86 HUNTERS AND HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



desired to photograph it from close at hand, 

 we entered a boat and quickly followed the 

 animal, which had suddenly recommenced 

 swimming. Merite, who particularly wished to 

 obtain a photograph of the animal's face, 

 shouted aloud hoping to induce it to look 

 backwards, but the terrified animal thought 

 of nothing but escaping. I shot it behind the 

 ear. We found that it was a young male 

 bear. 



We returned to the ship, where the whole 

 crew had assembled to see the beast hoisted 

 aboard. Having heard the yells and shouts 

 of Merite, they had attributed them to the bear, 

 and thought that it must be a most ferocious 

 specimen of its species. Merite was proud of 

 his artistic success ! 



It was half-past two in the morning, and I 

 retired to bed well satisfied with the result of 

 the day's sport. I had shot two bears and 

 seven seals. 



Merite, creature of enthusiasm that he is, 

 defied the cold, set himself down as comfort- 

 ably as possible before the two suspended 

 bears, and sketched away right through the 

 night. 



The next day we felt the open sea swell 

 beneath us, and after several hours spent in 



