Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/213

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in the mouth, and the other one in the shoulder; but neither did much harm, and brought only a louder roar of pain and anger.

The dogs, beaten off from their attack on the cub, now concentrated upon the mother, and the battle became more fierce than ever. The snow was covered with blood. A crimson stream poured from the old bear's mouth, and another trickled over the white hair from her shoulder. The little one was torn, and bleeding from many ugly wounds. One dog was stretched out crushed and almost lifeless, and another marked the spot, where his agony was expending itself in piteous cries, with many a red stain.

Sonntag now came up with a fresh weapon. A well-directed volley from the three rifles brought her down upon her side, and the dogs rushed in upon her; but though stunned and weakened by loss of blood, yet she was not mortally hurt; and, recovering herself in an instant, she once more scattered the dog's and again sheltered her offspring. But the fate of the cub was already sealed. Exhausted by the fearful gashes and the throttlings which it had received from Karsuk and his followers, it sank expiring at its mother's feet. Seeing it fall, she forgot, for a moment, the dogs, in her affection, and, stooping down, licked its face. As if unwilling to believe it dead, she tried to coax it to rise and make a still further fight for life. But at length the truth seemed to dawn upon her, and now, apparently conscious that the cub no longer needed her protection, she turned upon her tormenters with redoubled fury, and tried to escape. Another dog was caught in the attack, and was flung howling to join the unlucky Schnapps.

For the first time she now appeared to realize that