CHAPTER XIV.POLAR BEARS.

As it was impossible to launch until the return of the tide, Pierre and Louis were given our rifles and sent off to try their fortunes. As they departed and left us lying in the shelter of a rock we sincerely wished them success. We had done our utmost and had failed; if they also should fail it was too apparent what must soon be the result. Two of the other men were sent off with shot-guns; then anxious hours of waiting followed. No shots were heard, but towards evening Pierre and Louis, and afterwards the other men, could be seen returning in the distance. None of them appeared to be bringing any game, as we had hoped they might, and at the sight I confess my heart grew sick. As they came nearer, however, Louis, holding up something in his hand, exclaimed, “I got him.” It was the claw of a polar bear, and we soon learned with joy that, sure enough, he had killed a bear, which he had unexpectedly come upon at the edge of a lake while following the deer.

The encounter had taken place about six miles inland, and Louis was alone at the time, his brother having gone off on a diverging track. The meeting was a mutual surprise, for the bear, which was lying on thesnow near the ice, being very white himself, was unobserved until the hunter’s approaching footsteps aroused him. There was then a distance of not more than fifty yards between them, and no time for consideration.

The bear, springing to his feet, made straight for Louis, who met his charge with a slug and brought him to his knees. He was up in an instant, though, and followed the Indian, who had taken to the ice, thinking that in a conflict he would there have the advantage. But in this he found he was mistaken. The bear was quickly overtaking him, being at home on the ice, so he turned and with a second shot again knocked the animal down.

As Louis made for the shore the bear regained his feet, and with blood streaming from his wounds, and a roar of fury, made one more desperate charge. He was now within a few feet of Louis. The intrepid hunter, realizing his situation as critical, turned quickly and by a well-aimed shot laid his savage pursuer dead at his feet.

It was a most fortunate shot for our whole party, as well as for the Indian, who, being unable to handle the carcase himself, had returned for assistance, meeting his brother by the way. We all gladly followed him to the scene of the combat, where, judging from the tracks and blood, there was abundant proof of the veracity of his story.

On a hill near the carcase some dry moss was discovered, and with this, even before the skinning had been completed, some of the flesh was toasted and greedily devoured. The reviving effect produced upon the spirits of our party was marked. Though the fleshof the polar bear is famed for its rankness, we would not have exchanged it at that time for its weight in silver.

The carcase was found to be extremely poor, the only food found in the stomach being the droppings of reindeer. At the first meeting, therefore, Louis must have been considered a very desirable prize. It was merely a question of which should eat up the other in order to prolong existence. Fortunately for our party the Indian proved to be the fittest survivor. No part of the carcase was wasted, but every scrap, amounting to between three and four hundred pounds, including the hide, was placed in bags and carried to the canoes, which we reached with much difficulty long after dark.

Next morning a strong east wind, driving a wild surf in upon the shore, made it impossible to launch, but we were thankful during the delay to have a supply of meat on hand with which to satisfy the cravings of hunger. Advantage was also taken of the opportunity afforded for obtaining moss. Though five or six miles distant, a quantity of this fuel was gathered, and several large kettles of meat boiled—almost sufficient, it was hoped, to take us to Churchill. But alas for our hopes! The gale which had arisen increased in fury until it became a terrific storm, accompanied by sleet and snow. This continued for five long days.

One night the tent occupied by my brother and I was ripped up the back by the force of the gale, and with difficulty kept from being carried away. So piercingly cold was the wind that without shelter we must soon have perished. We were already numb with cold, but in the midst of snow and darkness I managed to find inmy bag a sail needle and some twine, and then having lowered the tent to the ground while my brother held it, I stitched up the rent. When the tent was again raised our bedding was buried in snow, but the blankets being our only comfort, the drifts were shaken off, and in a half-perished condition we again crept beneath them.

Besides the discomforts occasioned by the storm at this camp, I suffered a serious experience of poisoning. Our cook, thinking to give my brother and me a treat, provided for our dinner a dish of fried liver. Perhaps because of its rank flavor, my brother partook sparingly and so partially escaped, but I ate of it freely and at once became fearfully ill. For a whole day I lay in the tent, retching and straining, though throwing off nothing but froth, until I thought I should have died. My brother urged me to take some brandy, a little of which still remained in a flask we had brought with us, but for some time I declined. Towards evening, however, finding that I would have to take something or give up the ghost, I yielded to his advice, and soon began to recover. I have since learned that polar bear’s liver is considered to be poisonous, both by the Eskimos and by the north-sea whalers.

