The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-05-23

up to the north we climbed, the
coast growing ever more bleak and
, ,desolate-past Nome and It's gold
sanded shores, stopping at Chuck
Cape just long enough to pick up some
native hunters, and ultimately round.
Ing the shoulder OF Alaska, where the
full force Of the cold-storage zephyrs
caused our stanch little craft to growl
It's way among the ice-foes like some
aquatic bull dog. And such a buffet
ing! You see, the month was August
cutglass out to the open, thus giving
us our only chance of creeping in to
the coast.
"The moment the Saucy Liz poked
her head inside the cape four native
whale boats put out to meet us, and
the captain sighed his disappointment
For he explained. II Olfen's Innult
flock has returned he'll never leave
them, and we've had our little jaunt
for nothing
But Tib, slapping his fox-skin
gloves briskly together. refused to en-.
tertain this unwholesome suggestion
and intimated that inasmuch as our
boss had spent enough money on the
trip TO buy carpet slippers for every
barefooted owl in the country, we
must take back something, II only an
iceberg
"The desire to trade kept the natives
about the sealer, and we three, Tib,
the captain and ], slid in to shore
alone Then the captain hurried us
inland several hundred yards to low,
stone house banked high with dirt md
plugged with moss, and called on the
missionary to appear and welcome us.
But the door remained closed. Father
Olfen!' he cried again.
"And then-great Scott sir! but my
heart certainly skipped seven throbs;
for from around the corner OF the hut
paraded seven OF the biggest polars
ever saw. And the whole outfit reared
with one accord and eyed us com
the captain laughed and assured us
they were tame as kittens. Then he
boldly advanced and said, Hello. Min
nie!' and stuck out his fist And hang
me, sir, II Minnie didn't return the
chaste salute most amiably!
"Tib, you know, always had hyp-
motto way with animals, and he. too
tripped forward and slapped another
elf on the flank. Mr.. Bruin slowly
dropped to all-fours and rubbed his
massive white head lovingly against
my patrons sealskin coat.
But no missionary had appeared.
and finding the door unfastened we
entered. The room was deserted, but
on rough table was letter ad
dressed to the captain. In 1t Often ex.
planned that he was about to leave on
a chance sealer then off shore, as to
remain longer meant death. By the
date of the note he had been gone
about week. "A strange tribe has
settled here. he wrote and while their
superstition leads them to avoid the
hut, as they believe, because of my
bears, that / must be an evil spirit,
they nevertheless threaten to kill me.
They cry out | am Nenook Shaman,
the Bear Spirit, and 1t is only a ques.
tion of time when they will attack me.
Poor. ignorant savages! II / were
younger ] would stay. regardless of
the risk; but | find my last days are
suddenly filled with desire to see the
flowers. and cannot wait for you. II
you come and my pets are still here,
be kind to them.
after the captain had slowly
spelled this out scratching at the
door caused mo to open 1t, and there
was nine-foot, sixteen-hundred.pou
toy sitting on his launches and polite.
ly salaaming. Tib said the old boy
was hungry and finding stock of
dried fish, we led the seven into their
rock corral behind the hut--and say,
for endurance In gastronomic stunts
those fairies had all the old Roman
gluttons reduced to lightweight dys-
peptics
"Just as we had cemented the en-.
tente cordiale by the simple donation
cloud of snow capered over the hut
and the captain gained the open In