All this while we kept a constant watch upon the meadow, but no bears made their appearance.

On the morning of the 19th, my friend and his hunter went up the shore to investigate a small marsh lying a mile or so from camp.  Here they saw that the grass had been recently nibbled, and that there were fresh signs about.  They returned to this spot again that evening and sighted a bear.  The bear fed quickly up to within sixty-five yards, when Blake rolled him over.  This bear was not a large one, and was of the usual tawny color.

The next morning a bear was seen by my natives in the big meadow by our camp, but he did not remain long enough for a stalk.  At 9:30 he again came out into the open, and Nikolai and I made a quick approach, but the bear, although he was not alarmed, did not wait long enough for us to get within range.  We had skirted the marsh, keeping just inside of the thicket, and now when the bear disappeared we settled ourselves for a long wait should he again come into the open.  We were well hidden from view, and the wind blew slanting in our faces and across our front.  I had just begun to think that we should not get a shot until the bear came out for his evening feed, when Nikolai caught my arm and pointed ahead.  There, slowly leaving the dense edge of the woods, was a new bear, not so large as the first, but we could see at a glance that she had a beautiful coat of a dark silver-tip color.

Removing boots and stockings, and circling around, we came out about seventy-five yards from where we had last seen the bear; but she had moved a short distance ahead, and offered us a grand chance for a close approach.  Keeping behind a small point which made out into the open, we were able to crawl up to within fifty yards, and then, waiting until the bear’s head was up, I gave her a quartering shot behind the shoulders.  She half fell, and bit for the wound, and as she slowly started for the woods I gave her another shot which rolled her over.  This bear proved to be a female, the first we had shot upon the mainland, probably the mate of the bear we had originally attempted to stalk.  The skin, although small, was the most beautiful I have ever killed.

Upon examining the internal effects of my shots, I was disappointed to find that my first bullet, on coming in contact with one of the ribs, had torn away from the metal jacket and had expanded to, such an extent that it lost greatly in penetration.  I had of late been forced to the conclusion that the small-bore rifle I was using on such heavy game lacked the stopping force I had credited it with, and that the bullets were not of sufficient weight.

The next morning I sent our men to the main camp for provisions, for we now intended to give this marsh a rest, and go to the head of the bay.  They returned that evening, and reported that they had seen a bear on the mountain side; they had stalked to within close range, and had made an easy kill.  They had but one rifle with them, and had taken turns, Ivan having the first shot, while Nikolai finished the bear off.  This skin was a beautiful one, of light yellowish color, and although our men wanted to present it to us, neither Blake nor I cared to bring it home with the trophies we had shot.