 pangs Of hunger. 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 our
camp we caught only two fish. was
the hunter of the party, and had tramp
ed the region over and over, and rare
ly had the luck to get shot at any
thing.
The day before we came to our last
round of rations had discovered the
tracks of bear. had followed them
about until 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. l gave it up
late in the afternoon and returned to
the camp. Brainerd had gone to the
shrimping ground, and was absent
when laid by my gun, Suddenly he
appeared 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 reach
ed 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.
"Brainerd !" exclaimed the Lieuten-
ant, "what is it?"
Bear, bear" was all he could ans
wer in choking whisper.
"Where, man, where?" | cried, reach
ing for my gun, all trembling and
quivering with hope and fear
"There he said family, pointing to.
ward the ridge; " he followed after me
he's coming
How can | tell the terrible excite
ment that prevailed : The men were
in perfect frenzy. Cruel suffering
had made them worse than unreason.
able. Some of them could think OF
nothing but cursing poor Brainerd fol
not killing the bear, and were with
difficulty restrained from falling upon
him to wreak vengence. He had no,
taken his gun with him-nobody ever
did who went shrimping-and they
cursed and raved at that, and burst in
to tears at the loss of their last chance
for life. The Lieutenant used his
authority and my influence to quiet
the mep, and at last the plan of the
hunt was arranged Jan, the Esuui
mau, 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 a long white nose appeared
over an ice-covered rock at the top OF
the hill. The men set up shout and
| think it unnerved me. | raised nv
gun and fired. The ball missed, but il
did not go wide of its mark The bear
was startled. He paused just toe
short a time to give the Esquimau a
chance at him, and turned tail and ran
heard the howls and groans of dis.
appointment and rage behind me.
believe that some of those poor, half
starved, half-frozen men would have
shot at me in their anger if they lad
had their guns at hand.
"Jan," | said hastily, 'take the
course to the left aud go round the
ridge and keep well to the west, so a.
to get between the bear and the water
| will go 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 | 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 salts.
fled that he was pursued, continued his
flight. didu'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, making all
the time for the water. | was fever
ish with fear, Ii seemed as if every
possible obstruction got in my way
and many time fell to the ground.
1t was a terrible chase. May l never
have another like it
| 1t seems incredible now, but 1 act,
ually ~ent ten miles out of my way to
get IN front of that bear. | knew he
would stop running when be got oyel
his scare and saw nobody in pursuit
and | had to take this roundabout
course to keep out of sight Mighty
little of that distance was passed on q