The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-05-10

the farther side. and there lay in wait
behind a ridge of hummocks at the wa
tiers edge, the mates poat taking up a
rear. In the meantime, 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
of 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!" l whispered, as
| clutched my lassoing apparatus more
firmly.
The bear came to the water at a
spot about thirty yards from our boat
and after casual glance at us, as If
be considered US very small fry,
splashed in. In a 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 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 lis 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
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 | felt as If / 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
| gunwaIe 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. I pommelled his paws with an
oar to make him let go, but in vain.
Then some one conceived brilliant
idea, and wet swab was passed for
ward to me- With this l struck him
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 a wet swab was
! too horrible and barbarous-some
thing quite outside the pale of civil
lied warfare!
! The wet swab, however, soon lost
all it's terrors for him, and he became
as Indifferent to this as to the oar.
| Nv
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 mind
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
main hatch. The movable bars in
the top were then secured, and the
most exciting bit of sport / had ever
been engaged in was over.
Il thought he would have eaten the
lot of you!" was Captain Gray's ex-
clamation, as came on board.
The bear was huge male, and from
| knowledge | have since obtained of
other bears, by accurate weighing.
estimate that he must have scaled
nine hundred and fifty pounds.
Our captive behaved like a lap dog
during the rest of the day, and COB
bled up some pork cracklings the cook
threw to him as if he had been accus-
toned to dine on board ship all his
life. His apparently gentlemanly
and mice" behavior was the subject
of general comment; but these illu-
sions were to be rudely dispelled the
! following morning.
| A great uproar on the main deck
was heard at about seen o'clock, and
! one of the mates rushed into the cabin.
exclaiming that the bear was loose on
deck. HurriedIy tumbling into coat,
up went with a rifle, to find that the
animal had forced it's head and should
ers through the top of the cage, and
that several of the crew were up in