The tenacity with which arctic animals hold to life was frequently
instanced in our experience, and the thought occurred that it arose from
the survival of the strongest and hardiest individuals in a clime where
nature ever seems at strife with nature's life. A few days later two of
our hunters ran across a pack of wolves, of which two were shot, but
both escaped. A rifle-ball went completely through the body of one
animal, which bled profusely. The wolf was followed for several hours by
its trail of blood on the snow, but it finally escaped. Later, a single
wolf came within one hundred yards of our house, and in the early
twilight was for a time mistaken for one of the dogs, who were much
disturbed. He was eventually pursued by several hunters, and was shot
through the body by Lieutenant Kislingbury. Knocked down by the ball,
the wolf lost in a few minutes at least a cupful of blood. He was chased
for some time, his blood marking his path, but no one got within
gunshot. He was let alone for several hours in hopes that he would die,
but, pursued by the hunters later, he travelled on, stopping and waiting
as did his pursuers. Leaving drops of blood in the snow, he kept walking
out of gunshot, until he fell down dead with his body substantially
bloodless.
As the repeated efforts of our best huntsmen failed to further diminish
the number of the pack, it became necessary to resort to other means of
offence, for our interests were too important to be neglected. The
terror and dismay of our dogs promised their destruction, and with their
loss was involved our future sledging trips. Again, the health of the
party depended largely on the herds of musk-oxen, which the wolves were
running down. Acknowledging ourselves beaten as man against beast, we
resorted to poison. Here we were surprised at their craft and caution.
Different poisons skilfully arranged in meat were visited and left
untasted by the animals. Eventually, by mixing good and bad meat
together, we succeeded in killing four wolves; but on more than one
occasion the animals ate all the good meat and left the poisoned. While
the remaining wolves gave anxiety to us, yet this was not unmixed with a
certain feeling of satisfaction that a brute of such courage, endurance,
and craft had been able to hold his own against man, as he had against
nature in her sternest mood.
A. W. GREELY.
DAILY DRILL.
This drill, used regularly, will be found of advantage in giving grace
and freedom to the movements of the body, and a better command of the
muscles most needed in every-day work and play. In order to learn them
correctly the exercises should be taken slowly at first. When learned,
fifteen minutes per day is all that is needed for a "drill." Each motion
is made a certain number of times, usually from four to eight, and
should be done vigorously and steadily.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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