BEAR CUBS 95 



floe when the ice suddenly gave way beneath 

 their feet. Happily, they had managed to 

 spring on to firm ice and so save themselves 

 from being badly crushed. 



I congratulated Bergendhal on his address 

 and agility. None of us doubted but that for 

 him we should never have captured the cub. 



Meanwhile the carpenter had constructed a 

 cage. At four o'clock in the morning it was ready. 

 The problem of transferring our passenger to its 

 new quarters was now discussed. 



Recamier affirmed that the cub was quite 

 quiet, and that it would be easy to lead it from 

 one prison to another with the rope. Disregard- 

 ing my advice, he loosened one of the planks 

 of the box. To our great amusement a boxing 

 match ensued between the cub, which pushed 

 its head and one of its paws through the opening, 

 and Recamier, who, armed with a torch, sought 

 to intimidate it. The struggle was accom- 

 panied by the ear-splitting cries of the bear, 

 and the equally violent exclamations of the 

 doctor. It having been proved conclusively 

 that our prisoner was still unreasonable, the 

 plank was refastened and the box placed on 

 top of the cage. The ropes were then un- 

 fastened, the panel withdrawn and the animal 

 fell into the cage. Throughout the operation 



