BEARS FOR A CHANGE 233 



rammed into the boat bows-on, stuck one mighty- 

 paw over the gunwale, and with a snarling roar 

 and a frothing snap of glistening fangs, leaped 

 up and tried to climb aboard. 



Just at this critical instant Gabriel's boat 

 came into action with a port helm. Louis drove 

 a harpoon into the beast behind the shoulder — 

 drove it up to the haft, so that the spear-head 

 burst out on the other side. At the same mo- 

 ment the mate stuck the muzzle of his rifle almost 

 down the bear's throat and fired. The great 

 brute fell back into the water, clawed and 

 plunged and roared and clashed its teeth and 

 so, in a whirlwind of impotent fury, died. 



For a moment it lay limp and still among the 

 lapping waves, then slowly began to sink. But 

 Louis held it up with the harpoon line and the 

 animal was towed back to the brig. It measured 

 over seven feet in length and weighed 1,700 

 pounds — a powerful, gaunt old giant, every inch 

 bone and sinew. Mr. Winchester retrieved the 

 other bear from the ice floe. It was consider- 

 ably smaller. The pelts were stripped off and 

 the carcasses thrown overboard. The skins were 



