CAPTURE TWO LIVE BEARS. 129 



there still remained the chances of a long shot, as 

 the boat had grounded within about two hundred 

 yards from the bears. Lord David fired and struck 

 the old bear in the back, completely paralyzing her; 

 we then scrambled through the icy mud up to where 

 she lay, and dispatched her. The cubs, quite black 

 with mud and shivering with cold, lay upon the 

 body of their mother, growling viciously, and would 

 not allow us to touch them until the men, bringing 

 a couple of the walrus-lines from the boat, threw 

 nooses over their heads and secured them tightly, 

 coupling them together like a brace of dogs. They 

 were about the size of colley-dogs, and no sooner 

 did they feel themselves fast than, quite regardless 

 of our presence, they began a furious combat with 

 one another, and rolled about among the mud, bit- 

 ing, struggling, and roaring, until they were quite 

 exhausted. 



I before mentioned a strong instance of maternal 

 affection on the part of a walrus, and this old bear 

 had also sacrificed her life to her cubs, as she could 

 have escaped without difficulty if she had not so 

 magnanimously remained with them ; but I am 

 sorry now to have to record the most horrible case 

 of filial ingratitude that ever came under my ob- 

 servation. When we proceeded to open the old 

 bear for the purpose of skinning her, the two young 

 demons of cubs — having now, by a good mutual 

 worrying, settled their difference with one another — 

 began to devour their unfortunate and too-devoted 



