154 THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 



Storkerson and some of the others. A few animals sank but we re- 

 covered six. When there seemed no use in killing more, I oiled the 

 barrel of my rifle, as I always do when the temperature is not low, 

 put it in its case and strapped the case on a sled. Meantime the 

 men had made a bonfire of blubber and cooked some fresh seal 

 meat. While we were feasting there was a sudden commotion among 

 the dogs, which were still hitched to the sleds, for we expected to 

 cross the lead at any moment. The sled with my rifle strapped on it 

 was about six feet from the water, the other sleds only a little 

 farther away, while the fire over which we were cooking was about 

 twenty yards. 



The cause of the barking was a polar bear, the first one that some 

 of the men had seen. By the time he arrived the lead had closed 

 to a width of not more than five yards and on the very brink of 

 it was the bear, pacing up and down, trying to make up his mind to 

 plunge in, like a bather reluctant to take a dive into cold water. 

 I don't know what it really was made him hesitate. It can hardly 

 have been the chill of the water, though he gave distinctly that 

 impression. But even while I theorized about his motives and be- 

 havior, there came to mind the need for instant action, for some 

 of the excited dogs might jump into the water to get at him, 

 dragging a sled after them. Were the bear to cross the lead to our 

 side the dogs, all tangled in their harness, would doubtless attack 

 him. He would probably run away, but there was no certainty of it. 

 Clearly he bore no hostility towards them nor had he any fear of 

 their barking, or of the shouting of the six men who ran back and 

 forth telling each other what to do. 



According to his own account McConnell must have been one of 

 the coolest of us, for he said afterwards that he immediately ran for 

 his camera, asking us to wait until he got a picture. To get at my 

 rifle I had to run around to the side of the sled nearest the lead, and 

 while I was unstrapping the case my back was towards the bear 

 about five yards from me. Storkerson's rifle was on the sled next 

 to mine, and while he was getting it I noticed that I was in direct 

 line between him and the bear. He had his rifle first, for it had 

 not been lashed to the sled, and seeing that he was likely to fire 

 I requested him to be careful to get the bear and not me. There 

 was doubtless no likelihood of the mistake, but I thought a word of 

 caution wouldn't hurt. When it came the explosion was so close 

 to my ear as to leave me partly deaf for some time. The bullet 

 struck the bear, of course, and probably surprised him as much 

 as it hurt. He was leaning over the water just getting ready to 



