Page:Hunting and trapping stories; a book for boys (IA huntingtrappings00pric).pdf/25

POLAR BEARS AND ESQUIMAUX. A scientist who had gone up to the lower coast of Greenland to hunt for rare sea birds and plants, spent a large part of his time living in the huts of some friendly Esquimaux. When he was able to understand their language a little he found that most of their talk was about fishing and hunting. He heard wonderful stories from the lips of the little men who had sailed out into the rough sea in tiny canoes called "kayaks" to spear seals, and also of others who had been carried off on great pieces of ice that had broken from the floes and had never been seen again.

The more he heard, the more he longed to see some of the wonders, and experience the dangers. The little men laughed when he told them his wishes and promised that he should have plenty of excitement before he went away. The first thing the hunter had to learn was to manage a kayak, which seems a crazy enough craft at first but in reality is very seaworthy. Then his host, took him out upon expeditions to hunt seal and walrus, and he realized at once that the little people had not told of half the risks they ran. Every instant he had to be on the watch to prevent the frail kayak from being crushed between the floating masses of ice.

That morning there did not seem to be any seal in sight and the reason was soon apparent when they beheld a hugh Polar bear marching leisurely across a small ice floe. Immediately both men paddled in its direction, and the bear, hearing them, turned and snarled angrily. The Esquimau passed quite close to the bear and fearlessly plunged his spear into its shoulder. The brute roared with pain and tried to tear the spear out with its teeth, but it only succeeded in breaking the end off short. It then made a sudden rush to the end of the ice and leaped into the water. When it came to the surface it struck out for the rocky shore which was about a mile away. The two kayaks went off in hot pursuit. Without warning the bear suddenly dived and in a few moments appeared alongside of the Esquimau's kayak. The brave little man attempted to drive another spear into the bear but the bear was too quick for him and brought its paw down heavily upon his shoulder. The hunter, who was about thirty yards away, lifted his rifle and fired. The recoil toppled over the kayak, and from the way he was fastened in, he had a narrow escape from being drowned. As it was he was none the worse except for an icy cold bath and the loss of his rifle which, of course, had sunk. As quickly as possible he made his way to the Esquimau and found him lying back in his kayak bleeding and senseless, his left arm dangling uselessly by his side. The bear floated alongside, the bullet having passed clear through the back of its skull.