The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-12-30
A POLAR BEAR HUNT DOOR KEYS IN SWEDEN
Adventure Frozen Wastes Curious Custom of Hanging Them
of the Arctic. Outside the Doors.
Mile Run For Rifle That at First
Refused to Do Its Work-A Shot
That Brought the Great Brute to the
Cam, as Food For Men and Dogs.

Camp as Food For Men and Dogs.
The long arctic night was breaking.
Like alternating polar bears. we hau
lived the winter through under cover
or a ,,reat drift of snow. This served
as a thick blanket for our little, nut
and helped to keep warm the thirty
nine shipwrecked men who had oeeh
marooned Oh the desert island of Ru-
dolph in the frozen wastes of the polar
sea.
one day, after n furry of storm.
took walk TO Cape Sauien. On my
way back to camp | stopped on the
highest rocks of the mOralne TO look
out toward the ice covered sea. North
ward and westward great black steam
ing streaks in the white revealed the
open water, and overhead hung dark
clouds of vapor. another indication of
a lead" or open water. underneath.
Turning my eyes southwark toward
TeplitZ bay, / beheld the panorama of
the camp spread out before me. the
hut and stable tent, the two little OBJ
servatories and the numerous caches
of food stores giving the appearance Of
an arctic village. Down in the tide
crack where the ice of the bay met the
fast frozen land sheet | could dlstln-
guish the silhouette of one of my men
taking q tide observation. Behind him
rose a bristling ridge of ice pinnacles
which effectually blocked his view to
ward the sea.
From my greater elevation l made
out the form Of great polar bear
crossing the rough ice toward the land
AS / watched he reached a high cake
of ice and. climbing upon it. raised
himself up on his hind quarters anC
looked over toward the spot where Mr.
Long. the observer. was at work. The1
] realized his object. There was nc
I one else in sight, and Long was un
armed Could l reach camp. seize {
rifle and make my way out on the bay
! before the bear began his attack?
/ In the cold. crisp air l ran the milt
! or so toward the hut, a race that for
! tunately wa; down grade. I rushed
into the house. secured my rife and Sc
off as fast as my legs would carry me
toward where had last seen the bear
Usually the dogs at camp thought i
|
! this time they crouched around thu
hut. whining and whimpering and re
! fusing to follow as l ran past then
with my rifle. l soon came up to Lon,
and, warning him to look out for tn
approaching bear. of which he wa
still all unconscious, proceeded at re
duced speed, as the ice was now yer.
rough, in the direction of the advanc
| ing beast AS | was crossing the to-
Of the first pressure ridge l saw tn
bear coming my way. He caught sigh
of me at the same moment, raised him
self on his launches to get a bette
view, and then started in a lope owe
the ice cakes in my direction.
| raised my carbine, took a quic
sight and pulled the trigger. 1nstea
of the usual quick snap aud explosio
felt the slow, gummy motion of tn
bolt that told me that the lock wa
frozen. In cleaning the gun few day
before l must have left some oil in tn
= lock.
| worked the bolt back and fortl
trying to warm up the mechanism b
friction. the great bear climbing rapit
i
, toward me all the while. Once more
, pulled the trigger. The unexpecte
, happened, and the cartridge exploded
but in my haste. although so close,
made a clear miss.
However, the flash and the repo1
f must have frightened the beast, for
, made off. I climbed in pursuit. but O
, account Of the heavy ice did not sc
him again until he had placed abo,
200 yards between us and was still 6
ing with great leaps in the directio
of the open sea.
aimed and fred just as he leape
between two great ridges. This tin
he fell in heap. With the bears ia
the dogs set US such bowling, bar
ing and yelping as l had seldom hear
even from that noisy pack. Every dc
In camp now started for the fallc
= king.
The bullet had gone through b
back, paralyzing his hind quarters. b
he was able to swing around on Il
fat foe and deal fearful blows wi
a his great fore paws. But the comb
e was too unequal. One more bullet al
the great pear was Deyohu ali LUZ III
4, pain.
e The men from camp had now q
t rived, and the dogs were caught al
e harnessed to a sledge. Upon it V
It dashed the carcass of the bear al
e then. cutting a trail back to Ian
V, hauled our load to the hut. welcor
4. addition to the larder for men al
i. dogs.-Anthony Frala in Youths Coz
{ panion.