Evening star., 1925-10-04

| feet are kept pounding on the deck.
For nearly an hour now there has
been nothing Ia see but the two squat
ting figures OF the motionless hunters,
breaking the pearl gray monotone Of
the foe, and beyond them tho pres.
sureridge, like a blind white wall,
shutting out any further visibility.
There is neither sight nor sound.
other than the dull drumming Of nu-
merous pairs Of feet and an occa sional
murmur of impatience and pessimism
Some one yields to a qIivering yawn,
but curls the end OF It into a yell
Now everybody Is giving tongue. And
there's the cause Of II. About mid
way OF the ridge a bear has suddenly
appeared. He has climbed into view
and ia standing broadside on to us
and looking back whence he came.
The two hunters have assumed a
crouching pose behind their icy para
pets and are lingering their weapons.
There Is no necessity for either of
them to make a move yet. Nanook
must first signify what he Is going
TO do. lie is about equidistant from
both men. who are in good tactical
position TO intercept him whichever
direction he makes up his mind 70
take when the advancing beaters
drive him off the ridge.
He has decided. Here he comes,
sliding down the near face Of the
ridge on his great launches. Now
that he has put an obstacle between
himself and his pursuers. he takes It
into his head to try n little strategem.
Instead Of setting out straight away
from the ridge. he runs parallel with
1t. toward the left from our stand.
Ny Eskimos are all chatterinG to-
gether. 1t really looks as II the
fellow may be going to escape.
A GREAT shout OF JOY goes up on
board the good ship Nokatak as
the figure of a Chukchi appears on
the ridge out close to it's left end and
ahead of the still running bear. Ma
nook at once turns sharp to his left
and sets up a good gait across the
open and toward us. II he should
make the edge Of the foe he will en-.
ter the water quite close to the ship.
The other beaters cross the ridge
at various points and go in pursuit.
Our waiting hunter on the left is now
all tense. We see his bow strung and
an arrow ready for flight. Out INTO
the open he steps as the running bear
passes not 10 yards from his post. An
arrow flies, then another and another.
1t Ia impossible to see with what
effect.
The bear keeps stright on. quicken
ing his pace. If anything. The water,
the water-that ia all he cares about.
This is no time to turn at bay. And
1t looks very much as II he were 60
ing to achieve his aim.
The excitement now Is tremendous.
In another minute Nanook will have
reac ched the water and safety. He has
already left his pursuers behind. And
see. There. sticking in his shoulder.
are the arrows. the three shot by the
Chukchi hunter!
Putunuk and Ipnorak can stand the
strain no longer. They dash for their
kaiaks, which are lying on the after
deck. I have half a mind to stop
them. This Is supposed to be strictly
Chukchi hunt. But I decide not to
interfere: for the wounded bear has
every chance to escape now and later
may succumb to his injuries.
The bear and the kaiaks reach the
water almost at the same moment.
Before taking the plunge Nanook
catches sight of us and decides to
swim under water, favorite but
short rt-sighted policy Of the polar bear.