stefansson-wrangel-09-31-117v

192 THE ADVENTURE OF WRANGEL ISLAND

morning and were very noisy. The bear evidently heard
them, for she started inland for the mountains. We
chased her for about three miles and then with the glasses
we could see her about three miles ahead of us going
rapidly northwest. She had two cubs with her. We
gave up the chase and returned to camp. This evening
after supper the native woman went outside and rushed
in to tell us that she saw a bear coming along the beach
from the westward. Maurer ran and hid behind the
dory and waited. The dogs did not see the bear and ap-
parently the bear did not know about the camp. When
about 150 feet from Maurer, he let drive, hitting him be-
hind the shoulder. Maurer shot again and missed, so I
ran down the beach and shot once, knocking him down.
I still ran toward him and when about sixty feet from
him he arose and started for me. I sat down, took good
aim, and shot him through the head, killing him instantly
about a hundred yards from camp and thirty feet from
the water. Male three-quarters grown, poor fur, medium
amount of fat.”

Evidently the bears were very numerous, for most of
the large number reported were seen because they came
to the vicinity of the camp. When bears were seen at a
distance it was not the result of a search, for the party
were still waiting for snow before beginning to emphasize
the hunt. Whenever they took a walk for any reason
they saw game, as on October 2nd, when there was “Very
little to do about camp, so Galle took a walk to the west-
ward and saw three bears coming towards him. He was
afraid to tackle them, so came after help. They disap-
peared by the time the rest of us got to where they were
last seen.”

October 3rd: “After breakfast the dogs set up a bear