272 HOW THEY FOUGHT. 



hallooing, for, having left my rifle at the spot 

 where I had shot the old bear, I could not 

 attract his attention in any other way, and 

 at last, there being no signs of his coming, I 

 had to set to work by myself 



Thrusting my arm up the hole, I could 

 just feel some fur with the tips of my 

 fingers, and with considerable difficulty 

 managed to get hold of a cub, and pulled 

 it out, biting and scratching awfully. 

 Having got one out, the other would not 

 stay m, so I was obliged to catch hold of it 

 also. I soon found that I had more than 

 I had bargained for ; holding them by the 

 scruff of their necks, one in each hand, the 

 little brutes wriggled about so, and used 

 their sharp claws to such good purpose on 

 my hands, that after holding both until I 

 was fairly beat, I was obliged to let one 

 go. Retaining hold of one, I fastened the 

 end of a long belt which I wore round my 

 waist, on the neck of my captive, and set 

 out to return to our bivouac. The little 

 thing struggled a good deal, and when we 



