Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1895-03-21

consciously turned back to back, while
every eye involuntarily searched the
hills. Our courage slowly came back,
and we once more took up the trail.
but we were now looking for the other
division Of our party quite as lnuch as
for the bear. And, oh! how cautious
ly we went What lookout we kept!
Presently we overlook our friends of
the other party, who, having seen no
tracks, were pushing gallantly on.
This gave us fresh courage and our
pace quickened. Our force was SO nu.
merous through the addition Of the.
other party that we did not notice the
absence Of several, among them the
representative Of the Smithsonian in.
stitution.
"Some one had seen the bear enter
small crooked gorge or canyon in the
rocks. Slowly we pressed into the
ravine, cautiously peering behind each
point of rock with rifles in readiness
for instant use. Walking was impossi-
BILE, clambering the only means Of get
ting ahead.
"We were all scramb1ing onward,
when heavy growl ahead brought
every one to a sudden standstill and
caused the rear guard to execute a
hasty backward movement. We stopped
SO precipitately that for a few seconds
most of us were occupied industriously.
in falling about the rocks and trying
to get on our feet again. We had found
the bear, and now most of us cherished
secret hope that the impedinents to-
travel We're fewer beyond him than
those which lay behind, and that he
might be minded to keep on going nn-
til we should lose him again. it
He was close at hand, that was evil
dent, and there was no predicting
what he would do. There, was moth
ing for us, however, but to present a
bold front and continue our advance.
We had come for that bear, and if he
would persist in letting US overtake
him = well, it seemed reasonable
to assume that our nine or ten
rifles were sufficient to give any bear
his quietus if the shots were poured in
at once. We cautiously moved for
ward, peering and craning our necks
over rocks, nervously anxious to get a
sight of the bear and rid ourselves Of
the suspense.
Suddenly from the rocks above
came the sharp crack Of rifle, the.
echoes Of which were mingled with the
tremendous roar of the bear Another
cracking report, another roar, and a
scramble. Then all was still but the
echoes among the crags. tja
"'Who's there?' who fired that
rifle?' Where is hep was asked on all
sides, but none could answer. Then
we heard the voice of Townsend from
the rocks above and ahead, calling:
'''pve got him! He's dead! He's just
above you in the canyon. How the
mischief can get down to him?'
with one or two sailors he had
scaled the cliffs that incIosed the cabin,
had caught sight Of the bear from
above, and had sent in his FIRE at once
His shot ranging downward had been
most fortunate, catching the bear be-
tween the shoulders and almost in.
stantly disabling and killing him. Had
the animal been merely wounded he
would have made sad havoc among our
party, hemmed as we were between
canyon walls with no chance to get
away. A lucky shot might have
stopped him, but some of us would
have been pretty certain to lose the
number of their mess.
''We all scrambled on to where the
bear was lying, and gazed with admir-
ing awe upon his immense and formida-
BILE proportions. He lay where he had
rolled, in cleft in the rock, huge
brute, quite as large as an OK, and
stone dead. We had to send on board
for spars and tackle to hoist him out of
the ravine, and it took us half a day to
get him on board. Once there, Town
send turned his skill to account in skin
ming him and stripping the flesh from
the bones, an occupation which took
him several days. What sort of mon
ster it was, this giant among polar
bears, you may ascertain for yourselves
by visiting the Smithsonian institution
in Washington, where you may see his
stuffed skin and articulated skeleton
IN. Y. Sun.