Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-09-29
other. wish the world held more such

simple, good-natured philosophers.
Pomiuk took with him ibis uncle
harpoon, his knife, which was long and
keen, and q carpenters ak that they
had brought and had managed to retain
among them. In addition to these hs
took an old boot. It was made of seal
skin and had been oiled often 1t was
good to chew on when hungry. Their
sledge, and wrapped bearskin round
him, and shouted whit! whit" to the
leader.
For a mile he headed toward the
company's post; then he called out
sharply: "Rarai rara!" and the team
obediently turned to the left and
started out toward the ocean.
AT dawn they had travelled 80 miles
and the edge of the ice was before them
Here Pomiuk stopped, built a snow
house, and taking his dogs in as bedfel.
lows, that they might warm both them
selves and him, he chewed bit of the
sealslin boot and went sound asleep
Just one hour he slept and woke re.
freshed, gave each dog piece of the
boot an inch square, reharnessed them
to the komatik and started again on his
journey. 1t would have puzzled you
however, to tell where the lad was
going. A league to the southwest
then "Rara! rara!" and league to the
southeast followed; "Auki auk!" and
league to the southwest again.. tack.
ing back and forth like a sailDoat beat
ing to windward; and that was just
what he was doing, for the breeze was
blowing in his face and he steeled him
self to its biting. If his young body
was stunted and crippled, Pomiuk'
heart was big and strong; but it nearly
gave up hoping when midday came
without a sign and the afternoon be-
gan to go and nothing had come of hts
hunting. Again they stopped to warm
themselves and to chew bit of the
sealskin. He was making mile to the
southwark each tack, and he thought:
81 am not disobeying the command;
am travelling toward the post" But he
did no take care to figure out how long
it would take him to reach there.
Nightfall, and still nothing. The
boot must last them another day
What was left was carefully portioned
the dogs we're embarrassed for the
night and the snowhouse was building
Pomiuk paid no more attention to the
dogs, till there came a low growl from
the leader. Then he looked round
quickly. Far off in the dusk, he could
not say how far, something white was
moving, and the dogs were bounding
toward it. Grasping his harpoon anG
handax, he joyfully hobbled after
them. The half-famished dogs would
not let it escape. There was no neeG
to hurry. But, though they attacked
it valiantly, they could not succeed
without him; and it was well that he
made haste. When he reached them
one of his very best dogs, the fiercesi
one, the bully of the team, fell bach
with his head crushed from blow that
Namuk, the bear, had given him.
Urging the dogs to do their best, h,
approached the huge creature as neal
as he dared, and sought to reach its
throat with the harpoon; but when the
right moment came he thrust too low
The weapon struck under the collar
bone and, though he had given it al
his strength and it's head was com
pletely buried, the bear brushed thu
handle aside as if it had been a wisp o.
straw and, with a roar, made toward
him.
Pomiuk might have Jared lily then
had it not been for his faithful dogs
They attacked the monster from al
sides at once. The smell of its blood
made them frantic, and seemed tt
double and treble their strength. L
was we'll; for their crippled master, il
trying TO elude the enraged beast, ha.
slipped on small broken hummock o:
ice and the creature was nearly or
him.
It was not a time to think, but IL
act. Pomiuk's instinct guided him. In
stinct is strong in the savage, and il
spite of his taste of civilized life he
was yet child of nature. He lay
quite still where he had fallen, lay still
as death till the fighting bear stood
over his PROSTATE body. Then he drew
his knife and struck quickly, once
twice; and the second time, leaving his
knife in the wound, sprang nimbly tc
one side, hand AK in hand; but the
latter was not needed. Loaded down
by the wolfish dogs the great bear tot.
tered and fell to the ice, and the bloody
battle was over.
Pomiuk's first care was to beat of
the dogs and feed them his victims
entrails. Next be set about skinning
the carcass. 1t was heavy work for
mere lad, in the dark and cold of an
arctic night, but at last it was accom-
plished; the meat was hacked into sec
tions that he could lift, the komatik
was brought, and all was slowed as ii
should be; then the snowhouse was
ard, with full stomachs
they all turned in and slept soundly till
The morning.
With such refreshment it did not
take long next day to reach the com
pans post. There the skin was traded
for powder, and bullets, and tobacco
and -four and molasses, and tea. which
summary comprise I'll of the Eskimo's
desires.
With his komatik loaded with such
good things he returned to the igloos
by nightfall, where the people greeted
him joyously and could scarcely be-
lieve their good fortune.
And the ring?" said Kangegatsuk.
Pomiuk showed it proudly. ut was
the ring brought Nanuk," he said.
she will know me by that when we
meet again"-there was a choking in
Pomiuk's voice and his lips quivered-
when l meet her again in her Heaven"
N. Y. Independent.
What He Lacked.