The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-03-18

teen wears old. and Hilds, sixteen.
In early SIMMER, Oscar frequently
went hunting walrus and seal. With his
gun or spear. II is well known that this
cold cigeerless coast il never without zee
hergs. one June an iceberg thus driited
straight TO the mouth Of the hsroor oi
Voepavik. There j, grounded, and the
in-shore wind pressed il with great force
up into the jaws Of the harh II.
The sun honey -conbed it, and LEFT
huge DARK caves in many parts close 70.
the waters edge, and into these csyerns
the sea went booming with great sound
Oscar and Hilda went of IL their ka-
wax to see 1t and they noticed that the
Quiet pools which had formed IN the
caves where the resort Of seals and wal
ruses during part Of the day
Il shall have some good spesring
there" said Oscar, as they turned their
KAYAK toward home. - he ground MS
spssr sharp, and oiled the bsrbs al the
point. which was shaped like an arrow
hent a new line to the handle and the
next day set ont alone in the kayak.
Meanshile, Hilda went up the valley
for the goats. Her parting words TO her
brother we're to be careful and to keep
watch for bears. as this was favorite
haunt Of the fierce polar bser.
Pulling his kayak up on the rocks,
Oscar proceeded ont TO the berg, the base
Of which was not less than two acres IN
area. and from il rose 70 = considerable
beighttwo columns ofdark blue ice some
what resembling towers in form. One
oftbese was honeyoom5ed 1t the based
and through the sides of the low iat
mass upon which the tower rested we're
varsous openings, 20 that when an ocean
swell came rolling in 1t went through
these perforations with piping sound.
He decided that he would enter the main
cave at the base Of tbs ice tower, hide
there, and wait.
Moving along carefully, with the coil
of line hanging upon his shoulders and
the spear ia his hand, he entered the
di,a. cold cave. The open space, Oscar
told ule. was about forty feet sgare, and
in the center OF II, dipping eight or ten
feet below the hOor OF the passage~ay,
was deep pool Of water covering about
half the area IF the floor Of the cave. In
10 tAis l4rge, square block Of ice had
fallen from the roof.
HoR Fortunate IT'S presence was wall
soon appear
Oscar crouched down on the cold gray
ice. his spear grasped in his hand, ant
his coil Of rope lying beside him viii
one end fastened to his wrist. A CUR
Cling sound. as Of burrying water on tn
9th sr side of the pool, came 70 him, an'
lac watched and listened to mike on
the cause. Presently he saw two rounC
black heads disappear as if they ha'
gone through lhe ice at the place whenc'
the sound came, and then four or hv'
other heads OF seals bobbed up, as j
they had entered the little lake fron
that point. lie knew then that it mus
be a passage leading to the sea.
Bat while the gurgling sound Of tb
wat,r came TO him from the pool, h
heard a sllghter and different noise con
in, from the mout.. of the cave 10y whic
he had entered Turning, he saw, TO hi
unspsakable horror, huge polar bea
its shaggy hide dripping water Tn
beast had seen him AMI was skulkin
alons toward him. Oscar turned an
facet i. Tor moment-but what coul
be 40 with his spear against such an A.
sailant2 ree spear could never z
through the shaggy coat and thick hide
How the animals claws spread an
stretched over the ice as Il came along
Nearer and nearer il came, now crouch
ing lower, its muzzle thrust out, and il
claws stretching farther than ever frol
iis feet.
There was only one course. Osca
sprang into the icy water, aud in tire
or four strokes was close to the icecubt
His spear and coil Of rope we're upon hi
shoulder, and by driving the spear int
the hard blue cube he was enabled to gt
upon 1t. 1t was just large enough TO bea
his weight; but he was obliged 10 stan
very still on the middle of il 10 preven
81 from keeling 10 one side and slidin
him into the water IL was almost a
dark As night in the pool, and Osca
could see the two glowering eyes Of ia,
bear looking down upon him But tn,
beast did not come into the pool. 1
turned away from the brink, aud for tw,
hours-two hours of wet, ami cold, an,
terror-escar did not see the bear again
Then Oscar resolved 70 10 10 the tol
again and sprang into the water. climb
ing hastily by the easiest way TO IN,
floor Of the cavern. To his utter disma,
he SAW the great brute lying on the iol
close TO the caves mouth
Hour after hour passed. until Osca
knew that il must he late in the after
noon, for the sun shone yellow on the ici
beyoPd the mouth of the cavern. Sill
his savage jliler made no move: still
Oscar sat, not moving from the lump o
Ice. thinking Of the terror Of fiilda al hi
long absence. Still another hour wen
by, and the golden glow on the outsid,
i'egan to turn gray, for the sun was be
low the hills that sheltered UperRavik
Another half-hour of terror passed. and
then Oscar saw the bear spring to It's feet
thrust out its head, and make Tor the
opening Of the cavern. Oscar held hi.
breath, and, peering out, saw seal slow.
ly crossing The great ice platform making
for the rocks. The bear swiftly disap
Peared, making after this new prev, and
y'u may be sure Oscar was not lone
an getting outside ofthis terrible dungeon
What was Oscars amazemeut present
iy % see the seal stand up, throw back
the fur from its head and shoulders
aud turn into girl ives, into his own
dear sister Hilda, She shouted aloud
aud waved her handkerchief The bear
evidently Disconnected. turned. ran lam
teringly up gulch, and disappeared in
% Ragle Of gr)and-frs When the
brother aud sister met their joy WAS SC
great that neither could spaak = word
Hlds, borrowing another kayak, has
come 10 look for Oscar and had seen the
bear al the mouth of the cave. At ono,