178 HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



the rivers, for he was soon stretched on his back groaning 

 in the agony of lumbago. 



Kleinschmidt went back to the shore with his camera 

 after a day or so and "Papa" lay moaning in camp while 

 the rest of us tried in vain to bring more caribou to bag. 



We had another good run after a brown bear on one 

 of these days and Elting, who sat on top of a hill and 

 watched the chase, described it as very interesting. 



We were on a lookout near to the one from which we 

 had seen Elting's bear, watching a little brown cub play 

 in the open space among the alders below us. The little 

 fellow romped about until he caught wind of us and dashed 

 to cover. While Elting and I were enjoying this sight 

 Mike was gazing through his glasses at the opposite 

 valley. 



''Here's a bear!" he exclaimed; and in fact a two- 

 thirds grown brown bear was following the same trail 

 as that which Elting had shot some days previously. 

 After assuring ourselves that it was big enough to shoot, 

 Mike and I laid off coats and everything that we did not 

 need and ran for it. We jumped into the water and waded 

 the river without stopping to remove our stockings, and 

 ran and walked for a mile. Then coming upon a httle 

 height we saw the bear leisurely going close below the 

 alders along the slope of the Double Mountain, just as the 

 doctor's victim had done. But this one never turned 

 and saw us. We followed him fast and carefully. Over 

 the same ridge he went with us hot upon his tracks; 

 then we came up and saw him among the alder patches. 

 But the swift chase had been too much for me, although 

 I had not felt any exhaustion or lack of breath. This 

 betrayed itself when I raised the rifle. For the left 

 forearm wavered and buUet after bullet went wild. 