While on the subject of bears, it may be of interest to relate here a rather exciting personal experience I once had, which took place several years before on the barren ice-bound shores of Hudson Straits.

We were a small detachment of explorers, travelling at the time in the little steam launch of a scientific expedition, and occupied in the geographical determination of a group of hitherto unknown islands. Thepersonnelof our party, without giving full names, was as follows: The Doctor, who occupied a position in the stern of the boat and acted as steersman; Mac., who, contrary to orders, had smuggled a small rifle on board and come with us for sport; Con., an able seaman from Newfoundland, and myself.

The reason for orders having been given by our commander to take no rifles with us was doubtless that we might not allow sport to interfere with the object of our commission. Besides Mac.’s single-shot rifle, I had in my belt a 38-calibre S. & W. revolver, and these two arms, a knife and an axe constituted our defences; but no special thought was given to these things as at six o’clock on that summer morning, in the shadow of the Arctics, our little expedition steamed away on its mission, following and mapping the various points and bays of the rocky shore, and giving all attention to our work as we ploughed through the cold blue waters.

Before we had proceeded many miles it became necessary to go ashore in order to obtain fresh water for the boiler of the launch. Accordingly, observing what appeared to be a little cascade falling over broken cliffs into the sea, our course was shaped towards it; but before we could gain the shore our purpose was for the time forgotten, because of the sudden appearance, only a few yards ahead, of two polar bears—a large one and her cub—swimming in the water.

Mac. and I quickly took our position in the bow and opened hostilities, but on account of the roughness of the sea and the tossing of the boat the shots were ineffective, and so far as the old bear was concerned an opportunity was not afforded for repeating them. Quick as a flashshe disappeared, leaving her fleecy cub paddling about on the surface.

Though the engine of our boat had been stopped, the momentum carried us on rapidly past the little swimmer, which was about the size of a half-grown sheep. As we passed, Con. seized master bruin and endeavored to land him on board, but in this he, perhaps fortunately, failed, and was prevented from pursuing his ambition by the sudden appearance from the deep of the enraged mother, who, with a roar, made a plunge for the stern of the boat, where the doctor was seated, and seized the gunwale in what were afterwards described as her “devilish-looking jaws.”

To say that this sudden turn of events was a surprise to us all but feebly describes the expressions depicted upon the faces of our party. With the other occupants and the engines between us and the bear, Mac. and I were unable to fire a shot. Con. came to the rescue, and with several desperate thrusts of the iron-pointed gaff he persuaded the bear to release her hold, when with the engine again running, a separation was effected, but not before we had learned an interesting lesson regarding the habits of the polar bear.

As a matter of discretion, the lesson of experience, the boat was now kept at a safe distance from the bears. Several shots were fired, one or two slight wounds being inflicted on the mother, but as fast as the little one could travel, though no faster, they maintained a steady course for the nearest point of land. Apparently nothing would induce the mother bear to forsake her little one, and though wounded herself, her whole anxiety seemed to be for her offspring. Sometimes shewould swim a short distance in advance, but only to return in a moment, as if to urge on the little creature to greater exertion.

The shore was soon gained by the swimmers, who then beat a rapid retreat up the rocky cliffs and disappeared among the distant hills. As they fled, the exhibition of motherly affection shown by the old bear was very remarkable and pleasing. She would never allow the cub to be separated more than a few feet from her, and would govern her own pace to suit that of her “bairn.”

As the bears made good their escape, self-reproach and disappointment filled our souls, and more than one emphasized denunciation was heaped upon our commander’s head because we had been prevented from having our rifles with us.

After a few moments of bitter reflection as to what “might have been,” our thoughts reverted to surveying and the obtaining of fresh water, but before thought could be followed by action, strange to say, two other large bears were sighted ahead. They were near the shore, and not very far from the foot of the falls for which we had been steering.

