170 HUNTERS AND HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



I fired again, at the cub, which was already 

 trotting away. It fell into the sea as dead as 

 its mother. The boat set off to bring back the 

 bodies of these bears, which brought the number 

 I had killed during the year up to forty. The 

 mother, we found, was already very old ; the 

 cub from eighteen to twenty months. 



At eight o'clock Swensen sighted a large blue 

 seal on a floe off the bay ice. Unfortunately, 

 the mist had closed down again, and the animal 

 was rather suspicious. It was one of the largest 

 seals I have ever seen. Its eyes followed my 

 every movement as I approached it in the boat. 

 Its white moustache, bristling, gave it the 

 appearance of some fantastic monster. When 

 it showed signs of taking to the water I risked 

 a long shot. The bullet struck it full in the 

 chest and sent it on to its back, but did not kill 

 it. A moment later it turned over and com- 

 menced to make at its topmost speed for the 

 sea. A second time I fired, and the bullet, 

 entering the body just beneath the fin, penetrated 

 the heart. It fell dead on the outer edge of 

 the ice. We landed and skinned it. It was a 

 magnificent specimen, and was the only seal 

 I have ever killed on the run. 



Swensen informed me that he had seen still 

 another bear on the coast ice, and as soon as 



