, and turning
over stones to get at them. Great boulders of rock, that a man could
not move, he will roll over with his muscular arms; and large tracts of
ground may be seen with the stones thus displaced.

It was while engaged in this curious occupation, that our hunters came
upon one of the snow bears; which they succeeded in killing. He was not
the first they had encountered: they had started several, and wounded
two; but both had got off from them. This one, however, fell to their
"bag," and in rather an unexpected fashion.

They were working their toilsome way up a narrow ravine--which, although
the season was autumn, was still filled with snow, that lay in the
bottom of the gorge to a great depth. It was snow that had lain all the
year; and although not frozen, the surface was firm and stiff; and it
was with difficulty they could get support for their feet on it. Here
and there they were compelled to stop and cut steps in the snow--as the
surface sloped upward at an angle of full 50 degrees, and, in fact, they
were rather climbing than walking. Their object, in undertaking this
toilsome ascent, was simply because they had seen a bear going up the
same way but a few minutes before; and the scratches of his claws were
visible on the snow just before their faces.

Making as little noise as possible, they kept onward; and at length
reached the head of the gorge. On peeping cautiously over, they saw a
little table-like tract of level ground, several acres in extent. It
was quite clear of snow; and covered with green herbage. A number of
large boulder stones lay scattered over it--which had evidently rolled
down from the mountain-side that rose still higher above the table.

But the sight that most gratified them was the bear himself--no doubt,
the same they had seen going up the ravine. They now discovered him
upon the level ground, not twenty yards from the spot where they stood.
In a strange attitude they saw him--grasping between his fore paws a
huge boulder stone, almost as large as his own body, and evidently in
the act of rolling it out of its bed!

They were the less astonished at what they saw: for, being already
acquainted with this singular habit of the snow bear, they knew what he
was about. They did not stay, therefore, to watch his herculean
labours; but all three, levelling their guns, pulled trigger
simultaneously. The bullets--some of them, at least--evidently struck
the bear; but, alth