A TRIP TO CAPE RUSSELL 143 



preaching in long strides I must admit that for a 

 moment I had an unpleasant sensation. 



However, troubles of this kind are too insignificant 

 in the great wild Arctic to occupy one's attention for 

 long, and fear of qualifying for the front row in the 

 orchestra was quickly forgotten when Klayo came in 

 to inform me that Oxpuddyshou and Awhella were 

 getting their komatiks ready to leave at once on a 

 bear hunt, and that they wished me to go with them. 

 I requested Klayo to tell them that I would be 

 ready immediately. Then I hastily packed my oil 

 stoves and sleeping-bag, got together some tea, sugar, 

 bacon, a box of biscuits and two frozen hares, 

 enough to last until we killed some game if we had 

 any luck at all, and joined the waiting hunters. 



The moon was perfect and the night almost as light 

 as day. The dogs had been well fed for the trip, 

 were in good shape, and for three hours the ice was 

 fine and excellent progress was made. Then soft 

 snow was encountered, the pulling grew hard and a 

 great deal of pushing became necessary on our part, 

 not welcome exercise for my knee, which objected and 

 grew painful again. 



At Cape Taney we climbed the ice foot, where we 

 found the going was excellent, and the dogs were 

 pushed ahead at their best. In crossing Marshall 

 Bay two old bear tracks were come upon, one an ex- 

 ceptionally large one, but off the ice foot the snow 

 was so soft it was impossible for the dogs to follow 

 with the sledge, and the tracks were abandoned in the 



