A NEIGHBOURLY VISIT, 12/
- ' This part of the coast must have been subjected to intense cold
for a considerable length of time a great many years ago. Probably the ice rests on a bed of granite, and the earth and sand upon it Lave accumulated gradually." "Well, sir, our trap won't be any the worse for that, the reindeer will find a slippery wall, which it will be impossible for them to climb." Marbre was right, as the event proved. On the 5th September, he and Sabine were on their way to the trench, when they heard loud growls. They stood still and listened. " It 's no reindeer making that noise, " said Marbre, " I know well enough what creature has fallen into our pit." " A bear ? " replied Sabine. " Yes," said Marbre, whose eyes glistened with delight. " Well," remarked Sabine, " we won't grumble at that, bears' steaks are as good as reindeers', and we get the fur in ! Come along." The two hunters were armed. They quickly slipped balls into their guns, which were already loaded with lead, and hurried to the trap. The see-saw plank had swung back into its place, but the bait had disappeared, having probably been dragged down into the trench. The growls became louder and fiercer, and looking down the hunters saw that it was indeed a bear they had taken. A huge mass was huddled together in one corner of the pit, looking in the gloom like a pile of white fur with two glittering eyes. The sides of the trench had been ploughed up by the creature's sharp claws, and had they been made of earth instead of ice, it would certainly have managed to scramble out, but it could get no hold on the slippery surface, and it had only managed to enlarge its prison, not to escape from it. Under the circumstances the capture was easy. Two balls carefully aimed put an end to the bear's life, and the next thing to do was to get it out of the pit. The two hunters returned to the fort for reinforcements, and ten of the soldiers, provided with ropes, returned with them. It was not without considerable difficulty that the body was hauled up. It was a huge creature, six feet long, weighing six hundred pounds, and must have possessed immense strength. It belonged to the sub-order of white bears, and had the flattened head, long neck, short and slightly curved claws, narrow
