rawled up to these on all-fours, and peeped cautiously
through their branches.

It was the impatient Ivan that looked first; and what he saw so
surprised him, as almost to deprive him of the power of speech! Indeed,
he was not able to explain what he saw--till the other three had got
forward, and became equally eye-witnesses of the spectacle that had
astonished him.

As the guide had conjectured, the lake was not frozen. There was some
loose snow floating over its surface; but most of the water was open;
and the stream that flowed slowly in on the opposite side was quite
clear of either ice or snow.

The guide had also predicted hypothetically that they might see a bear--
perhaps two. It had not occurred to this man of moderate pretensions
that they might see _twelve_--and yet no less than twelve bears were in
sight!

Yes, twelve bears--they were as easily counted as oxen--were around the
shores of this secluded lake, and on the banks of the little stream that
ran into it--all within five hundred yards of each other. Indeed, it
would have been easy to have mistaken them for a herd of brown heifers
or oxen; had it not been for the various attitudes in which they were
seen: some upon all-fours--some standing erect, like human beings, or
squatted on their hams like gigantic squirrels--others in the water,
their bodies half submerged--others swimming about, their backs and
heads only visible above the surface; and still others, prowling
leisurely along the banks, or over the strip of level meadow-land that
bordered the lake.

Such a sight our bear-hunters had never witnessed before, and might
never witness again, in any other country, save Kamschatka itself.
There it is by no means uncommon; and twenty bears instead of twelve
have been often seen in a single drove--at that season when they descend
from their mountain retreats to their favourite fishing-grounds upon the
lakes and streams.

Our hunters were perplexed by so unexpected a sight; and for some
moments unresolved as to how they should act. Fortunately, the bushes
already mentioned served to conceal them from the bears; and the wind
was blowing towards the hunters--otherwise the bears, who are keen of
scent, would soon have discovered their presence. As it was, not one of
them--though several were close to the ridge--seemed to have any
suspicion that an enemy was so near. The huge quadrupeds appeared to be
too busy about their own affairs--endeavourin