SEALS CHAFFING THE BEAR. 119 



peered through the loop-holes of the advanced 

 trenches at the frowning, dust-colored batteries of 

 the Redan and the Malakoff. It has gazed over 

 the splendid cane-fields of the West Indies, from 

 the tops of the forest-clad mountain-peaks of Trini- 

 dad and Martinique ; over the Falls of Niagara ; 

 over the Bay of Naples from the top of Vesuvius ; 

 over Cairo from the tops of the pyramids ; over 

 the holy city of Jerusalem from the top of Mount 

 Calvary ; and now it was occupied in quietly scan- 

 ning the colossal proportions of a polar bear, amid 

 the icebergs of the frozen north. 



The bear walked slowly and deliberately for some 

 200 or 300 yards on the ice, as if uncertain whether 

 he should go up to the dead seals or not. How 

 earnestly I prayed that he might not have had his 

 dinner ! Shortly he appeared to make up his mind 

 that a seal supper would be exactly the thing for 

 him, and, sliding stern foremost into the water, he 

 swam steadily and quietly along, close under the 

 edge of the ice, toward the carcasses. 



I perceived half a dozen of live seals capering 

 around the bear in the water, as if they were mak^ 

 ing fun of their great enemy, or "chaffing" him, 

 now that he was in their peculiar element, like 

 small birds following and teasing a hawk when 

 they are sure he can't catch them. 



When the bear came close opposite to the dead 

 seals he peeped cautiously up over the edge of the 

 ice, and then perceiving that they were not live 



