464 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



ship, they caught up with him and held him at bay. 

 Mr. Bear took refuge on top of a hummock, while his 

 persecutors surrounded him, looking like all possessed, 

 and dancing around like a monkey in his confusion. 

 Alexey and Aneguin reached the spot first, and fired. 

 Off the hummock tumbled the bear, and literally fell 

 on the clogs beneath. Tom and " Alexey's brown dog" 

 getting each a slight touch from his claws. A few more 

 shots finished him. When I reached the spot he lay 

 dead on his back, with his left fore-paw thrown across 

 his breast, as pretty a sight as one could see in the 

 Arctic regions. With wonderful self-denial Dunbar 

 had held his fire, and tried to get the Indians to do so 

 (but being at a distance they did not understand him), 

 in order that I might come up and have the honor of 

 killing. However much I felt the intended compli- 

 ment, I was too well satisfied at the addition to our 

 provisions to feel any annoyance at my failing to enjoy 

 it. Melville came out with the sled, and we dragged 

 our prize home, where we found it to weigh 469 pounds. 

 This marked the day as eventful. Our " hoodlums " 

 started off in fine style for the chase, but Wolf stum- 

 bled so often with his block of wood that he turned 

 back in disgust, with a look that said plainly, " You 

 may catch your own bears hereafter." Tom kept on, 

 occasionally stepping on his block, and turning head 

 over heels, and reached the scene just in time to have 

 the bear fall on him and plant a claw in him. We re- 

 moved the block as a reward, and as he of course de- 

 clined to haul in the carcass, he rejoined his gang in 

 time to meet and fall upon Alexey's dogs and thrash 

 them for their zeal, thus no doubt easing his mind for 

 the day. 



A careful measurement of ice-thickness shows that 

 seven inches have formed since August 31st. 



