448 NEW LAND. 



get into the bag while this was going on, but sat outside it, close 

 by the door. When my dinner was ready I crept into the bag, 

 put out the " Primus," and later read a little. A little before eight 

 I went out as usual to take the last meteorological observation. 

 The weather was very fine, and I stood in front of the door for a 

 long time, looking across the ice through the glasses, and at my 

 neighbour, Cape Vera on North Devon. At last I turned round, 

 put the glasses into their case on the roof of the house, and, to my 

 great astonishment, saw a bear standing some distance out of 

 gunshot, up on the talus. Happily it had not seen me, partly 

 because a number of things were lying on the roof, so that I was 

 almost hidden, and partly because it was very much occupied in 

 eating something. 



' I was not long in fetching my rifle, but this time, having 

 bought my experience, I put on my " finsko " properly. The bear 

 remained in the same place, and I got out of the house and under 

 cover of a large rock unobserved. Behind this I was within 

 range, but as I stepped to one side to get a free shot I slipped on 

 a hard patch of snow, and lost my balance. The bear looked up 

 and saw me at once; it gave a coquettish little whine and fled 

 .higher up the slope, so that when I regained my footing it was 

 once more out of range. But this time I was properly shod, and 

 could follow it quickly ; my adversary therefore had not time to 

 strike off to one side, but headed straight up the slope, till I began 

 to think we were both going to heaven. At last, however, it was 

 obliged to turn, and when it had almost reached the firm rock, 

 chose to go west. The range was long, but there was nothing for 

 it but to shoot, which I did wide. 



' The shot, however, was not without effect, for the bear stopped 

 and faced about, so that its right shoulder was presented to me. 

 I went a little nearer, and then aimed very carefully. The bullet, 

 an expansive one, broke the animal's right fore-leg, penetrated the 

 lungs, and went out again through the upper part of the right side, 

 where it made such a hole that I could put four fingers together 

 into it. In spite of this terrible wound the poor animal still 

 endeavoured to escape, and dragged itself across a very hard and 

 steep slope of snow ; but I had come nearer by this time, and put 



