BY SLEDGE AND KAYAK 31 1 



their pace. A wonderful thing this love of sport ; it is 

 like setting fire to a fuse. Where at other times it would 

 be laborious work to get on at all, where one sinks to 

 the knees in the snow, and where one would hesitate be- 

 fore choosing a way over the lane, let only the spark be 

 kindled, and one clears every obstacle without thinkingf 

 about it. The bear was severelv wounded, and draeored 

 her left fore-leg ; she did not go fast, but always so fast 

 that I had my work cut out to keep near her. The cubs 

 ran round her in their solicitude, and generally a little 

 way in front, as if to get her to come with them ; they 

 little knew what was the matter with her. Suddenly 

 they all three looked back at me, as I was crashing after 

 them as fast as I could. I had been within range many 

 times, but the bear had had her hind quarters towards me, 

 and when I fired I meant to be sure of making an end of 

 her, as I only had three cartridges with me, one for each 

 of them. At last, on the top of a huge hummock, I got 

 a sight of her broadside on, and there, too, she dropped. 

 The cubs hurried anxiously up to her when she fell — it 

 made one sorry to see them — they sniffed at and pushed 

 her, and ran round and round, at a loss what to do in 

 their despair. Meanwhile I had put another cartridge 

 in the rifle, and picked off the other cub as it was stand- 

 ing on a projection. It fell over the declivity with a 

 growl, and down on to its mother. Still more frightened 

 than before, the other cub hastened to its succor ; but, 

 poor thing, what could it do } While its brother rolled 



