BEARS 



ESCAPE OF POLAR BEAR. 



During the time Mr. A. Miller was Superintendent of 

 the Zoological Society's Gardens the large Polar bear 

 managed to escape from the place in which he was kept. 

 He was discovered, a little before six o'clock one morning, 

 seated among the shrubs in the Gardens, by Mr. Groom, 

 the wire-worker and cage-maker of Great College Street. 

 An alarm was immediately raised, and all the keepers were 

 assembled armed with forks and sticks and anything else 

 available. The head-keeper, James Hunt (with that care 

 that becomes a thoughtful husband and father) made the 

 best of his way to the apartments where his wife and 

 children slept at the back of the old, or circular, aviary. 

 Telling his wife of the danger, he closed the shutters of 

 the windows and locked the door, making sure of their 

 being safe. He then proceeded to the scene of action. 



Our white friend looked steadily at the pale faces, and, 

 not appearing anxious to try his strength, he walked 

 leisurely away from the crowd, who, like most other 

 crowds, felt bound to follow. A strong cord' being in 

 readiness and carried by Hunt, was thrown lasso-like and 

 with good aim, the noose having caught over the animal's 

 head. He at once made off, and quickly got over some 

 palings ; but here a struggle took place. The men held on 

 bravely, and the cord fitted tighter round the neck of our 

 Arctic traveller, who now put forth his power, so much 

 so that, after several jerks and a determined pull, snap 

 went the line close under his ear, leaving the noose fixed 

 like a tight collar round his throat. With an angry growl 

 and a scratch or two with his paws he managed to rid 

 himself of the unpleasant bandage, then shaking himself 



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