Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-04-12

the carcass to the ship. 1t was a male
cub, little more than half grown.
The next morning bear was sight
ed, lying on a large "sconce-piece"
about mile across. "Now's your
chance, Jackson" said Captain Gray,
as he came down into the cabin. So
my tackle was fitted up again, two
boats were lowered, and volunteer
creWs-as We considered it a risky
business-were called for and selected.
l started Of in command of one
boat; the first mate had charge of the
second. We pulled round the foe to
the farther side. and there lay in wait
behind a ridge of hummocks at the wa
tiers edge, the mates poat taking up
position two hundred yards in our
rear. In the meantime, a party of
men with rifles, who had been landed
from the ship, advanced across the
ice toward the slumbering bear, shout
ing and firing, in order to drive him
off the ice into the water toward us.
Gradually the shouts and shots
came nearer and nearer, and we could
see the bear slowly coming toward
our boat.
The suppressed excitement became
intense as the critical moment drew
near. Steady now, not a word, but
keep your oars free!" / whispered, as
l clutched my lassoing apparatus more
firmly.
The bear came to the water at a
spot about thirty yards from our boat
and after a casual glance at us, as if
he considered us very small fry,
splashed in. In few moments he
was sufficiently far on his voyage to
enable us to cut him off from the foe
he lad left
Pull away" l shouted and off we
went in pursuit. Five stout pairs of
arms strained their utmost for a min
ute or two before the distance be-
tween us and our quarry materially
lessened. Our friend in the white
coat was powerful swimmer.
Once he tried to head back for the
foe, but seeing that we were in the
way he kept on the course he first had
marked out. Gradually we overhauled
him, and squirt placed us within
striking distance
Hiss" snarled the bear, as the
moose went over his head. Unfor-
tunately a paw became also encircled
by it, and off his head it slipped.
had to fit up the moose again, and the
chase had to be renewed. This proved
rather longer than the first one, and
a good half-mile Was covered before
we again overlook him. This time the
moose did not slip, and l hooked him
quite securely.
Then there was an uproar! All the
lions, tigers and bears in the Zoo
might have been suddenly let loose, to
judge by the noise made by that one
bear; and l felt as if l were tied up
to an earthquake. First he dashed
forward with the utmost impetuosity,
and then, on being pulled up by the
rope, returned to the boat seized the
gunwale with his teeth and tore at the
woodwork He quickly demolished
the canvas which covered the harpoon
gun, and it was only by quick manoeu-
vering that saved the gun itself from
going over the side.
Next he tried to free his neck by
hauling himself up by the gunwale,
and l really feared we should have
him on board soon. The men in the
bows began to retreat toward the
stern. l pommelled his paws with an
oar to make him let go, but in vain.
Then some one conceived brilliant
idea, and a wet swab was passed for
iC 7 ae.tr h i'm
in the face. The effect was magical;
he dropped back into the water as if
bullet had hit him. A heavy oar he
didn't mind bit, but wet swab was
too horrible and barbarous-some-
thing quite outside the pale of civil
lied warfare!
The wet swab. however, soon lost
all its terrors for him, and he became
as Indifferent to this as to the oar.
Several times matters became eX-
tremely critical. With the boat listed
over almost to capsizing by the weight
of the bear hanging on the gunwale,
and his cleaning teeth and furious
eyes within three feet of my face as
stood in The bows, any slight mistake
or momentary loss OF presence OF Iaind
would have enabled him to take pos
session of our craft and completely
turn the tables on us.
After half an hour of this tooth-and-
nail struggle his tremendous ST. ength
began to give out, and his desperate
efforts relaxed. Then the second boat
with the mate in charge came up, and
from that a second moose was passed
over his hind quarters. Thus he was
rendered secure both fore and aft, and
placed quite at our mercy.
Slowly we padded back to the Erik,
which steamed down toward us. On
coming alongside, strap was passed
round the bears body, and UP in the
air he went by means of tackle, like
so much baggage or bale of wool,
and was dropped safely into the iron
cage which had been fitted up in the
l. ii Il, ~