San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-24

d SnOOUnS SJaf-a rapid naSn IN the MIDST OF
the deep night, a spark that fell and was
extinguished in space
But to break the frightful silence of the
polar night, which affected the mind still
more than the disappearance of the light,
there was only the noise produced by the
ice blocks as they broke one against another
in the incompletely solicited places, noise
capable of making a strange impression
when heard during this long and cold night.
Now it was hollow and continuous like the
distant surf of the sea, now sharp and pierre
ing like the noise of the INCREASED wheels
OF cart, and now resounding and ierky like
the discharges of cannon.
Yegcr and M. Lafieur had begun to hunt,
but without success. Tue shores of the
Arctic Ocean seemed depopulated forever.
The odor of the dogs and their bowling had
driven away the white bears. Neverthe-
less, they had the luck to kill two seals, the
fat Of which they ate, washing it down
with tea. M. Lafeur thought it tasted
like rancid butter. but grew accustomed to
it.
Finally, Yegor and NJ Lafieur decided to
hunt for white bears upon the fir Oxen sea
The day, which for a week had been grad
ually returning, rendered this project feast
BILE.
The next day, when yellowish reflection.
appearing in the south, announced the ris
ing Of the sun, Yegor and his friend de
scended wen-armed upon the ice, taking
with them the two Siberian dogs. Soon,
first Jet of light broke forth, and then thu
sun itself emerged, the color of blood, with
its disk gnawed by the mist. The snowy
lines Of the coast hills and Of the huge
blocks Of ice took a mild tinge light pink,
and the blue shadows became violet.
After an hours walk amid the accumula
tions Of ice blocks, broken, crushed, and
studded with points, which the English ex.
plorers Of the North Pole have called hum
mocks, and which have the appearance of q
field upturned by a gigantic plough, the
hunters reached a labyrinth Of icebergs.
There, they saw in the snow numerous
tracks Of white bears and polar foxes (these
foxes are parasites of the bears, from which
they succeed, thanks to their agility and
nimbleness, in snatching portion Of their
prey. A moment afterwards they discov.
cred den, the inhabitants of which were
absent. These caverns, two yards deep,
have two Openings-a couple of bears have
scarcely sufficient room to lie down in one
of them.
A little further on, they saw two bears in
ambH,G. NGar one of those round crevices
from whence seals issue for air and light
and here they come for the suns warmth
the bears had collected pile of snow be
hind which they were hidden. At the base
of the slight mound they had pierced hole
to allow the passage Of a paw. They were
watching for their prey with so much at
tention that they did not hear the approach
of the two hunters.
After waiting a few minutes, Yegor and
M. Lafieur saw the head Of seal emerge
prudently from the ice. The quickest OF
the two bears gave it blow with its claws
which brought it half dead out of the water
Then the bears precipitated themselves upor
the amphibious creature, tore it to pieces.
and began to devour it.
This was a favorable moment to attack
them. Yegor, who had had all the trouble
in the world to restrain the two Siberian
dogs and keep them silent released them.
On hearing them bark, the bears seemed
uncertain as to whether they should allow
themselves to be attacked or beat retreat
But already M. Lafleur had fired ball at
each of them. The bears hesitated nc
longer, and seeing that they had to deal with
resolute hunters, vanished behind the ice
blocks.