64 BEAE-HUNTING BY NIGHT. Chap. IV. 



luckless beast had approached within 25 yards 

 of the ship ere the quartermaster's eye detected 

 his indistinct outline against the snow ; so 

 silently had he crept up that he was within 10 

 yards of some of the dogs. A shout started them 

 up, and they at once flew round the bear and 

 embarrassed his retreat. In crossing some very 

 thin ice he broke through, and there I found 

 him surrounded by yelping dogs. Poor fellow ! 

 Hobson, Young, and Petersen had each lodged 

 a bullet in him ; but these only seemed to in- 

 crease his rage. He succeeded in getting out of 

 the water, when, fearing harm to the numerous 

 bystanders and dogs, or that he might escape, 

 I fired, and luckily the bullet passed through 

 his brain. He proved to be a full-grown male, 

 7 feet 3 inches in length. As we all aided in 

 the capture, it was decided that the skin should 

 be offered to Lady Franklin. 



The carcase will feed our dogs for nearly a 

 month ; they were rewarded on the spot with 

 the offal. All of them, however, had not shown 

 equal pluck ; some ran off in evident fright, but 

 others showed no symptom of fear, plunging or 

 falling into the water with Bruin. Poor old 

 Sophy was amongst the latter, and received a 

 deep cut in the shoulder from one of his claws. 

 The authorities have prescribed double allow- 



