98 HUNTERS AND HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



men landed on one side, while Bergendhal and 

 the other men pushed alongside in a canoe and 

 completed a semicircle. The cub permitted 

 the men to approach quite close to it, then, 

 instead of jumping into the sea, it dived into 

 the canal which split the floe, and which was too 

 wide for the men to cross. In flinging itself 

 into the water it acted just as a human diver 

 does ; the two front paws were joined above the 

 head, the rest of the body stretched to its 

 full extent. Only, instead of cleaving the water, 

 it struck full length. Scrambling on to the ice 

 on the other side, it commenced to trot along the 

 edge. The boat was recalled to convey the 

 beaters across the canal and hold itself in readi- 

 ness, whilst Bergendhal went to head off the 

 cub accompanied by the doctor and a squad 

 of men. Thus, little by little, a semicircle 

 of men closed behind the fugitive, which was 

 in turn confronted by Recamier and Ollivier. 

 Brought to bay at last, it halted. Blazing away 

 with their firearms, the men slowly forced the 

 cub towards the sea and the spot where the 

 boat lay, at the bottom of which several men 

 were hiding. A last charge of the beaters 

 compelled it to dive. 



Bergendhal, re-entering the canoe, overtook, 

 lassoed, and towed the cub to the Belgica. 



