VI BETTER FORTUNES WITH GREAT BEARS 107 



(which we afterwards measured) only 18 yards from where we 

 sat, the bear stopped and looked at us fairly face to face. 

 I had previously raised my rifle to fire on first seeing his 

 shoulder, but curiosity to find out what he would do, 

 mastered my murderous intentions. Slowly lowering my 

 rifle on to my knees I sat watching him, and bitterly regretted 

 the absence of my camera in camp. Keen as I was to obtain 

 his skin, I would have gladly risked the chance of killing 

 him, could I but have got a good picture of this magnificent 

 brute as he then appeared. He looked splendid, standing 

 there in the full glare of a bright sun, against a dark back- 

 ground of alders. Nicolai thought I had gone mad, and kept 

 whispering frantically in my ear, " Hurry up, hurry up, shoot 

 quick, he run soon." But I wanted to see which way he would 

 run, as we had heard so many conflicting yarns about the 

 Alaskan brown bears charging on sight, and the reverse. 

 This one seemed in no hurry to run either way, and after 

 looking steadily at us for a few seconds, he slightly raised his 

 head and gave vent to his surprise by uttering a deep " woof." 

 Whether this was a token of rage or fright I cannot say, but 

 the noise was deep and loud enough to scare anything. 

 Once more he repeated this deep growl, and then took one 

 step towards us, evidently bent on making a closer inspection. 

 This was more than Nicolai could stand, and he fairly shouted 

 in my ear," Shoot, shoot." Thinking "discretion the better 

 part of valour," I gave the bear a bullet right in the centre of 

 his chest. He turned a complete somersault towards us, and, 

 getting on his legs a few yards away, gave out some of the 

 most appalling growls and snarls I ever heard, at the same 

 time biting savagely at the small wound in his chest. I sat 

 quite still, waiting a second till he turned sideways, and then 

 planted a second bullet in his shoulder. This settled him. 



