124 HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



We hauled them aboard and went on all afternoon 

 through thick and thin as before. After dinner another 

 big bear was seen perched on a hummock a few hundred 

 yards in from the lead. She squatted there unaccount- 

 ably unconcerned, till Elting, Kleinschmidt and I got 

 ashore in the kayaks. We stole up behind a good-sized 

 hill and the bear became restive. She was just ready to 

 move off, for she was suspiciously watching the schooner 

 by this time. Seeing this, Elting fired and I let go as if 

 at a three hundred yard target. Evidently the distance 

 was not less than a quarter mile, however, for she went 

 off unhit, pursued by another ball from Elting. We ran 

 fast across the floe, about a half mile, jumping deep slews 

 and wading shallow ones, while the "Abler" went around 

 the field. The game had made it much faster and was 

 well out across the open water when we got to the place 

 it had left the ice. We hailed the schooner, but as she 

 passed close by, Collins shouted that the bear would get 

 away unless they followed it immediately, so they went 

 on and left us on the floe for a half hour while Collins 

 shot the bear and got it aboard. They were a mile away 

 and we could hear the animal yell as the several bullets 

 struck her. She measured six feet, ten inches, and had a 

 fine white pelt. A good deal of hot talk passed between 

 Born and Kleinschmidt and we had to hold them apart 

 as a result of the chagrin which the latter felt at being 

 left on the floe. 



I 



