It was heartrending
to see him try to cover her body with his own little form, and lick her
face and wounds, occasionally rising upon his hind legs and growling a
fierce warning to his enemies. At this juncture Lieutenant Schwatka got
out upon the ice, and, after several ineffectual attempts, at last
succeeded in throwing a rope over the head of the cub, which put him in
a towering passion. Nevertheless he was towed alongside the ship and
hoisted on deck, together with the carcass of his mother, but he never
ceased to growl and rush at every one who approached him. We would
gladly have brought him alive to the United States, for he was a
handsome little rascal, but the vessel was small and devoid of
conveniences for that purpose; so the captain ordered him killed, and
his fate was, consequently, sealed with a bullet from Mr. Williams's
pistol.
We met the whaler 'Isabella' in Fisher's Strait, and the 'Abbott
Lawrence' near Charles Island, and from both got some later news, but no
letters from either. We learned from them that the 'Abby Bradford' had
gone in already, and must have passed us in Fisher's Strait the day
before we met the 'Isabella', in a thick fog that prevailed. We were
sorry not to have met the 'Abby Bradford' also, for we felt pretty
certain that she must have letters for us; but it seemed scarcely worth
while to go back in search of her.
Pages:
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278