Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-08-15
me me e. sn | 9. being to hinder his keeping

we came to soft piece Of Ground A =,
= was line Of curious large hole
winch we had to take care to avo;
stepping into fell to studying tbei
shape. They were Is TO 20 inches lone
~ TO - inches wide and s to inche
deep They were in very recula
order. and crossed the soft places I
the hani ground beyond. Cook. toe
oecame interested, and paused with m
70 closely examine one Of them. NJ
ticing this, said:
holes?' - snes
The rest Of the party stopped whe,
we did, and formed circle. all pain,
at the holes e'
"This certainly looks lika .or,,
animals track said Cook. Did n,
bear come this way?
here '
III he made those tracks, Grea
scout, what beast he must bel
suddenly realizing that these werv
sne tracks OF the animal we were after
we all looked at one another and thar
around For q few moments silence
reigned. We all found ourselves nm
consciously turned back 70 back, while
every eye involuntarily searched the
nilla Our courage slowly came back
ana We once more took up the trail,
but we were now looking for the other
division Of our party quite as much a.
Tor the bear. And, OIL how cautious.
" we went What q lookout we kept
Presently we overlook our friends Of
the other party, who, having seen no
tracks, were pushing CALAMITY on.
This gave us fresh courage and our
pace quickened. Our force was so nu.
merous through the addition Of tho
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 scrambling onward,
when heavy growl ahead brought
every one to a sudden standstill and
caused the rear guard to execute q
hasty backward movement. We stopped
SO precipitately that for 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
a secret hope that the impediments to
travel were fewer beyond him than
those which lay behind, and that he
might be minded to keep on going un-
til we should lose him again.
He was close at hand, that was evil
dent, Ind there was no predicting
what he would do There was moth
ing for us, however, but to present q
bold front and continue our advance.
We had come for that bear, and if he
would persist in letting us overtake
aim well, it seemed reasonable
10 assume that our nine or ten
lilies were sufficient to give any bear
his quietus If the shots were poured In
IT 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
he suspense.
Suddenly from the rocks above
,ame the sharp crack of rifle, the
echoes of which were mingled with the
roar Of the bear. Another
tracking report, another roar, and a
scramble. Then all was still but the
,choes among the crags. 4
"Who's there?' Who fred that
ifle?' Where is hep was asked on all
ides, but none could answer. Then
We heard the voice Of Townsend from
he rocks above and ahead, calling: 4
"'Ive got himl He's deadl He's just
,bove you in the canyon. How the
can get down to him"
with one or two sailors he had
called the cliffs that inclosed the cabin,
4ad caught sight Of the bear from
bove, and had sent in his fire at once.
lis shot ranging downward had been
lost fortunate, catching the bear be-
ween the shoulders and almost in
family disabling and killing him. Had
he animal been merely wounded he
yould have made sad havoc among our
arty, hemmed as we were between
anyon walls with no chance to get
way. A lucky shot might have
topped him, but some of us would
ave been pretty certain to lose the
lumber of their mess.
1--WE all scrambled on to where the
ear was lying, and gazed with admir-
lg awe upon his immense and formida-
lie proportions. He lay where ne had
oiled, in cleft in the rock, huge
rute, quite as large as an OK, and
tone dead. We had to send on board
,r spars and tackle to hoist him out of
ne ravine, and it took us half a day to
81 him on board. Once there, Town
md turned his skill to account in skin
ing him and stripping the flesh from
,e bones, an occupation which took
i'm several days. What sort OF mon
;er it was, this giant among polar
ears, you may ascertain for yourselves
' visiting the Smithsonian institution