BEAR CUBS 97 



clouds still covered the sky. Far away in the 

 distance Jonas had sighted a bear on a large floe. 

 We set our course for it, but could not see it, 

 because of the great number of jagged ice- 

 blocks scattered over the surface of the floe. 

 Some time later, however, it appeared in the 

 open, making for the canal towards which we 

 were sailing. We burnt herrings and grease to 

 attract it, and to our delight quickly discovered 

 that it was a mother accompanied by her cub. 

 They approached us slowly but confidently, 

 adopting precisely the same tactics as the others. 



Halting, snuffling, rising on their hind legs, 

 they approached until at last less than twenty 

 yards separated us. The men were already in 

 the boat fully armed to capture the cub after 

 the death of the mother. 



Perceiving that it was futile to endeavour 

 to entice them still nearer, and that they would 

 not voluntarily take to the water, I fired full in 

 the chest of the mother as she stood facing and 

 watching me. She turned and ran swiftly, 

 bleeding freely. A second shot in the heart 

 felled her in her tracks at a distance of twenty 

 yards. The young one had, of course, followed 

 its mother. On seeing her fall, it halted, rose 

 on its hind paws, and commenced to growl. 

 Taking infinite care not to frighten it, three 



