An Exciting Polar Bear Hunt. 165 



having a most important point to settle, we withdrew a short 

 distance where less restraint in discussion was necessary. At length 

 it was decided that I should go to the shore of the harbour where 

 Lieut. Gordon and Capt. Sopp were taking magnetic observations, 

 and where the men were working on the buildings, and procure a 

 staff of men and more guns, in order to' surround the brutes and 

 capture them in their tracks. This was a most noble, self-sacrificing 

 decision on our part, and one which I had special reason to appreci- 

 ate, as it gave me an opportunity to discommode myself for the 

 benefit of my companions. We might have fired upon them there 

 and then, but we didn't ; and we most commendably denied ourselves 

 the rarest sport in the world, for the present, in order, by waiting 

 for assistance, to capture them all. 



I ran toward the Neptune as fast as my legs would carry me, 

 and was very soon completely out of breath. When within «ight of 

 the ship and the men at work upon the beach, I looked back — not 

 before — and saw, to my surprise, Messrs. Fox and Bridge following 

 me at a spirited canter. When they came up, I learned that they 

 were prompted to follow, in order to hurry me up. The other two 

 were close behind them. They came away in order not to frighten 

 the bears : an exceedingly wise move. 



We spread the alarm, and were soon organized for the attack. 

 Marching under the leadership of Lieutenant Gordon, about fifteen 

 strong, we carried nine rifles, six bowie-knives, and five axes. The 

 riflemen took the lead, flanked by the lancers, who in their turn 

 were supported by the axe-men. As we hurried along up the narrow 

 valley, Mr. Fox explained in sentences, very much broken by the 

 want of breath, how that we had gotten all ready to charge upon the 

 bears ; but that, in the very moment when our hearts were running 

 over with the pleasure of shooting polar bears, we remembered that 

 perhaps, as there were only five of us to five bears, possibly one 

 or more of them might escape, and we would be blamed for 

 recklessness. 



I supported Mr. Fox by the remark that we had, I thought, acted 

 most prudently ; and never in my life were my words more in 

 harmony with my honest convictions. 



