The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-03

Sly2o MY&G " ~ bcrlcss stran-.
A w. gers hang in g.
&D around the
saloons and the "blind tigers" in Ia
coma, Wash, not long since, were two
men who attracted considerable atten-
ton from the habitucs of these places,
though apparently inclined to avoid it.
They were two rather handsome but
weather-beaten men who had Just re-,
turned from Alaska, where they had
been employed by syndicate of CAPT
talists on n prospecting tour of some
sort. The larger one, who was consid-
crably over six feot, and would weigh
two hundred and fifty pounds, was of
retiring, almost sullcn disposition,
but wild and reckless when drinking,
while the smaller one was more in
clined to be communicative in his cups.
They were both college graduates. APP
parently, but seemed to be "blac1
sheep"
One night crowd of young fellows
had been drinking some, and the two
men mentioned having been pres
cnt were invited to join them The
smaller one, known rs Johnny, did,
but the one called Thomson declined
and walked out In the course of the
evening good many stories were told,
and when one of the boys wound up on
small bear story it got Johnny started
People as q rule know very little Of
the real characteristics of the bear"
said he. 'Some are almost harmless,
while some are simply terrible. have
hunted the brown bear in Europe and
the black bear in this country, but 1
never saw one of either killed in nv
life that wasn't coward"
"The grizzly certainly isn't a cow
ard" remarked one of the boys present.
NO" was the response, "but while
the grizzly is a terrible brute, it will
not hunt up human being for the
mere pleasure of fighting and killing
him. The most terrible animal of
the tribe and the only one l regard as
the genuine ursus ferox. is the long
neckcd polar bear of tho north. Nearly
all other bears are primarily vegctari-
ans, although omnivorous. They love
vegetables when they can get them.
But polar bear loves only meat, and
meat he will have. To sec the glutton-
Gus creatures hunting and eating fish,
from the freshest to the most offensive
and dccaycd carrion, is enough to give
an idea of what they are
''One singing cold day last winter at
our furthest northern point, we were
waiting to be taken back 10 camp,
some hundred miles or more south of
us. The EsQuimaux we had engaged
had not arrived so while we were wait
ing for them with their dogs and
sledges, we were killing time in little
i;nprovised snow hut. Thomson had been
growing more impatient every minute,
and had been drinking moro brandy
than thought desirable. And began
to fear he would punish the EsquimauX
and cause some trouble when they ar
rived. Presently, just outside of our
hut, there came an immense white bear
nosing around. As long as we chose to
stay in the hut we were perfectly safe,
but ThomSon's anger now turned itself
, loose upon the bear. AS often as we
went out there stood the repulsive
creature, and after each tour of inspec-
ton, Thomson would take another
drink and curse the bear. At last he
swore he was not going to stand it any
iohHCAs DuI WOulu 80 OUT Lnerc anu
wiring its neck. With this he grasped
his long-bladed bowie knife and walked
out. called to him and begged him to
stop, but | might as well have been
talking to the wind.
II hurriedly put on my wraps, and by
the time got out, he was down close
to the bear You know what a mag
nificent specimen of physical manhood
he is. Well, you ought to have seen
him then. Every muscle was like a
bar Of steel, and stimulated by the
brandy he had been drinking, he was
at the summit of physical manhood.
Seeing me approaching with my rifle
he warned me to keep hands off, as
this was to be a duel and no unfair adj
vantage should be taken. knew him
too well to cross him, and besides l
might hit him if shot, so 1 simply
waited and watched the duel.
Thomson tried in every way 10 get
around behind the bear, but the bear
would turn and face him, no matter
how quick he was. He saw this would