THE RETURN TO COLD AND DARKNESS. 463 



tened~him. The usual post-mortem examination by 

 Iversen disclosed a bone lodged crosswise in an intes- 

 tine, and the usual cutting of that article. 



The cracking of a pipe leading from the steam-cut- 

 ter's boiler through the steam-pipe to the water-cask 

 resulted to-day in spoiling half a cask of water for us, 

 by carrying along salt-water from the feed tank. We 

 had used the water at dinner before the trouble was de- 

 tected, and have consequently absorbed a certain quan- 

 tity of salt in our systems, but nothing to be alarmed 

 about I imagine. The most serious feature was the en- 

 forced expenditure of twenty-five pounds additional coal 

 to carry on the distilling for the day after the pipe was 

 repaired. 



September 30th, Thursday. — Another bear ! — I sup- 

 pose one of these days in the future I shall smile at 

 reading such an imposing manner of describing a very 

 ordinary occurrence ; but just now, where it means not 

 only fresh meat for men, but daily food for dogs, I feel 

 that I cannot make too imposing a heading. 



About 3.30 p.m. the man on watch came in the cabin 

 and quietly announced the stranger. Rushing out with 

 my rifle I saw Bruin making away over the hummocks, 

 about three hundred yards ahead of the ship. The 

 dogs did not see him, nor for a time could they be made 

 to see him ; but noticing my excitement, they danced 

 along before me in great glee. At first I led the chase, 

 but being short-winded, and unused to running in such 

 drifts as the snow had made among the rough ice, I 

 w r as soon passed by Dunbar, Alexey, and Aneguin, and, 

 easing up my gait, by Newcomb and Wilson. Alexey's 

 dogs for a long time could not make out the bear either, 

 but when they did see him they tore along in such fine 

 style, that, at the distance of one mile ahead of the 



