“We set the sledges right, and when we were ready to start, the sharp eyes of Ivan discovered the bear looking at us from behind a hummock, and evidently debating in his mind whether to attack us or not.  Leaving the teams in charge of Paul, I started with Nicolai and Ivan to endeavor to kill the bear.  Nicolai and myself were armed with rifles, while Ivan carried a knife and an ice-hatchet.

“The bear stood very patiently as we approached; he was evidently unaccustomed to human visitors, and did not understand what we were about.  The hummock where he stood was not very steep, and I thought it best to get a position a little above him for better safety, in case we had a sharp fight after firing our first shot.  We took our stand on a little projection of ice a few feet higher than where he was, and about thirty paces distant; I arranged that Nicolai should fire first, as I was a better shot than he, and it would be best for me to have the reserve.  Nicolai fired, aiming at the bear’s heart, which was well protected, as we knew, by a thick hide and a heavy mass of flesh.

“The shot was not fatal.  The bear gave a roar of pain, and sprang toward us.  I waited until he placed his huge fore paws over the edge of the little ridge where we stood, and exposed his throat and chest.  He was not more than ten feet away, and I buried the bullet exactly where I wished.  But, notwithstanding both our shots, the animal was not killed, but lifted himself easily above the shelf, and sprang toward us.

“We retreated higher up to another shelf, and as the bear attempted to climb it, Nicolai struck him with the butt of his rifle, which the beast warded off with his paw, and sent whirling into the snow.  But at the same instant Ivan took his opportunity to deal an effective blow with his ice-hatchet, which he buried in the skull of the animal, fairly penetrating his brain.  The blow accomplished what our shots had not.  Bruin fell back, and after a few convulsive struggles, lay dead at our feet.

“We hastened back to the teams, and brought them forward.  We were not absent more than twenty minutes, but by the time we returned several Arctic foxes had made their appearance, and were snuffing the air, preparatory to a feast.  We drove them off, and very soon, the dogs were enjoying a meal of fresh meat, that we threw to them immediately on removing the skin of the bear, which the Yakuts accomplished with great alacrity.  The beast was old and tough, so that most of his flesh went to the dogs, part of it being eaten on the spot, while the rest was packed on the sledges for future use.