BEAR CUBS 101 



first instance, the mother, mortally wounded, 

 had staggered on a few steps before it fell 

 convulsed. This had served to terrify the cub, 

 who instantly took to flight, turning neverthe- 

 less from time to time to see if the mother was 

 following. On the present occasion, however, 

 the mother, falling without a groan, had not 

 alarmed the cub. The young one, mystified 

 by this sudden silence of its mother, and unable 

 to comprehend the reason, remained near her 

 as much from fear and want of protection as 

 from filial love. 



The cub appeared to me so big and strong 

 that I deemed it would be folly to attempt to 

 capture it. Seeing, however, that it displayed 

 no intention to run away, Swensen, Rachlew, 

 and Merite were landed on the ice with lassoes 

 and a squad of men. When the cub saw the 

 boat approaching, it rose erect and anxiously 

 inspected it. At first we thought it would turn 

 and run, but after circling the motionless body 

 of its mother, it again resumed its position over 

 it, and made no further attempt to move. 

 Meanwhile, the men had disembarked and 

 formed a semicircle between the bear and 

 the centre of the ice-field, so as to drive it 

 into the sea, where other men waited in 

 the boat ready to lasso it. But the poor little 



