gun and companions who would help
to drag the bear back. I had also some small hope that in the meantime
the ice might have slackened, so that, in place of going after game,
we might go north with the Fram. But no such luck! So I put on my
snow-shoes and set off after our bear, some of the dogs with me, and
one or two men following. At some distance we came to the place where
it had spent the night--poor beast, a ghastly night! Here I also saw
tracks of the mother. One shudders to think of her watching over her
poor young one, which must have had its back shot through. Soon we
came up to the cripple, dragging itself away from us over the ice as
best it could. Seeing no other way of escape, it threw itself into a
small water opening and dived time after time. While we were putting
a noose on a rope the dogs rushed round the hole as if they had gone
mad, and it was difficult to keep them from jumping into the water
after the bear. At last we were ready, and the next time the creature
came up it got a noose round one paw and a ball in the head. While
the others drew it to the ship, I followed the mother's tracks for
some way, but could not find her. I had soon to turn back to see if
there was no prospect of moving the Fram; but I found that the ice
had packed together again a little at the very time when we could
generally calculate on its slackening. In the afternoon Hansen and I
went off once more after the bear. We saw, as I expected, that she had
come back, and had followed her daughter's funeral procession for some
way, but then she had gone off east, and as it grew dark we lost her
tracks in some newly packed ice. We have only one matter for regret
in connection with this bear episode, and that is the disappearance
of two dogs--'Narrifas' and 'Fox.' Probably they went off in terror
on the first appearance of the three bears. They may have been hurt,
but I have seen nothing to suggest this. The ice is quiet this evening
also, only a little pressure about 7 o'clock.

"Monday, October 16th. Ice quiet and close. Observations on the 12th
placed us in 78 deg. 5' north latitude. Steadily southward. This is almost
depressing. The two runaways returned this morning.

"Tuesday, October 17th. Continuous movement in the ice. It slackened
a little again during the night; some way off to starboard there was
a large opening. Shortly after midnight there was strong pressure,
and between 11 and 12 A.M. came a tremendous squeeze; si