A brief consultation was held, and it was decided to advance cautiously upon the game. Mac. with his rifle and but a half-dozen remaining cartridges, again took his position in the bow of the boat, but prompted by recent experience I remained at the stern with my revolver, while Con. stood amidships armed with the gaff. The bears, observing us, landed upon a high point of broken cliffs close by, and as they did so, Mac. gave them a couple of slugs, which evidently took effect, but causedthem no particular inconvenience. A moment later they were lost to sight among the rocks. Resolved upon preventing their escape if we possibly could, Mac. and Con.—the latter armed with the axe—were allowed to go ashore and head off the retreat, while we in the boat skirted along the shore where the bears might be most likely to take to the water. Our land party had no sooner reached the summit of the first ridge of rock than “bang” went Mac.’s rifle, and a moment later, as he crammed in another cartridge, there appeared over the ridge, not more than five yards from his feet, the blood-bespattered heads of the two furies.

It was a critical moment for our two sportsmen, and one of breathless suspense for those of us who looked on. Con. stood with uplifted axe ready to strike as Mac., again levelling, fired into the face of the foremost bear, now almost at his feet, and sent a slug boring through his head. To ordinary bears this would have been received as sufficient intimation to drop dead, but it seemed only to “rattle” this polar, so that instead of proceeding to demolish Mac. and Con., he plunged over the steep cliff into the sea and there terminated his career.

The other bear, seeing the fate of his comrade, retreated and took to the water, and as he did so, leaving a trail of blood upon the rocks, Mac. sent his last slug after him. He and Con. then, descending to the shore, came on board, and with us gave chase to the wounded animal, who was swimming off at a rapid pace. Our launch, however, soon overtook him, and as we passed I gave him a volley from my revolver, which appeared to have little more effect than to increase his rage.

“Con. stood with uplifted axe ... as Mac. ... fired into the face of the foremost bear.”—p. 196.

As I was about to fire again he disappeared, and a moment later reappeared at the side of the boat, threw one paw over the gunwale, and with open blood-thirsty jaws, made a lunge for my leg. Fortunately for me his reach was a little too short, and the result was he got the worst of the scuffle. Putting my revolver up to the side of his head, I gave him the contents of the five chambers before he could retire. These shots, however, did not penetrate the skull, and beyond causing a withdrawal, only had the effect of further enraging him.

Hostilities having been commenced at close quarters, we continued the fight until I had fired my last cartridge and bruin’s scalp was riddled with lead. But the wounded fury still swam powerfully, and with ammunition now exhausted it appeared as if we would not be able to complete the task we had undertaken. For a short time we watched his movements, and observing that he seemed inclined to go ashore, we decided upon a new plan of action. Steaming away around the point we beached the boat, and armed with axe, ice-gaff and knife, we climbed the farther side of the cliff, and there concealed ourselves in such a position that we were able to watch the enemy’s movements.

We had not long to wait, for, thinking himself unobserved, he swam ashore at the foot of the bluff and hid among the broken rocks. Feeling that our opportunity had now arrived, we descended stealthily from ledge to ledge and from rock to rock, taking care that we should not be scented or observed. Step by step we drew nearer, until close to the foot of the cliff, and almost at our feet, we came upon the wounded bear. He was much out of humor, and feeling sore enough from hismany wounds, but before he had time to demonstrate his displeasure, Mac. had thrust the gaff through his skull, Con. had cleft his head with the axe, and my knife had spilled his heart’s blood upon the rocks.

In the animal world the polar bear is admittedly the monarch of the north. He is the bear of bears, being described by all Arctic travellers as possessing enormous strength and great voracity. Of the score of polars whose more or less intimate acquaintance I have had occasion to make, I have seen at least two whose tracks in the snow measured fifteen by eighteen inches, whose length measured over nine feet, and whose slain carcases tipped the steelyard at from fifteen to sixteen hundred pounds.

Consequently I have always had great respect for the sentiments expressed in the following lines by an author whose name I regret being unable to recall:—

“Of the black bear you need not be afraid,But killing white ones is a dangerous trade.In this be cool, and well direct your lead,And take your aim at either heart or head;For struck elsewhere, your piece not level’d true,Not long you’ll live your erring hand to rue.”

“Of the black bear you need not be afraid,

But killing white ones is a dangerous trade.

In this be cool, and well direct your lead,

And take your aim at either heart or head;

For struck elsewhere, your piece not level’d true,

Not long you’ll live your erring hand to rue.”

THE LAST OF OUR PROVISIONS—A GLOOMY OUTLOOK.

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