The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-03-21

1t was line of curious large holes,
which we had to take care to avoid
stepping into. / fell to studying their
shape. They were Is to 20 inches long,
10 to l. inches wide and to inches
deep. They were in very regular
order, and crossed the soft places to
the hard ground beyond. Cook, too,
became interested, and paused with me
to closely examine one of them. No
ticing this, said:
Cook, what do you think of these
holes?
The rest of the party stopped when
we did, and formed a circle, all gazing
at the holes.
This certainly looks like some
animals track said Cook. Did the
bear come this way?
Eyes, said; he must have crossed
here
eff he made those tracks. Great
Scott, what beast he must be-
suddenly realizing that these were
the tracks of the animal we were after,
we all looked at one another and then
around. For a few moments silence
reigned. We all found ourselves I'M
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 much 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 CALAMITY on.
This gave us fresh courage and our
pace quiclScncd. 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
stitutiun.
''Some one had seen the bear enter a
small crooked gorge or canyon In the
rocks. Slowly we pressed into the
ravine, cautiously pecring behind each
point of rock with rides in readiness
for instant use. Walking was impossi-
BILE, clambering the only means Of get
ting ahead.
w "'AN az NNA hflltAlHk oiNdEu,
when a heavy growl ahead brought
every one to sudden standstill and
caused the rear guard to execute a
hasty backward movement. We stopped
SO precipitatcly that for few seconds
most of us were occupied industriouslv
in falling about the rocks and trying
to get on our feet again. We had found
the hanp and Of II, 4
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.
lie 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
wonld 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
sight of the bear and rid ourselves Of
the suspense.
suddenly from the rocks above
came the sharp crack of a rifle, the
echoes of which We're mingled with the
tremendous roar Of the bear Another
cracking report, another roar, and
scramble. Then all was still but the
echoes among the crags.
who's there? Who fred 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:
I've 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 inclosed 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 disa bling and killing him Had
VIC dhlllcl DStu lnerely wounded Ee
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.
I'VE all scrambled on to where the
bear was lying, and gazed with admir-
ing awe upon his immense and formula
bic proportions. He lay where he had
rolled, in a 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 5oist him out of
the ravine. and it took us half 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"
N Y. Sun.
What She Generally Dined On.
,a1 lnI A