TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 135 



sighted the bears, very glad of the chance to rest 

 and doze. Two were quite sufficient to run the 

 blockade, and our man had been very bored all the 

 morning. It makes a wonderful difference to a native 

 whether he is hunting because he is hungry, or just 

 for sport. Which is, after all, natural enough. But one 

 would like to see the sporting instinct have some place. 



We trailed across the open space carefully, warily, 

 dropping flat whenever it seemed likely that we must 

 be noticed, and took an apparently unconscionable 

 time getting to our vantage ground. A few moments 

 to get breath, and now must we run like Atalanta, 

 and see what we should see. The Leader outstripped 

 me and gained a few paces. It was a race of races. 

 Our feet crushed the summer flowers, and took the 

 little grassy hummocks in bounds. 



The bears in wonder pulled together for the frac- 

 tion of a moment, as though thinking out the manner 

 of defence, then the larger cub, with the greatest of 

 acumen, broke back, and went for all he was worth, 

 until, in the excitement of the moment, I lost sight 

 of him. 



The larger bear, which we knew to be undoubtedly 

 a fine male, cantered towards the cover without a 

 thought for the safety of his companions, followed 

 by the she-bear and the tiny cub, going very slowly 

 and painstakingly. The Leader dropped on one 

 knee, and at some two hundred yards planted a well- 

 placed bullet into the neck of the foremost animal. 

 It seemed to check the onrush, for the wounded crea- 

 ture pulled up in a great hunched slide, half rose, 



