Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-10-16

clasp them as his own.
But be had no ice bear skins nor the
skins Of the white or cross fox. The
furs Of the seals he had speared. and
the wolverine be had trapped only suf-
feed for clothing. He could buy moth
ing.
The trader was one who dealt far
Their southwark with the tribes Of St
Lawrence bay. His trade was short
with the U-pick. as be must push on
He procured sled and dogs. and from
Tungatkuk, the chief, whose friend he
was, he asked for the best sledman In
the village
Tungatkuk summed up his young
men and picked out Shingeek.
There was no better man with the
dogs, he said. He would travel three
sleeps without stop. and he knew the
trails.
The trader looked over the stalwart
form of the Eskim6 and decided that
he was a good man.
The next day Oamunga watched
from the igIoo front as shingeek cluck-
ed to the dogs. cracked his whip and
swung off around the base Of the slope
on the coast trail with the traders
packs.
She made no sign nor sound. but
gazed as the daughters of the U-pick
do at the departure Of their lords.
Far down the coast, where the rocky
cliffs rise perpendicular from the sea,
the dog team labored over and around
the dangerous hummocks on the ice.
which still held a mile offshore.
The snow whistled thickly on a stiff
north wind. which further impeded the
progress and half blinded the two men
attempting to guide the lurching sled
The dogs strained in the harness to
cross this stretch OF gagged ice, which
led to the shore edge and the trail
again The trailer dog carefully picked
the way for the following trace dogs.
They were returning to East Cape
from the southern villages with the
sled packed with skins. AS yet there
were fifteen miles to cover.
Suddenly there came a sharp, snarl-
ing bark from the trailer. The team
came to an abrupt halt. and the sled
lurched and stopped.
The dogs stood bristlfng with their
noses in the wind. the trailer only a
few PAGES ahead.
"Shu-na, Shingeek, what is it?" call
ed the trader, who had saved himself
from falling by grasping the steering
pole.
Shingeek made no answer. but held
up his hand He was keenly watching
the dogs. whose instinct to danger was
far stronger than his own.
The whole team then snarled vi.
ciously. and the trailer fell back upon
the two leaders, uttering quick. men
acing banks into the whirling snow.
Shingeek. tense. gazing into the OBJ
security, saw a great gaunt form, as
white as the driving snow. emerging
from a hummock not more than FIVE
yards away on the left
"Ah-ah-bukl Ah-ah-buki Ice beari"
he shouted to the trader. rifle, rifle
quickg'
Shingeek Immediately sprang to the
sled for his big spear. The dogs were
in a panic and tearing at the traces
The trader turned to find the bear
almost upon him. the erect body max.
ing directly toward him, the great red
tongue lolling from a cavernous mouth
and the clean. long fangs showing
clearly as she snarled her hatred
Shingeek looked quickly as be tug
ged at the thong which held his spear
In place. He took in with the glance
the extreme peril Of the trader, the
dogs and all.
In the furious charging beast he rec
ognized what the Eskimo know as the
'mad bear" 1t was a female and
crazed with hunger
Punched by hunger and driven to
desperation by the whining of her
whelps she knew no fear and would
attack the first animate object she
came upon.
Shingeek had meant to jump across
the sled and between the bear and the
dogs. Should the dogs start of IN
panic. they might be left wounded and
without assistance.
But the ice bear made on at the
trader. So close had she come that to
attempt to extract the rife was a fu
tile effort
He pulled his knife from his belt and
staggered backward over the uneven
ice.
''shingeeki Shingeekr he cried
Shingeek gave an answering shout
and wrenched free his spear.
'1Shingeekr' again came from the
white man. He had stopped.
Behind him was a drop Of ten feet
on jagged ice. In front came the Graz
ed bear and fell in a fury upon him.
His knife Whistled as It whirled
through the air. and sank into the
broad. white breast. But it was the
only stroke.
The enormous paws bore him down
and his head struck violently on the
ohorn odUo 0f +ha doo