CHAPTER XIV. 



BEARS AND POLAR OXEN. 



THE condition of the ice left nothing to be desired, and after 

 driving for three hours we made a halt at Knipetangen. Here 

 there were seals innumerable basking on the ice, particularly in the 

 direction of Haaoen (Dog-fish Island). "We saw the tracks of 

 several bears, and some of them were so fresh that we expected 

 every moment to meet one of the animals themselves. We con- 

 tinued our journey in towards Beitstadfjord at a steady pace all 

 night. 



Then the sun peeped forth above the tops, and sent its beams 

 of purple and gold dancing over the mountains and fjord. 



Suddenly Schei, who was driving last, caught sight of a she-bear 

 and two year-old cubs, close by an iceberg. He shouted ' Bear ! ' 

 and straightway set off across the ice, leaving his sledge and dogs 

 to take care of themselves. I had not seen the animals, but I 

 undid the lashing which secured my rifle to the sledge, turned the 

 dogs in the direction in which Schei had gone, and drove after him. 

 Simmons followed me. The dogs had not yet got scent of the 

 bears ; the wind was in the wrong quarter for it, and as yet we 

 were not on their tracks. I caught up Schei, took him on to my 

 sledge, and set on the dogs. Then, at last, they discovered what 

 we were after, and off they went, across the polished ice, away to 

 the north side of the fjord. The bears, which seemed to have an 

 idea that they were being followed up by swift-footed folk, sprang 

 across the crack on to the ice-foot, and set a course up the fjord. 

 When we reached the crack, I told Schei and Simmons to run on 

 while I brought my dogs up on to the ice-foot. Here I came 

 across the tracks, and no sooner were the dogs on them than off 



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