Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/203

182, as the blood oozed out from the keen cut made by my rifle ball, and the life of the polar bear was ended. The next task was to get the carcass on board, and at first we intended to drag it there. A line of sufficient length was upon the ground, ready for placing round the bear's neck; but this was finally abandoned, as his weight (near that of an ox) would break through the treacherous ice around the island where we were. It was then decided that the Esquimaux should skin the animal on the spot, quarter it, and thus carry it piecemeal to the ship. Accordingly, we left them to the task, and had not long been back to our cabins when the prize arrived, the carcass still smoking hot, though the skin was already frozen stiff. I should mention that, as soon as the bear was discovered, Ebierbing hastened after it with his dogs, which were regularly trained to keep bears in check until rifles and spears should arrive. The dogs which I had brought from Greenland never had been "educated" for bear fights, therefore they seemed to act upon the principle that "distance lends enchantment to the view" by getting upon the most distant and highest part of the island on which the bear was killed. As regards the use made of our prize, I have only to say that we divided it with the Esquimaux, and had a capital dinner off a portion of our share. I liked it better than the best of beefsteaks. A day or two after this bear-hunt I paid another visit to North Star village, accompanied by Ebierbing, who took me direct to his tupic. After passing on all-fours through the low snow-passage which he had made, leading to the interior, I found myself facing Tookoolito, seated near a lamp, and herself covered with skins, she having been taken sick on the last occasion of visiting our ship,. [sic] Mittens, boots, stockings, and articles of clothing, all in a wet state, were on the "dry net" that always hangs over the lamp, but on this occasion the lamp was not performing its usual heat-giving functions. Owing to the backwardness of the cold season in freezing up