My Big Bear of Shuyak 



among my rugs half dreaming in the charm 

 of my surroundings. Myriads of gulls flew over- 

 head, uttering their shrill cries, while now and 

 then the black oyster-catchers with their long red 

 bills would circle swiftly around the baidarka, fill- 

 ing the air with their sharp whistles, and seemingly 

 much annoyed at our intrusion. Many different 

 kinds of ducks rose before us, and the ever-present 

 eagles watched us from the lofty rocks. We soon 

 turned the rugged headland and were once more 

 in the swift tide of Shuyak Straits, where the water 

 boiled and eddied about us as we sped quickly on. 

 Nikolai now pointed out one of his favorite 

 hunting grounds for seals, and asked if he might 

 not try for one; so we turned into a big bay, and 

 he soon had the glasses in use. He at once sighted 

 several lying on some rocks, and we had just 

 started in their direction when Nikolai suddenly 

 stopped paddling, again seized the glasses, and 

 looked excitedly across the straits to the Shuyak 

 shore. Following the direction of his gaze I saw 

 upon the beach a black speck which my native at 

 once pronounced to be a bear. He was nosing 

 around among some seaweed and turning over the 

 rocks in search of food. Each one of us now put 

 all his strength into every stroke in order to reach 

 the other side before the bear could wander off. 



169 



