The Irish standard., 1886-11-27
"A GREAT BEAR HUNT.
Hitherto Unpublished Incident OF
the Greedy Expedition.
An Exciting Experience in the Arctic Re.
gions-The Way in Which the Daring
Americans Happened to BE
Saved from Starvation.
IN, Y, Cor. Cincinnati Epouirer.7 !

IN. Y. Cor. Cincinnati EnQuirer]
Sergeant Francis Long, of Brooklyn, Q
survivor of the Greely Arctic expedition,
tells to your correspondent the following
bear story, which has hitherto been scarce
ly more than mentioned in the accounts OF
Starvation Camp. He says:
Bacon, shrimps and sealssin 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 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 8
man was allowed to have his sleep out he
would certainly never wake, so we had to
make rule that no one should sleep more
than two hours at time.
The day before we came to our last
round Of rations I had discovered the
tracks of bear ! had followed them
about until I was exhausted trying to
meet the beast, but had utterly failed.
On this day D. light snow fell in the morn
ing, just enough to obscure the trail, but
still hunted. / 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 reached the
camp he fell to the ground, all out Of
breath. The mon crawled to his assist
| md 11yo 1f
their arms. He gasped aud looked at us
wildly.
"Brainerdr' exclaimed the Lieutenant
'iwhat is it:;'
'Bear, bear!' was all ho could answer
in q choking whisper
;'Where, man, where?" cried, reaching
for my gun, all trembling and quivering
with hope aud fear.
S'yhere, " be said, family pointing toward
the ridge; she followed after NE; he's com.
ing"
| 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 fall
ing upon him to wreak vengeance. Jan;
the Esquilnau, and 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 a shout and think it un-
nerved me, but it was long-range shot
nearly three hundred yards-and the tar
get was small. I raised my gun and tax
ing quick aim fired. The ball missed, but
it did not go wide of its mark. The
bear was startled. He paused just too
short time to give the Esquimau Il
chance at him, and turned tail and ran.
heard the howls and groans Of disappoint-
ment and rage behind me. I believe shat
some Of those poor, half-starved, half
frozen men would have shot at me in their
anger if they had had their gums at hand.
"Jan," I said, hastily, take the course
TO the left and go round the ridge and
keep we'll to the west, so as to get between
the bear and the water. I will go in the
same way on the easJ.''
The faithful Esquinau understood the
plan at once andset out without word.
craw]ed to the top of the ridge as fast as
could and saw the bear g long way out OF
range still on the run. He turned round
for g. second and looked back, and then as
it satisfied that he was pursued, continued
his flight. 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 making all the time for
the water.
It 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 pursuit, and I 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 had no thought of giving up. I
plunged on, and at last two hours and a
half after leaving camp, gained the posi-
ton wanted.
Iresisted the temptation to fire at him
until was within one hundred and fifty
yards. Then I stopped running, threw m,
cap down, pulled off my 1n1ttens. and act
ed as deliberately as if were out prac-
ticing at a target. My excitement seemed
to leave me- or rather to make me steady.
I took long, careful aim and fired. The
bear turned slightly, but it was evident
had missed.
1 fired again quickly. Another miss!
My heart sunk low. Jan had not been
able to get another shot, and was not now
where he could fire with any hope Of hit
ting. The bear began to make for the
water. Ready to die with despair if I
should fail again, took another long aim,
The bullet struck the bea, in the head,
and he tumbled over instantly, stone dead.
ltwas half-past eight o'clock, and the
place where Bruin fell was three miles in a
straight line from camp We left the four
hundred pounds Of food lying on the ice
and returned to the anxious party to get
nelp in bringing the carcass home. We
did not sleep that mig until the dead bear
was brought into camp. The Lieutenant
gave out extra rations to the men who as
sisted in the work, and made up stew Of
all the scraps that were left Of the regular
rations. It wasn't much, but it seemed
quite feast TO us. The bear saved us, for
just before it in it's turn gave cut, the res
cuing expedition found us.
A Tough Canadian Dog Story.
Toronto Globe.]
A large bulldog owned by a city hotel
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