VI BETTER FORTUNES WITH GREAT BEARS loi 



it was taken. The male was a few inches smaller, but carried 

 a remarkably fine coat, which was of a very light fawn colour, 

 and looked in the distance almost white. Both skins were 

 in fine order, and we judged the male to be a two-year-old, 

 and the female one year older. Their bodies were rolling 

 in fat, and as they could not have been long out from winter 

 quarters, it showed how remarkably fat these animals keep all 

 through the long winter months when they " hole up " and 

 eat nothing during the entire period. 



Our day's work had been satisfactory but was by no 

 means over. We had next to skin both bears and pack 

 home the pelts on our own backs, as the only two natives 

 were away with Glyn. The skinning was one of the coldest 

 jobs I ever remember. The wind was blowing bitterly cold 

 off the ice and snow around us, and we were standing in 

 snow slush many inches deep, with our boots already full of 

 water and wet to the skin above the waist. To make 

 matters worse we had but one skinning knife between us, 

 no whetstone, and no rope or straps with which to make a 

 neat pack of the skins. The packing of them afterwards, 

 with the skulls and feet, etc., back to camp, was no child's 

 play. 



The picture of two weary men, covered with blood and 

 grease, toiling slowly down the mountain side with their 

 burdens, through swamps and rivers, five or six miles to 

 camp, to a constant accompaniment of the smell of bear's 

 grease, lingers yet with me in a vividness which is only 

 possible to one who actually took part in the scene. 



Next day Little and I were busy cleaning and " fixing 

 up" the skins and skulls. This is a job essentially for 

 natives, but being also one which will not wait, we had to do 

 our best, which was by no means bad. 



