174, THE WORLD OF ICE.

to make off more rapidly, and wounded the cub
severely, so much so that in a few minutes it began
to flag. Seeing this, the mother placed it in front of
her, and urged it forward with her snout so quickly
that it was with the utmost difficulty the men could
keep up with them. A well-directed shot, however,
from Fred Ellice brought the eld bear to the ground ;
but she rose instantly, and again advanced, pushing
her cub before her, while the dogs continued to em-
barrass her. They now began to fear that, in spite of
dogs and men, the wounded bears would escape, when
an opportune crack in the ice presented itself, into
which they both tumbled, followed by the yelping,
and we may add limping, dogs. Before they could
scramble up on the other side, Meetuck and Fred,
being light of foot, gained upon them sufficiently to
make sure shots.

“There they go,” eried Fred, as the she-bear bounced
out of the crack with Poker hanging to her heels.
Poker’s audacity had at last outstripped his sagacity,
and the next moment he was performing a tremendous
somersault. Before he reached the ice, Meetuck and
Fred fired simultaneously, and when the smoke cleared
away the old bear was stretched out indeath. Hitherto
the cub had acted exclusively on the defensive, and
intrusted itself entirely to the protection of its clama ;
but now it seemed to change its character entircly. It
sprang upon its mother’s body,and, assuming an attitude
of extreme ferocity, kept the dogs at bay, snapping
and snarling right and left until the hunters came up.