The Forrest City times., 1899-07-07
strength and fepci,y of this polar .n,.

maj. aud of course knew the full danger they were exposed to.
 As the great beast trotted toward
 them. he caught up his hatchet and the
 fox that he had been skinning. and, tell
 ing Ilse to run, started after her, drag
 ging the fox by the tail.
 The bear halted a moment, and then
 rushed on in pursuit.
 Catching up with Ilse, Jan seized her
 arm, and pulled her forward still faster.
 Run faster, Ilse! run faster!" he
 cried.
 "I can't, Jan," panted Ilse. And it almost seemed as if she could
 not go another step.
 Jan's courage nearly failed him; but.
 with last despairing effort, he pulled
 Ilse forward few steps. A drift of
 snow lay in his path. He set his feet
 upon it. The yielding white mass gave
 way beneath him. Jan uttered sharp, | involuntary cry, as he and his sister
 went down through the snow that dashed in their faces.
 They did not fall far. It was a nar-
 row cleft or Assure in the ice into which they had fallen. As it had been quite | concealed by the drifted snow, the chil- dren were not aware Of it's existence un- til they fell into it.. Almost exhausted, they lay quite still moment at the bot tom.
 Presently there was paving and a
 snutting above them, and Jan saw a pair
 of fierce eyes looking down upon them. Could the bear reach them? It was
 only few feet to the top. They hud- died close together and waited. No, the savage brute could not quite
 reach them, though he tried several times to do so, stretching down his long, hairy fore-leg. Once, indeed, the sharp claws caught Ilse's jacket, and the poor girl, trembling, cried out: ''Oh, the bear has got me, Jan!'
 It was then Jan thought of his hatchet. Holding on to Ilse with his left hand, he grasped the weapon with
 his right. Two sharp, powerful blows he struck, and bruin drew up his wounded paw with ferocious growl. llse fell back into Jan's arms and be- gan to cry. She had been very much frightened.
 Jan soothed her the best he could, and waited with the hatchet in his hand for any further attacks of their enemy. But the bear did not choose to modest them any more. After time he moved away, slowly and painfully dragging his maimed foot over the ice. No soon- CT, however, did Jan show his head than the animal returned to the cleft again. The boy did not dare to leave their refuge, and so concluded to stay where they were until help came. The two children remained there all that day and night. They did not suffer from the cold, for they were warmly clad, and their narrow quarters were sheltered from the wind. They slept soundly and securely all night. In the morning they were aroused by the report of gun not far from them. Presently voices were heard, and Jan looked out from their retreat to see half dozen of their nearest neighbors at the settlement, who had come to search for them. They had shot the bear, which they had found only short dis tance from where the children lay. Jan had no more trouble that spring
 with his traps, and bruins skin counter
 balanced the loss he had experienced
 from the bears depredations. He sold it for Il riX dollars to the merchant at the settlement. and to-day it probably
 adorns the sledge of some stylish young
 Greenlander at Upernavik. = Golden Days.