172 THE UPPER YUKON 



yards away. Not two minutes after the 

 Chief's remark we saw that the bear had got- 

 ten our scent. Without looking to the right 

 or to the left he bolted for the river, and how 

 he did get over the ground! Now we ran as 

 fast as we could, and the bear swam as fast as 

 he could. He was not very long in crossing. 

 A few seconds before he got to the bank I 

 stopped and raised the three-hundred-yard 

 sight of the Mannlicher and when he emerged 

 from the water I took careful aim at his left 

 hip. The bullet struck fair, crushing the hip- 

 bone. 



The river bank at this point was four feet 

 high, but with the left leg dragging he was 

 soon on top of the bank. The next shot also 

 hit him, and he at once rose on his hind feet, 

 fell over on his back, and rolled again down 

 the bank. He turned over, and with his fore 

 feet dragged himself up the bank a second 

 time, the third shot missing him as he now dis- 

 appeared from view. Of course we felt sure 

 that he was down for good, but it was necessary 

 to travel back to where Billie and Charley 

 were tethered (a distance of a mile), mount 

 them, swim and ford the river, and then follow 

 down, above the bank among the timber, on 

 the other side. This took considerable time. 



