Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1891-04-11

OF line hanging upon his shoulder apd
the spear in his hand, he entered tho
dim, cold cave. The open space, Oscar
told mo, was about forty feet square. |
and in the center Of 1T, dipping eight OF
ter feet below the floor of the passage |
way, was deep pool of water covering |
about half the area of the floor OF tho |
cave. Into this large, square block OF |
ice had fallen from the roof.
How fortunate its presence wes will
soon appear!
Oscar crouched down on the cold gray
ice, his spear grasped in his hand, and
his coil Of rope lying beside him with
one end fastened to his wrist A CUR
Cling sound, as of hurrying water on the
other side of The pool, came to him. and
he watched aud listened to make out
the cause. Presently he saw two round
black heads disappear as II they had
goue through the ice at the place whence
the sound came, and then four or i've
other he ads Of seals bobbed up, as II
they had entered the little lake from
that point He knew then that it must
be a passage leading to the sea.
But while the gurgling sound OF the
water came to him from the pool, he
heard slighter and different Hoise
coming from the mouth of the cave by
which he had entered. Turning, he
saw, to his unspeakable horror, huge
polar bear, its shaggy hide dripping
water! The beast had seen him and
was hulking along toward him. Oscar
| turned and faced it for a monent-but
what could he do with his spear against
such an assailant? The spear could
never go through that shaggy coat and
thick hide. How the animals claws
spread and stretched over the ice as 1t
came along! Nearer and nearer 1t came,
now crouching lower, its muzzlc thrust
out, and its claws stretching farther
than ever from its feet.
There was only one course. Oscar
sprang into the icy water, and In three
or four strokes was close to the ice
cube His spear and coil of rope were
upon his shoulder, and by driving the
spear into the hard blue cube he was
enabled to get upon it. 1t was just
large enough to bear his weight; but he
was obliged to stand very still on the
middle of it to prevent it from heellng
to one side and sliding him into the
water. 1t was almost as dark as night
in the pool, and Oscar could see the
two glowering eyes Of the bear looking
down upon him. But the beast did not
come into the pool. 1t turned away
from the brink, and for two hours-t'vo
hours Of wet, and cold, and terror
Oscar did not see the bear again.
Then Oscar resolved to go to the tor
again and sprang into the water,
climbing hastily by the easiest way te
the floor of the cavern. To his utter
dismay he saw the great brute lying or
> the ice close to the caves mouth!
Hour after hour passed, until Oscar
knew that it must be late in the after
noon, for the sun shope yellow on thu
, ice beyond the mouth of the cavern
Still his savage jailer made no move
. still Oscar sat, not moving from th'
3 lump of ice, thinking Of the terror o
Hilda at his long absence. Still an
other hour went by, and the Colder
. glow on the ice outside began to tur'
t to gray, for the sun was below the NIL
5 that sheltered Upernavik
3 Another half-hour Of terror passed
e and then Oscar saw the bear spring I
n its feet, thrust out its head and max
: for the opening Of the cavern. Osca
9 held his breath, and peering out saw
S seal slowly crossing the great ice plat
: form, making for the rocks. The bea
5. swiftly disappeared, making after th1
It new prey, and you may be sure Osea
Z. was not long In getting outsloe oi I'LL
e terrible dungeon.
e What was Oscars amazement pre-
u emily to see the seal stand up, thro'
n back the fur from its head and shou
d ders, and turn into a girl.-yes, into h
own dear sister Hilda.
y She shouted aloud and waved he
20 handkerchief The bear, evidently di
?, concerted, turned, ran lumberingiy U
l. a oulch and aisaDpeared into tang
At Of ground-frs.
I'd When the brother and sister M
their Joy was so great that neith'
could speak a word Hilda, borrowir
another kayak. had came to look +
Oscar, and had seen the bear at Il
ce mouth Of the cave. At once suspectl1
the cause of her brothers absence, 81
is went home. got the skin and personat'
is a seal, with the complete success ha
ly recorded. d.-Edmund Collins, in st. Mic
oias.