There was no time, however, to kindle a fire and dry him. They did not
think of such a thing. So eager were all three in the chase of the
bear, that they only waited to coil up the cord, and then continued
onward.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

THE SCANDINAVIAN BEARS.

"Really, now," said Ivan, pointing to one of the tracks, "if it wasn't
that I see the marks of claws instead of toes, I should fancy we were
tracking a man instead of a bear--some barefooted Laplander, for
instance. How very like these tracks are to those of a human foot!"

"That is quite true," rejoined Alexis; "there is a very remarkable
resemblance between the footprints of the bear and those of a human
being--especially when the trades have stood a while. As it is, now,
you can see clearly the marks of the claws; but in a day or two, when
the sun or the rain has fallen upon the snow, and melted it a little,
the claw marks will then be filled up with the thaw, and, losing their
sharp outlines, will look much more like the tracks of toes. For that
reason, an old bear-track is, indeed, as you say, very like that of a
human foot."

"And quite as large too?"

"Quite as large: the tracks of some kinds even larger than those of most
men. As, for instance, the white and grizzly species--many individuals
of both having paws over twelve inches in length!"

"The bear does not tread upon his toes in walking, but lays the whole
sole of his foot along the ground--does he not?" asked Ivan.

"Precisely so," replied Alexis; "and hence he is termed a _plantigrade_
animal, to distinguish him from those other kinds, as horses, oxen,
swine, dogs, cats, and so forth, that all, in reality, step upon their
toes."

"There are some other plantigrade animals besides bears?" said Ivan,
interrogatively; "our badger and glutton, for instance?"

"Yes," answered the naturalist. "These are plantigrade; and for this
reason they have been classed along with the bears under the general
name _ursidae_; but in father's opinion, and mine too," added Alexis,
with a slight sparkle of scientific conceit, "this classification is
altogether an erroneous one, and rests upon the very insignificant
support of the plantigrade feet. In all other respects the different
genera of small animals, that have thus been introduced into the family
of the bears are, as unlike the latter almost bears as are to blue
bottles."

"What animals have been included in this family _ursidae_?"

"The Europ