Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 November 1883 — The Polar Hare. [ARTICLE]

The Polar Hare.

Far away to the north of ns stretches i land white with snow during most of the year, where bleak winds in unobstructed fury sweep over deserted wastes; where night hangs like a ber clond for months and months unbroken, and where those crystal mountuns called icebergs are bom. There is the home of the polar bare. There, where man aimlessly wanders in a vain learch for food or shelter, this dainty creature thrives. Strangely enough, however, it sometimes happens that men are overtaken by starvation in the midst of numbers Df polar hares. This is because the little creature has a peculiarity which makes it difficult for the inexperienced hunter to shoot it. When approached, it seems to have no fear at all, but sits up, apparently waiting for the coming hunter. Just, however, as the probably hungry man begins to finger the trigger of his gun, audio eat in anticipation the savory »tew, the hare turns about and bounds actively away to a safe distance, and, once more rising upon its haunches, sits with a provoking air of seeming unconsciousness until the hunter is again nearly, within gunshot, when it once more jumps away. This must be tantalizing enough to a well-fed sportsman, but how heartbreaking to the man who knows that not only his own life, but the lives of all his comrades as well, depends upon the capture of the pretty creature. Notwithstanding, however, the apparent impossibility of approaching near enough to the hare to shoot it, there is in reality a very simple way to accomplish it. This plan is practiced by the natives, who no doubt have learned it after many a hungry failure. It consists in walking in a circle around the animal, gradually narrowing the circle until within the proper distance. Simple as this plan i-', it is so effective that, with care, the hunter may get within fifty yards of the hare, which seems completely bewildered by his circular course. Perhaps the sad story of the heroic suffering and final loss of Capt. De Long and his brave comrades might never have had to be told, had it not been for their probable ignorance of a matter of no more importance than this of how to shoot a polar hare. When they left their ship, the Jeannette, they took with them only rifles, thinking, no doubt, that they would fall in with only such large game as bears, reindeer, and wolves. As a matter of fact, such large animals were very scarce, while ptarmigan, a species of grouse, were plentiful, and would have supplied food in abundance to the whole brave band had there been shotguns with Avliich to shoot them. As it was, the rifles brought down but a few of the birds, and thus, in the midst of comparative plenty, the brave fellows starved.— John E. Coryell, in St. Nicholas.