THE WINTER NIGHT 285 



Seeing no other way of escape, it threw itself into a 

 small water opening and dived time after time. While 

 we were putting a noose on a rope the dogs rushed 

 round the hole as if they had gone mad, and it was 

 difficult to keep them from jumping into the water after 

 the bear. At last we were ready, and the next time 

 the creature came up it got a noose round one paw and 

 a ball in the head. While the others drew it to the 

 ship, I followed the mother's tracks for some way, but 

 could not find her. I had soon to turn back to see if 

 there was no prospect of moving the Fraiu ; but I 

 found that the ice had packed together again a little at 

 the very time when we could generally calculate on its 

 slackening. In the afternoon Hansen and I went off 

 once more after the bear. We saw, as I expected, that 

 she had come back, and had followed her daughter's 

 funeral procession for some way, but then she had 

 gone off east, and as it grew dark we lost her tracks 

 in some newly packed ice. We have only one matter 

 for regret in connection with this bear episode, and 

 that is the disappearance of two dogs — ' Narrifas ' and 

 ' Fox.' Probably they went off in terror on the first 

 appearance of the three bears. They may have been 

 hurt, but I have seen nothing to suggest this. The ice 

 is quiet this evening also, only a little pressure about 

 7 o'clock. 



"Monday, October i6th. Ice quiet and close. Ob- 

 servations on the 12th placed us in 78" 5' north latitude. 



