VI BETTER FORTUNES WITH GREAT BEARS 113 



without effect, he proceeded to make a large heap of dead 

 grass and set fire to it, with the result that I could smell the 

 smoke distinctly, but that it appeared to be passing too high 

 over the bear, which never moved. It was clear that some 

 other plan must be tried, and Little, who was some distance 

 from me, shouted to know if he should throw down a rock 

 from the hill. I shouted " No," as I feared that this would 

 drive our friend in the wrong direction. However, our voices 

 had the same effect, as a moment afterwards I caught sight 

 of the head of the bear as he stood up for a moment listening, 

 and then dashed off through the brush — but in the wrong 

 direction for me, as he was heading straight for Nicolai and 

 his fire. Seeing no hope of getting a shot in the open under 

 500 yards if he kept on in the same line, I lay down as best 

 I could on the sloping ground, judging the distance at about 

 200 yards, and fired three shots at the small part of the 

 animal's back, which I could see occasionally as he moved 

 through the bushes. He gave a dreadful squeal after my 

 first shot, rather like a pig with its throat cut, and at the 

 third shot stopped on the edge of the stream below us, and 

 appeared too sick to cross it. Here Little got a view of him 

 from his position and fired a shot at him. After going a 

 little farther through the alders, the bear lay down. Nicolai 

 meanwhile, who could see nothing that was going on in the 

 bushes (and presuming, I imagine, that because I had 

 stopped shooting the bear must be dead), started to run 

 into the brush, I shouted to him to stop, but was too far 

 off to make him hear. I then shouted to Little, who was 

 making his way down the hill, to go to the rescue of Nicolai 

 in case the bear should have life enough in him to give 

 chase. Whilst I was blundering down the hillside, I saw 

 Nicolai come running out of the bushes, and momentarily 



