CUNNING OF TEE BEAB. 
167 
learned afterwards that his hang-dog look and appa¬ 
rent confusion was assumed; for the men on board 
were able to follow all his movements, and from them 
we gathered that so far from being unaware of our 
tactics, the wily traitor was himself practising all his 
cunning in his efforts to cut off some straggler from 
our party. With this evident object in view, he was 
seen to make a large circuit, running from hummock 
to hummock, and hiding behind every elevation in 
his course as he stopped to listen to the sound of 
our tramping feet. In this way he had managed 
to pass nearly to our rear, and another two hundred 
yards would have exposed us to an attack from a 
quarter wc little expected he would have been found 
in. The great paws of the Arctic bear are admir¬ 
ably adapted for rapid and noiseless walking upon the 
ice and snow drifts. To prevent surprise we talk of 
the necessity of the rear man of the party in our 
next bear exploit walking backwards to keep a good 
look-out. 
When the beast found he was observed, he drew 
back to conceal himself behind the hummock nearest 
to him, and displayed no fear whatever. Our com¬ 
panion ran round to a point from whence he could 
see Master B. waiting for us, and the opportunity 
presenting itself he took steady aim, and dropped 
