122 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



gan's nest, and the hen was sitting. It was placed on 

 a hillside exposed to the sun, and farther on we came 

 on quite a small colony of nests. Most of them had 

 five eggs and some three. 



We spent the rest of the day cleaning our bear's 

 skull and watching the men prepare the skin for dry- 

 ing. They sat down on the ground, tailor-fashion, 

 with the pelt across their knees, holding a bit of it 

 between the teeth, and then, with a sharp knife, every 

 piece of fat and meat adhering to the hide was rapidly 

 picked off. The dexterity displayed was amazing, 

 and must have come of years of practice. 



Cecily compounded some bear soup that evening, 

 and rendered camp hideous with its smell. It was a 

 very poor imitation of soup, for though we stewed it 

 and stewed it the strength of the flesh did not seem 

 to go into the liquid at all, which remained much as 

 it came from the river, save for masses of floating fat 

 and nauseating taste. 



The day had been so perfect, the great day of the 

 finding of our bear, dead in his sanctuary. We had 

 even seen the frail wraith of a butterfly, fluttering 

 weakly over the river into which it fell, and ended its 

 brief career. The air blew warm until late evening, 

 and the mosquitoes advanced on us in force, with 

 reserve battalions and flanking parties. We had to 

 light smudge fires all about us, cost what labour they 

 might in gathering wood. We turned in at last to 

 get away from the pests, and left the river bank re- 

 luctantly, for Mr. and Mrs. Otter, who lived next door 

 to us, had not been out to say " Salaam." We had 



