or sneaked
off with whining cries, licking the wounds they had received from the
long claws of their powerful adversary.

It was rather an odd circumstance for the wolves to have thus attacked a
polar bear--an antagonist of which they stand in the utmost dread. The
thing, however, was explained by one of the voyageurs; who said that the
bear in question was a weak one--half-famished, perhaps, and feeble from
having suckled her young; and it was the cubs, and not the old bear
herself, that the wolves were after--thinking to separate these from
their mother, and so destroy and devour them. Perhaps one of them had
been eaten up already: since only one could be seen; and there are
always two cubs in a litter.

Our young hunters did not think of staying longer to watch the strange
encounter. Their sole idea was to get possession of the bear and her
cub; and with this intent they ordered the voyageurs to paddle close up
to the shore and land them. As soon as the canoe touched the bank, both
leaped out; and, followed by Pouchskin, proceeded towards the scene of
the conflict,--the voyageurs remaining in the canoe.

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE.

A WHOLE FAMILY CAPTURED.

The party had not gone more than a dozen steps from the water's edge,
when a new object coming under their eyes caused them to halt. This was
another quadruped that at that moment was seen dashing out from the
willows, and rushing onward towards the scene of the strife. There was
no mistaking the character of the creature. Our hunters saw at a glance
that it was a large white bear--much larger than the one surrounded by
the wolves. It was, in fact, the male; who, wandering in the thicket of
willows--or, more likely, lying there asleep--had not till that moment
been aware of what was going on, or that his wife and children were in
such deadly danger. Perhaps it was the noise that had awaked him; and
he was just in the act of hastening forward to the rescue.

With a shuffling gallop he glided over the plain--as fast as a horse
could have gone; and in a few seconds he was close up to the scene of
the conflict--to which his presence put an end right on the instant.
The wolves, seeing him rush open-mouthed towards them, one and all
bolted off; and ran at full speed over the plain, their long tails
streaming out behind them. Those that were wounded, however, could not
get clear so easily; and the enraged bear, charging upon these, rushed
from one to the o