114 HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



It was very slow and difficult going on the surface of 

 the floe. Seen from above the whole sheet was pitted 

 with countless pools of water, canals and lakes; some 

 only a few feet deep, many punctured in the center clear 

 through the deep ice. Most of them were too deep to 

 wade; the banks of all were steep and slippery. A 

 detour three or four times as long as the air line was 

 generally the only way of reaching any point. In and 

 out of these basins the bears, on the other hand, made 

 their way regardless of the water and their slowest walk 

 could beat any man's quickest run. 



So our three companions came back to the "Abler" 

 and we pursued the lead. A dirty snow patch several 

 times attracted our eyes, but we had actually passed it 

 before it clearly resolved itself into a bear asleep on a 

 snowy hillside a hundred yards in from the bank of the 

 lead. Collins and Kleinschmidt were off in the kayaks 

 while the "Abler" rounded to. Still the animal dozed 

 on. The men landed and crawled up. Suddenly the 

 beast awoke at the rumble of our engine and stared at 

 the ship. It was quite beyond his understanding. He 

 ran a few steps to the top of a hill and stood, magnifi- 

 cent, trying to make us out. Then the rifle puffed, a 

 hind leg thrust out and he rolled off the hillock away and 

 out of sight. The 45-70 Winchester had knocked him 

 bodily over and he lay dead where he fell. It was a 

 splendid male bear. His head and claws were inomense 

 and he was especially thick set, measuring from nose to 

 tail eight feet, one inch. The lower canine teeth were 

 worn and broken down half to the giuns. We dragged 

 him with difficulty to the nearest water slew, towed him 

 by a rope nearer the lead, and skinned him in the rain. 

 The hide, like that of the first bear, was much discolored 

 and the long hairs were loose. 



