The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-05-08
a POLAR BEAR FOR JaILea.
An Interesting Episode in the Life Of =
Danish Boy ON the Coast OF Greenland

dweIt Danish clergyman, Olaf Nell
son by name. with II son aud daugh-
ter: Oscar eighteen years old, and
Hilda, sixteen.
In early summer. Oscar frequentlx.
went hunting walrus and seal, witt
his gun or spear. 1t is well known
that this cold, cheerless coast is never
without icebergs. One June an ice
berg 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.
and into these caverns the sea went
booming with a great sound. Oscar
and Hilda went off in their kayak to-
see it; and they noticed that the quiet
pools which had formed in the caves
were the resort of seals and walruses
during part of the day.
L shall have some good spearing
there said Oscar. as they turned their
kayak toward home. 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 Dext day set out alone in the
kayak Meanwhile. HiIda went up the
valley for the goats. Her parting
full and to keep watch for bears, as this
was fayorite haunt of the fierce polar
bear.
Pulling his kayak up on the rocks.
Oscar proceeded out to the berg, the
base of which was not less than two
acres in area and from it rose to a
considerable height two columns of
dark-bIue ice somewhat resembling
towers in form. One of these was
honeYcombed at the base, and through
the sides of the low Nat mass upon
which the towers rested we're various
openings. SO that when an ocean swell
came rolling in. it went through these
perforations with piping sound. He
decided that be would enter the main
cave at the base of the ice tower, hide
there. and wait.
Moving along carefully. with the
coil of line hanging upon his shoulder
and the spear in his hand, he entered
the dim. cold cave The open space.
Oscar told me. was about forty feet
square. and in the center of it. dipping
eight or ten feet below the floor Of the
passageway. was deep pool of water
covering about half the area of the
floor of the cave. Into this a large,
square block of ice had fallen from the
roof.
How fortunate its presence was will
soon appeari
Oscar crouehed 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
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. Presently 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 II passage leading
to the sea.
But while the gurgling sound of the
water came to him from the pool, he
heard IA slighter and different noise
coming from the mouth of the cave by
which he had entered. Turning. he
saw. to his unspeakable horror. a 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 moment-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 it
came along! Nearer and nearer it
came. now crouching lower, its muzzle
thrust out, aud 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 driv-
ing 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
heeliAg to one side and sliding him in
to 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
cold, and terror-Oscar did not see the
bear again.
Then Oscar resolved to go to the
top again and sprang into the water.
climbing hastily by the easiest way to
the floor of the cavern. To his utter
dismay 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, IOF the sun SnOne EellOW on the
ice beyond the mouth of the cavern
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 an
other hour went by, and the golden
glow on the ice outside began to turn
to gray, for the sun was below the
hills that sheltered Upernavik.
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
platform. making for the rocks The
bear swiftly disappeared. making after
this new prey, and you may be sure
Oscar was not long in getting outside
of this terrible dungeon.
What was Oscars amazement pres
emily to see the seal stand up. throw
back the fur from its head and shoul-
ders. and turn into a girl!-yes, into
his own dear sister Hildai
She shouted aloud and waved her
The bear. evidently
turned. ran lumberingly
up gulch, and disappeared into a
tangle of ground-firs.
When the brother and sister met