near where
we are?"

"Not so very near," he replied with a twinkle in his eye. "A few hours
will bring us to his place."

He saw by my looks that I was ready to go after the bear. It was just
what he wished. So he continued: "Paulus, shall we go and kill the bear,
before he awakes and goes into the mountains and forests to commit his
depredations,--for after his long fast he will be very hungry--and are
you willing to lose two or three days and run the risk of having our
journey come to an end?"

When I heard this, I forgot all about the ice cracking over the streams
and lakes, about the snow melting and preventing people from travelling.
"Yes, Mikel," I replied, "let us go after the bear. Afterwards we will
travel as fast as we can and take very little sleep; perhaps we shall
have luck and the weather may be colder than usual for a while."

"All right," replied Mikel; "we will go after the bear."

"Mikel," said I "before we stretch ourselves on the floor and go to
sleep, tell me how you know that the bear is at the spot you suppose and
that he is spending his winter night there."

Mikel took a big pinch of snuff and replied: "Paulus, I think I am the
only one, that knows where this bear is sleeping, for I have kept it a
secret. I hope no other person knows where he is, for I want his skin.
Besides I shall get a premium in money if we kill him."

Then he added: "One day last fall as I was hunting for ptarmigans I saw
in the distance a huge brown bear walking about and getting ready for
his winter quarters. I knew that he was seeking his winter lodgings,
because he was going round and round a big cluster of pines before
entering it. I watched! After a a while he disappeared among the pines
and I saw no more of him. I knew that if he were not disturbed or
frightened away he would stay there. The bear assuredly had seen the
place during the summer and thought it was a good one for his long
sleep. This bear knew that a big snowstorm was coming, and he was not
mistaken, for that night snow fell very heavily and the storm lasted two
days.

"The Bear's Night will soon be over in this region," Mikel continued,
"and at any moment this bear may awaken, break through the snow that is
over him, and go away. Perhaps he is already gone. At this time of the
year the slightest noise will arouse a bear, for by this time he has
ceased to sleep soundly."

Then he added: "We have had very little sleep since we left the coast,
P