104 BIG GAME SHOOTING IN ALASKA chap. 



I decided to remain in Aniakchak Bay and do a bit of 

 hunting round a large salt marsh and lake there, where we 

 thought it possible a few bears might come to prospect for 

 salmon and clams along the shore. Leaving Little and one 

 native in our base camp at the river-mouth, I crossed the 

 bay some five miles with the native Nicolai, and camped 

 near the shore on the edge of the salt lagoon. 



Two days later I heard from Little, to the effect that whilst 

 walking along the shore he had caught sight of a wolverine 

 on the beach. Having nothing but a shot gun with him, he 

 ran to cut off the animal from the only place where it could 

 get away up the rocks. He managed to get near enough to 

 bag it with a charge of buckshot. This was a stroke of luck, 

 as, although fairly numerous in those parts, a wolverine is not 

 often seen in daylight. 



I spent several days without seeing anything, regularly 

 scanning the bay in the early morning and evening in the 

 hopes of spying the schooner. It was a performance which 

 constantly recalled to my mind the title of the well-known 

 old song, " Alice, where art thou ? " 



On June 13 I saw the first fresh traces of a bear which we 

 had come across for a fortnight. We struck the tracks of a 

 very large one leading back towards camp. As these were 

 quite fresh and evidently made during the day, we followed 

 them three miles, hoping in vain to see the bear which must 

 have passed close by the camp during our absence. He had 

 followed a well-worn trail leading past my tent within full 

 view of it, and only about 200 yards away from it. The next 

 day it rained so hard, and the fog was so thick, that it was 

 impossible to see 500 yards. I spent the whole day until 

 9 P.M. watching the trail in the hopes of seeing my friend 

 returning along it. A faint hope, but one which might have 



