The St. Mary banner., 1902-05-10
The Skee-Runner
i. i. and the Bear.

Olaf Petersen and Daniel Hansen
4. were sailors aboard the walrus-hunt-
ing sloop Vixen, which came to anch-
or in Mossel Bay, Spitzbergen, in July
1894. Olaf and Daniel were both
crack. skee-runners, and very fond of
the. favorite Norwegian sport. They
! had brought their skees along, know
Ing there would be chance to enjoy
the novelty of run in the very midst
of summer. AS the Vixen lay at an
Il chor, waiting for wind the young
men looked at the blue glacier glist-
ening invitingly in the sun and run
ming for miles back from the shore.
In a few moment they had gained the
skitper.s consent and were going over
4 the rail of the sloop, skees in hand,
when the captain sang out to them:
Boys, don't go far, because you
have no gun with you, and there are
ebesss about"
t'Oh, we are not afraid of BEARS"
Olaf replied. "He would have to be
q pretty smart bear that could catch
us skee-lobning down slope like that.
He'd never know he was in the race"
M. Two hours later Olaf and Daniel
approached the black cliff at the sum-
NIT Of the mountain. The ascent had
2 been a stiff bit Of work; they had gone
fully five miles from the ship and two
thousand feet above the level of the
sea. For the most part, the sioping
4urfacc of the great glacier had been
hard and smooth, but here and there
we're pockets of slush, depressions fill
ed with substance which was neither
liquid nor solid-a mixture of snow
and water produced by the heat of the
July Sun. Often these icy pools were
ankle-deep.
'It's just like wading through ice
cream" said Daniel.
Il only wish it were," replied Olaf.
Going through these pockets was
cold, work, but the two men had set
out for the top Of the mountain. and
II was not in their natures to give
up. At last they came to the end Of
tho. glacier. Above them rose the
black cliffs. They were now Chamber
Ing over small and large rocks, fall
en- fragments of the mountain, instead
Of over snow and ice. In an unlucky
moment Daniel slipped and fell. and
sprained one of his ankles. The twist
was o severe one.
We'll, here's a pretty go!" said he,
As soon as he could catch his breath.
1T VIII be two hours at least before
! can stir a step, and I'm afraid the
captain will be Worried about u.s."
Never mind the captain" was
Olaf.s reply. 1--WE must fix that leg
q yours up so you can trave:."
s He brought some snow and rubbed
the sprained tendons to reduce the
Inflammation; he fixed his comrade
In q comfortable place, with his back
against rock, and was about &c take
On his skee, when Daniel exclaimed
y. o startled voice:
e Il say, Olaf, look there!"
Climbing up the smooth, white sur
lace, with that shuf!ling, ambling gait,
REGULAR to his tribe, was an ice-bear.
"A big. lank. lean and hungry fellow
he was. and with the scent of a good
dinner in his nostrils, he was follow
ing the tracks of the two skee-runners
and making straight for them.
The young men were not alarmed.
They knew that most aice-bears are
towards. and they thought they could
easily dispose of this unwelcome visi-
( tor. @
I'll send few stones after him."
! said Olaf, "and he'll run fast enough"
The Norwegian picked up some
round rocks and rolled them down
the hard slope. The bear stopped,
stood on his rear legs and scented
fhe air. Then he snelled of the tracks
let BY the stones which had passed
Mn. Instead Of being frightened, the
neast appeared to be reassured, for
- resumed his march. It is no un
pommon thing tor stones to fall from