186 A BEAR-HUNT. 



At last they came to a place where the broken 

 ice of the shore rendered passage for the sledge im- 

 possible. They therefore tied the dogs, intending to 

 push forward a short way alone. But they had 

 not been sufficiently careful to secure them ; for the 

 poor animals, supposing themselves deserted, no 

 doubt, succeeded in breaking their lines, and re- 

 joined the two men in about an hour after. This, 

 as it turned out, was rather a fortunate circum- 

 stance. 



Preparatory to quitting their sledge, the men 

 had loaded themselves with eight pounds of pern mi- 

 can and two of biscuit, besides the artificial 

 horizon, sextant, and compass, a rifle, and a boat- 

 hook. They had not been an hour gone when, as 

 above stated, four of the dogs overtook them. An 

 hour afterwards they came upon a polar bear with 

 her cub. 



The fight that followed, although somewhat 

 foreign to our subject, is so graphically described 

 by Dr. Kane, that we think it quite unnecessary 

 to apologize for inserting it here. 



" The bear instantly took to flight; but the little 

 one being unable to keep pace with her, she turned 

 back, and, putting her head under its, haunches, 

 threw it some distance. The cub safe for the 

 moment, she would then wheel round and face the 

 dogs, so as to give it a chance to run away ; but it 

 always stopped, just as it alighted, till she came 

 up and threw it ahead again ; it seemed to expect 



