OH, SHOOT! 



followed; if not, we resumed our laborious 

 journey, for there, apparently a half day's trip 

 ahead of us, beckoned the glaciers. But when 

 we camped the first night, in a bleak thicket 

 of willows, although a goodly distance lay 

 behind us as payment for our day's effort, we 

 seemed no closer to our goal. 



It was raining the next morning, but Joe 

 and I were off early along the foot of the steeps, 

 and a mile from camp we saw a bear approach- 

 ing leisurely. We crouched, watching him 

 through the glasses until he dipped out of 

 sight, then we ran as far towards him as we 

 dared. Again we waited, under cover this 

 time, but he did not reappear, so I swung up 

 the mountain side over a bluff, while Joe 

 advanced along the valley. Before I could 

 reach the crest of the ridge, however, I saw 

 my companion aim up a gully and heard the 

 "spat" of his rifle. He emptied his maga- 

 zine twice before I emerged upon the summit 

 with the animal seven hundred yards be- 

 yond and above me. 



Together we aroused the echoes, but the 

 snow gave no evidence as to our aim, and when 

 the bear made off along the mountain side 

 Joe set out like a Marathon runner to parallel 



78 



