The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-07-14

Although 1t was night you would
SArceIy nave known IL. 1t was more
nne tsiilsht. because OF the glare OF the
eholess SHOWS Far as the eye could
zach was nothing but snow. And cold:
IL would have bitten your nose on.
ave said that everything was white.
fore. at FIRST sight. as N noth.nx lived
IA mat de-olate lard. simply because
eNerything alive Was white also. There
polar bear. You would have hat dirI-
Guilty In seeing him lie was standing
OCT oa the Ice that fringed the sea. star-
ran away ialand. He was not uuite white
reS-'y. beng q rather dirty color. but he
vas white enough 10 pass unnoticed nine
times out OF ten.
Just over his head was flying a great
ivory gull. nearly white too. About two
hundret yards away was standing a
white Arctic fox. These two. bird and
tos. were watching the great bear OF the
north for u reason. Indeed. thev had
neen following him for hours. knowing
L9Ii well that sooner or later ne must
might then leave some scraps for them
10 clear up after he had finished.
me bear. however. was not troubling
about his followers. though 10 they mao
made every attempt to turn them into
tood lie was watching blarkish-looking
specks that were winding down in a
single file from the low hills. II was
out OF the question at thai distance TO
say what they were. though they re-
minded one OF cattle which. OF course.
was out OF the question.
Half an hour later they had come near
enough. however. for one 20 see that they
were extraordinarily shaggy bunaIo-like
animals. In a herd OF nffeen indi vtduais
They had long horns which cury.d Snxn
and then up. and savage eyes. and their
thick hair swept down TO the snow. They
We're muSk-oxen.
The bear meanwhile had crouched
l rat on the SNOW and nov hogan Ns-N
fat meals.
seeing that he must have weighed
nearly 900 pounds. IL was wonderful to
See how small the great beast managed
10 make himself appear as he slowly
crtwled over the snow, taking advantage
or every white heap piled uP by the
wind TO hide behind. Ana though. of
anything eisc~for there was really NJ
cover at al TO be had-he stili made l
this bear. and was a little At Il loss to
know how he should tackle them. Every
stinctive fear OF him. for though he was
~ravenouS. fifteen great nuffalo-hke
iessts are rather long Ia even FOR a
male Polar hear 70 tackle.
suddenly. when he was but thirty
yards nom them. they became aware II
i'm. They hal not seen. hat secuted
him. lie jumped up at once. expecting
them 90 run away and fore" him TO Try
AHFN nl"' NNNNIlE 81 INC kan0. now
ever They Instantly formed ~ ia "A
ine. and stood glarinE. and. with lower
Cd horns. facing him And the bear
stood sim. lie was puzzled. lie want
ed "a young muSk-oN very much :or pro-
visions. but did not want to pay the
pic" OF charging that array Of pointed
horns. with the line OF bloodsh5t ewes
glarinC beneath them. He was a-so be-
ginning - wonder what would nuppen II
| they charged. for he had n.re Of MS be
loved sea 10 drop back into ~ they ala
80. The sea was "A quarter Of = mile
away, out at the edge Of the ice n was
also beneath his feat. but ne could not
get at -.
The hear walked slowly round tire
herd. and the long line Of horns curved
back To- a half-circle TO face him. Then
he crouch@l flat and approached slowly.
but tncy lowered their heads and stamp
o. and looked so threatening that he
drew or again.
Then suddenly both ne and they look
Cd sharply away towards the low while
hills The barking % dogs could ha
plainly heard on the stllL freeing air
from that direction. And not ony could
the barking Of tho dogs he heard. hut
the dogs themselves could bs plBirfy
seen. little black specks moving down
from the white nils. IN wind. now
ever. being from tho north. had nearly
betrayed those lonely creatures. who