258 HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



which, as well as from a side camp, they hunted the 

 ridges between the Killey and the Funny Rivers for 

 moose, of which a great number were seen. In three 

 successive days' hunting in different directions from 

 camp, so that probably none of these bulls was reckoned 

 twice, Elting counted thirty-three, thirty-two and thirty- 

 one bulls. None of them, however, was taken. 



While stalking a moose on the ridges one morning, 

 Elting and Ben caught a glimpse of a large black bear 

 which had just come out of its den to sun itseK. One shot 

 broke its neck and the bear fell back into its very artis- 

 tically constructed den several feet down underneath an 

 old root, from which it was dragged out with a great 

 deal of difficulty. This pelt also was in very excellent 

 fur. 



On one of these days, while returning from a day 

 spent hunting moose in the vicinity of Funny River, 

 Elting had a rather exciting experience with a brown 

 bear. This occurred about a mile and a half from where 

 Ben and Elting were side-camped. Just after sundown 

 they had climbed to the top of a high ridge to look over 

 the surrounding country for moose and they stood for 

 some few moments on the exposed summit of this ridge. 

 Having located the moose, they followed a moose trail 

 from the high ridge to a lower one and when the trail 

 reached the lower ridge, it passed along its side instead 

 of over the top. Ben was walking just ahead of Elting 

 and both were looking over their right shoulders in the 

 direction of the moose. In order the better to see these 

 moose they left the moose trail and went eight or ten 

 paces farther up the side of the ridge. While they were 

 thus making their way through the patches of alders and 

 willows, Ben casually turned his head to the left and saw 



