n and quarter the dead bear.

Moise explained to them that his young hunters wanted the skin saved
for them, with the claws and the skull, so that they were more
particular than they usually are in skinning a bear which they intend
to eat. Truth to say, the carcass of this bear scarcely lasted for the
rest of the voyage, for black bear is a regular article of diet for
these people, although they will not often eat the grizzly.

These operations were scarcely well advanced before once more the
whistle began to roar, and once more the rifle-fire began from
Showan's place up in the pilot-house. This time they all saw a big
bear running up the bank, but perhaps half a mile away. It made good
speed scrambling up over the bare places, and was lost to sight from
time to time among the bushes. But it had no difficulty in making its
escape unhurt, for now the boys, although they fired rapidly at it,
could not tell where their bullets were dropping, and were unable to
correct their aim.

"I don't care," said Rob, "if it did get away. We've got almost bears
enough now, and besides, I don't know whether this is sportsmanlike or
not, shooting bears from a boat. Anyhow, when an animal is swimming in
the water and can't get away, I don't see the fun in killing it. Let's
wait on the next one and let the pilot shoot it."

They did not have half an hour to wait before they saw that very thing
happen. The whistles once more stirred the echoes as they swung down
to a group of two or three islands, and this time two bears started
wildly across the channel for the mainland. Rob and his friends did
not shoot at these, but almost every one else did. One escaped unhurt,
but another, although it almost reached the bank, was shot dead with a
bullet from Showan's rifle. Once more the manoeuvers of the
gaff-hook were repeated, and once more a great black bear was hauled
on board. In fact, they saw during the afternoon no less than six
full-grown bears, none of which got away unsaluted, but only two of
which really were "bagged," as Alex called it, by the men with the
gaff-hook.

XXIX

A MOOSE HUNT

The great flues of the _Peace River_ devoured enormous quantities of
the soft pine fuel, so that soon after noon of the second day they
found it well to haul alongshore at a wood-yard, where some of the
employes of the company had stacked up great heaps of cord-wood. It
was the duty of the deck-hands to get this aboard the boat, an
oper