The Washington herald., 1915-09-12
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| shoot the animal: and althoushs very
valuable. we had to leave II to keep Mr.,
| Bear warm another winter.
Going a little on one side and leaving
| him an open track for the sea. We :heret
| fore fired a shot right over him. To sesl
| the way that bear jumped up and made
| tracks for open water was a sight not
| easily forgotten. He certainly thought
| he was shot. and never so nlucn as
looked round TO see where the shot
came from. and in five minutes he was
swimming far out to sea.
Polar bears are large ungainly looking
creatures, but with their long amblins
gait it is wonderful how quickly they
get over the ground. The polar. like
| other bears, will usually get out Of the
way of man il he can. but IL wounded
or put into corner he is a very nasty
customer to deal with.
One of our Indians was once out on
Cape Churchill, hunting. when he came
upon the fresh track OF polar bear.
For some time he followed it, and at
last came upon the bear quietly walk
ing along Being mostly open couu-
i try. il was not easy for the Indian to
get within range. but, slowly dragging
himself along the ground he got as near
as possible and fired. and only slightly
wounded the bear.
Before the man could again load his
gun Che had only an ordinary shotgun,
very few of the Indians having riies), tho
] bear turned and saw him, and with
, bound was upon him. and with one blow
of his paw stretched him upon the ground,
his gun flying to some distance
The Indian was not hurt to any great
extent and. knowing the peculiar habits
of the polar bear. he lay quite still. Ths
bear rolled him over with his paw and
shifted at him. then turned away and left
%ba Laar hoI
tie distance the Indian began to crawl
toward his gun but. looking around. the
bear saw him moving and again made for
him and laid him low. tearing his right
arm very badly with his sharp claws.
Then again he left him. and the Indian
did not make another attempt to move
until the bear was out of sight. This
Indian came in to our mission station
and told US his adventure. and dressed
his arm, which was badly SCARED by the
creatures claws.
Some years ago 7 was going on from
Churchill TO York Factory with my team
of dogs. the ground being all covered
with snow. One day our way lay across
a large plain of about twenty miles, with
not a tree or anything in sight. About
halfway across We caught sight of a fe-
male polar bear with her two cubs, max
ing their way down to the seacoast. As
soon as our dogs got scent, they made
after them at breakneck speed, the sledgs
going humping along over the rough
snow, and we had great difficulty in
keeping IL right side up. running as hard
as we could no our snowshoes by its side
The cubs could not go very fast. but
kept on some six or seven miles before
We got very near them; then We had a
most interesting experience of bear love.
The mother bear would go on (she could
easily have got away from us) to en-
courage them. the cubs gradually falling
behind. then she would stop and whina
until they came up. then on again.
At last we drove them into the wonda
where the snow was soft and deep and
the poor cubs could not get on at all,
they simply lay on the snow and refused
to move though the mother was calling
all the time. Seeing they could go no
farther. she calmly walked back. and.
getting her two young ones under her.
she stood facing us, but couple of bull
lets brought her down almost on top of
her young ones
It really seemed cruel to kill her and
the cubs. but we needed the food. as we
had very little left. and we were sixty
miles away from York Factory and there
was no shop or house of any kind where
we could get food The Indians also were
very glad TO get the skins, as in this way
they make a living in this wild. desolate
country.
(Copyright by the Associated Literary PreN)