Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-04-28
HOW HUNGER FEELS.
Sensations of Fasting Arctic Explorers In
Sight of Musk Oxen.

Sensations of Fasting Arctic Explorers In
Sight of Musk Oxen.
wonder if single one of my
readers really knows what hunger
isl Henson and myself were worn
to the bone with scant cations and
hard work, and that hard work had
left the little covering on our bones
in the shape of lean, tense muscles
and wires of sinew. The supper from
the hare-that meal of fresh, hot,
luscious meat, the first adequate
meal in nearly 600 miles of daily
enowshoeing-had Weakened every
merciless hunger fang that during
the previous weeks had been grad
ually dulled into insensibility. 1t
had been the taste of freshly spilled
blood to the long tanned tiger, and
now the big black animals before us
were not game, but meat, and every
nerve and fiber in my gaunt body
was vibrating with savage lust for
that meat-meat that should be soft
and warm, meat into which the
teeth could sink and tear and rend,
meat that would not blister lips and
tongue with it's frost, nor ring like
a rock against the teeth. Painting
and quivering with excitement, we
Law for few moments. We could
not risk shot at that distance.
"Do you think they will come for
usg" said Matt.
"God knows! hope SO, boy, for
then we are sure of some of them.
Are you ready9"
Eyes. sir
Come on, then.
One of us one side of the big bowl
der, the other the other, and we
dashed across the rocks and snow
straight toward them. There was a
snort and stamp from the big bull
guarding the herd, and the next in
slant every animal was on his feet
and, thank God, facing us. The next
they were in close line, with lower
ed heads and horns. I could have
yelled for JOY if I had had the breath
to spare. Every one of us has read
some of the thrilling stories of trav-
elers in the Russian forests, chased
by hungry wolves, and our feelings
have been wrought up to the highest
pitch of sympathy for the poor fell
lows in their efforts to escape. But
did any of us ever stop to think how
those other poor fellows, the wolves.
felt with their empty stomachs?
know now what their feelings are,
and my sympathies are with the
wolves. was wolf myself at that
moment
Wewere within less than so yards
of the herd when the big bull, with
a quick motion, lowered his horns
still more. Instinct, Providence
, call it what you will-told me it wat
the signal for the herd to charge
Without slackening my pace, pull
ed my winchester to my shoulder
and sent bullet at the back of hi.
neck over the white, imperviou:
shield of the great horns. Heart ant
soul and brain and eyes went will
, that singing bullet. felt that wa
t strong enough and hungry enough
a and wolf enough that, had the bul
been alone, could have sprung
, upon him barehanded and torn tn
, lifeblood from his throat, but agains
the entire herd we would have bee,
8 powerless. 'Once the black ava
q lanche had gained momentum w
a would have been crushed by it lik
the crunching snow crystals unde
q our feet. AS the bull fell upon hi
= knees the herd wavered. A GOV
a half turned and, as MATHS rifle crack
4 ed, fell with a bullet back of he
fore shoulder. Without raising M,
g rifle above my hips, another on
!. dropped Then another for Matt
Then the herd broke, and we hui
J. ried in pursuit