138 BIG GAME SHOOTING IN ALASKA chap. 



our right, behind which the bear was advancing, and Nicolai, 

 discovering the awful blunder he had made, rushed towards 

 the top of it with me close on his heels. I felt sure that, 

 although still a long way off, the bear must have got our wind, 

 and so he had, for on reaching the spot where we could again 

 see the trail, we found the bear about 200 yards away standing 

 on his hind-legs, Nicolai, by this time frantic, shouted, 

 " Shoot quick, shoot quick." I think that my actual words, 

 bidding him to shut his mouth, are not fit for publication ; 

 the result was a hurried aim followed by a bad shot. It was 

 my only decent chance and I lost it, for the bear whipped 

 round and dashed off, apparently untouched, although the 

 men both said, " He hit all right." Suffice it, however, that 

 he was able to gallop at a useful pace across a mile of open 

 ground, and out of sight into the thick alders on the hillsides. 

 Needless to remark, I emptied my clip of five cartridges after 

 him as he galloped across the marshy plain. The only shot 

 which appeared to annoy the brute was the last one at about 

 400 yards. This bullet struck a pool of water right under his 

 nose, and so startled him that he stopped and half stood on 

 his hind-legs before starting off again. Thus ended the third 

 of my misadventures with bears. I returned to camp very 

 disgusted, as we had undoubtedly lost a very large bear, and 

 all through the men entirely losing their heads. 



The next evening I moved camp some five miles up 

 stream, and camped on a small island in the river. Taking 

 Nicolai, I occupied a small hill commanding a good view of 

 the river, and, as before, we had not long to wait before seeing 

 a bear. He was a long time making his way across the open 

 plain, but when once he smelt the salmon he began to gallop, 

 and dashing into the river soon came out with a fish. He 

 repeated this performance two or three times, all the while 



