The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-04-03
YOUTHS DEPARTMENT.
A TALE OR TWO FOR THE CHILDREN.
ONE ABOUT A GREELEY BEAR.
ANOTHER ABOUT BIRD. AND
SOME JOKES.
A POLAR BEAR FOR A JAILoR.

On the western coast OF Greenland Is
a settlement called Upernavik. 1t is
peopled partly by Eskimos and partly
by Danes. In this settlement dwelt a
Danish clergyman, Olaf Nelson by
name, with son and daughter, Oscar,
Is years old, and Hilda. Is.
In the early summer Oscar frequently
went hunting walrus and seal, with his
gun or spear. 1t is well known that
this cold, cherries coast is never with
out icebergs. One June an iceberg thus
drifted straight to the mouth of the
harbor of Upernavik. There it
grounded, and the in-shore wind
pressed it with great force up into the
jaws of the harbor. The sun honey
combed it, and left huge dark caves in
many parts close to the waters edge,
which were the resort of seals and
walruses during part of the day.
If shall have some good spearing
there" said Oscar. So he ground his
spear sharp, and oiled the barbs at the
point, which was shaped like an arrow:
bent a new line to the handle and the
next day set out alone in the kayak.
Pulling his kayak up on the rocks.
Oscar proceeded out to the berg. 1t
was honeycombed at the base, and
through the sides of the low fat mass
upon which the towers rested were YER
ious openings, so that when an ocean
swell came rolling in, it went through
these peforations with a piping sound.
He decided that he would enter the
ut hp haea -
hide there, and wait.
Moving along carefully, with the coil
of line hanging upon I'D shoulder and
the spear in his hand, he entered the
dim, cold cave. The open space, was
about forty feet square, and in the CEN
ter of it, dipping eight or ten feet below
the floor of the passageway, was deep
pool of water covering half the area OF
the floor of the cave. Into this large,
square block of ice had fallen from the
roof.
Oscar crouched down on the cold,
gray ice, his spear grasped in his hand.
A gurgling sound, as of hurrying
water on the other side of the pool.
came to him, and he watched and
listened to make out the cause. Pres
emily he saw two round black heads
disappear as if they had gone through
the ice at the place whence the sound
came, and then four or five other heads
of seals bobbed up, as if they had
entered the little lake from that point.
He knew then that it must be passage
leading to the sea.
But while the gurgling sound OF the
water came to him from the pool, he
heard lighter and different noise COM
ing from the mouth of the cave by
which he had entered. Turning, he
saw, to his 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 mOment-but what could
he do with his spear against such an as
sailant? The spear could never go
through that shaggy coat and thick
hide. How the animals claws spread
and stretched over the ice as it came
crouching lower, its muZZle 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 keeling
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
glowing eyes of the bear looking down
on him. But the beast did not come
into the pool. 1t turned away from the
brink. and for two hours of wet, and cold,
and terror, Oscar did not see the bear
again.
Then Oscar resolved to 60 to the top
again, and sprang into the water, climb
ing hastily by the easiest way to the
floor of the cavern. To his utter dis
may he saw the great brute lying on 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 shOne yellow on the
ice beyond the mouth OF the cave. Still
his savage jailer made no move; still
Oscar sat, not moving from the lump OF
ice. thinking Of the terror Of Hilda at
his long absence. Still another hour
went by, and the golden glow on the
ice outside began to turn gray, for the
sun was below the hills that shelter Up
ernavik.
Another half-hour OF terror passed,
and then Oscar saw the bear spring to
its feet, thrust out its head, and make
for the opening Of the cavern. Oscar
held his breath, and peering out, saw a
seal slowly crossing the great ice plat
form, making for the rocks. The bear
swiftly disappeared, making after the
new prey, and you may be sure Oscar
was not long in getting outside Of his
terrible dungeon.
What was Oscars amazement present
ly to see the seal stand up, throw back
the fur from its head and shoulders. and
turn into girl!-yes, into his own dear
sister Hilda!
She shouted aloud and waved her
handkerchief. The bear, evidently
turned, ran lumberingly
up gulch, and disappeared into a
tangle of ground-firs.
Hilda. borrowing another cloak, had
come to look for Oscar and had seen the
bear at the mouth of the cave. Atonce
the cause of her brothers
absence she went nome, got the skin,
and personated a seal with complete
success.-St. Nicholas.
THE BIRDS BREAKFAST BELL.
Our pet goldfnch, having escaped
from his cage, flew into a tall ailanthus
tree in the back yard. There he sat,
singing his sweetest and rejoicing in
his unexpected freedom. We brought
out his gilded cage and set it on the top
of tall step ladder, leaving the door
open, and just inside cup of tempting
hemp seed. For two hours he scorned