CAPTURE TWO LIVE BEARS. 129 



channel amongst the niud, which contained 

 water enough to float her, and we were now 

 rapidly gaining on the bears, when all on a 

 sudden the boat ran hard aground, and not an 

 inch further would she go. This seemed as if it 

 would turn the fate of the day in favour of the 

 bears, as we did not think it possible to over 

 take them on foot amongst the mud ; but there 

 still remained the chances of a long shot, as the 

 boat had grounded within about two hundred 

 yards from the bears. Lord David fired and 

 struck the old bear in the back, completely 

 paralysing her ; we then scrambled through the 

 icy mud up to where she lay, and despatched her. 

 The cubs, quite black with mud, and shivering 

 with cold, lay upon the body of their mother 

 growling viciously, and would not allow us 

 to touch them, until the men, bringing a couple 

 of the walrus-lines from the boat, threw nooses 

 over their heads and secured them tightly, 

 coupling them together like a brace of dogs. 

 They were about the size of colley-dogs, and no 

 sooner did they feel themselves fast, than, quite 

 regardless of our presence, they began a furious 

 combat with one another, and rolled about 

 amongst the mud, biting, struggling, and 

 roaring, until they were quite exhausted. 



