A CHROMATIC BEAR HUNT 



several miles, but had abandoned the chase 

 when it grew late. One track I measured 

 repeatedly from heel to toe of the hind foot. 

 It took my Winchester from the shoulder plate 

 clear up two inches past the hammer. 



Two hours after I was aboard we heard 

 Joe's air gun popping faintly. He, too, had 

 followed those five bear tracks, holding to 

 them an hour after my trail had sheered off. 

 We had covered better than thirty miles of 

 impossible going and were half dead. 



The next day found us back at the cabins; 

 for the north side of the island was too killing, 

 and as Little had business to attend to, he 

 left us, promising to send the launch back in 

 ten days. Then followed as heartbreaking a 

 week as I ever endured. Every morning we 

 were off early, to drag ourselves in ten, twelve, 

 perhaps fourteen hours later, utterly ex- 

 hausted. Every noon we stopped to dry out 

 over a smoky fire, for an hour's work on the 

 slopes threw us into a dripping perspiration, 

 which the chill wind discovered at the first 

 breathing spell. 



Our feet were constantly wet from the 

 melting snow, and the rain did what remained 

 to be done. We stood barelegged and shiver- 



63 



