THE BEAR-CHASE. 
161 
contests with the walrus, they were always interesting, 
because characteristic of this rude people. 
The dogs are carefully trained not to engage in con¬ 
test with the bear, but to retard his flight. While one 
engrosses his attention ahead, a second attacks him in 
the rear; and, always alert and each protecting the 
other, it rarely happens that they are seriously injured, 
or that they fail to delay the animal until the hunters 
come up. 
Let us suppose a bear scented out at the base of an 
iceberg. The Esquimaux examines the track with 
sagacious care, to determine its age and direction, and 
the speed with which, the animal was moving when he 
passed along. The dogs are set upon the trail, and 
the hunter courses over the ice at their side in silence. 
As he turns the angle of the herg his game is in view 
before him, stalking probably along with quiet march, 
sometimes snufling the air suspiciously, but making, 
nevertheless, for a nest of broken hummocks. The 
dogs spring forward, opening in a wild wolfish yell, the 
driver shrieking “ Nannook! nannook!” and all strain¬ 
ing every nerve in pursuit. 
The bear rises on his haunches, inspects his pur¬ 
suers, and starts off at full speed. The hunter, as he 
runs, leaning over his sledge, seizes the traces of a 
couple of his dogs and liberates them from their bur¬ 
den. It is the work of a minute; for the motion is not 
checked, and the remaining dogs rush on with appar 
rent ease. 
Now, pressed more severely, the bear makes for an 
Voi. XI.—n 
