The two youths were no little astonished by the contents of this
singular epistle; but, for all that, the terms imposed did not seem to
them either harsh or unreasonable, and they were only too pleased to
accede to them. They partly guessed their father's motive. They knew
that he loved both of them with a true paternal love; but his affection
was not of that kind to pet and pamper them within the precincts of his
luxurious palace. He had a different idea of what would be beneficial
to their future interests. He believed in the education which is
acquired in the rude school of toil and travel, more than in the
book-lore of classic universities; and he was determined that they
should have a full measure of this sort of training. He had resolved
that they _should_ see the world; not according to the ordinary
understanding of this hackneyed phrase--not the world of towns and great
cities, with their empty shows and vices--but the _world of Nature_;
and, in order that they should have the opportunity of becoming
thoroughly acquainted with this sort of world, he had traced out for
them a route that would lead them into its very wildest scenes, and
disclose to them its rarest and most primitive forms.
"By my word, brother!" exclaimed Ivan as soon as Alexis had finished
reading the letter, "we shall have travelling to our hearts' content.
Certainly, papa has adopted a strange plan to keep us out of the walls
of great cities."
"Yes," quietly answered Alexis; "there are not many cities where bears
abound."
"Such strange conditions!" added Ivan, "I wonder what father can mean by
imposing them upon us."
"Indeed, I hardly know myself. One thing only seems to explain it."
"What is that, brother?"
"You are aware, Ivan, of the interest that papa takes in all matters
relating to bears. As people say, it is almost a mania with him."
"Oh! the great picture in the gallery will account for that," said Ivan,
laughing. "But for a _bear_, you know, our papa would never have been a
_baron_."
"True: that may have been what first led him to take an interest in
these animals."
"And yet to impose upon us these queer conditions!" continued Ivan; "it
certainly does seem a little eccentric?"
"No doubt papa has his purpose," said Alexis. "Who knows that he may
not be intending to write a _monograph_ of the bears; and it is for this
he wishes to have full set of their skins--the complete costume of each
individual member of Monsieur Bruin's family? Well, we must do our
best, and procure them for him. It is not for us to inquire into the
motives of our dear father. It is our duty to obey his orders--even
though the task be ever so irksome or difficult."
"Oh, certainly, brother! I admit that; and I am ready to yield
obedience and perform any task dear papa may think proper to impose on
us."
Certainly there was some reason for the surprise with which the youths
had read the letter. Its contents might have appeared still more
whimsical to them, had it not been their father that had written it;
and, but for the fact that he had already given them a thorough training
in the natural sciences, they would have found it difficult, if not
altogether impossible, to carry out his instructions. A bear of every
known variety was to be killed and skinned--killed, too, in its own
haunts and by their own hands; which, of course, meant that they were to
visit every country where bears are to be found, and obtain a skin of
each kind. Notwithstanding their youth both boys were skilled hunters,
and excellent marksmen. Himself brought up to the calling, their father
had early initiated them into the hunter's craft; and, in addition to
the knowledge of natural history, which he had imparted, he had taught
them habits of self-reliance--such as are only acquired by ordinary
individuals at the full age of manhood. Both were already inured to
such perils and hardships as are incidental to a hunter's life; both
could endure to go a day or two without food or drink--could sleep in
the open air, with no other tent than the canopy of heaven, and no other
couch than the grassy covering of the earth. All this sort of
experience they had already gone through, in the cold climate of their
own country; and it was not likely they would meet with one much more
rigorous anywhere on the earth. The young Grodonoffs had been submitted
to a training of almost Spartan severity--a perfect _Cyropoedia_--and
dreaded neither hardships nor dangers. They were just the youths to
carry out that singular programme which had been traced for them by the
paternal hand.
Was it possible, however to do so? This was their first query. There
were some very nice points in that brief chapter of instructions.
_Latitudinally_ they might traverse as circumstances required, but not
_longitudinally_. Under these limitations would it be possible to visit
the haunts of all the bears,--to cover, as it were, the whole area of
Bruin's geographical distribution?
That it was possible might be inferred, from the fact of their father
having issued the orders; but it was necessary for the young
expeditionists to set out with caution: else might they take a wrong
route, and be altogether unable to fulfil his injunctions. They must
_not twice cross the same meridian_. It was this quaint condition that
puzzled them, and rendered it necessary to guard against making a false
start.
Lucky it was that Alexis was an accomplished zoologist, and thoroughly
understood the geographical distribution of the genus _ursus_. But for
this knowledge, they would certainly have been puzzled as to the route
they were to take.
"Well, brother Ivan!" said Alexis with a smile, "had these orders been
issued when the great Swede published his _Systema Naturae_, our task
would have been easily accomplished. How far do you suppose our travels
need to have extended?"
"I don't quite comprehend you, Alexis. How far?"
"Why, simply into the courtyard of our palace. It would have been only
necessary to kill and skin one of the great bears chained by the gate,
and that would have fulfilled all the conditions papa has imposed upon
us."
"And yet, I don't understand you," rejoined Ivan, with a puzzled look.
"How obtuse you are, brother! Read the letter again; note well its
terms!"
"Well, I understand them. We are to travel on, and not come home again
till we have killed a bear of every variety known."
"There--just so. Of course papa means every variety known to
naturalists,--that is, to the `scientific world,' as it is termed. Now
you comprehend my meaning?"
"Oh, yes!" answered Ivan; "you mean that when Linnaeus published his
`System of Nature,' only our own brown bear of Europe was known to
naturalists?"
"Precisely so--only the _ursus arctos_; and consequently we should have
had but a very short journey to make, compared with what is before us
now. It is true that previous to his death, the Swedish naturalist had
made the acquaintance of the `Polar' bear (_ursus maritimus_); but,
strange enough, he regarded this as a mere variety of the _ursus
arctos_--an error that one may wonder Linnaeus could have made.
"Oh, they are very different. I could tell that myself. To say nothing
of the colour, they are unlike in shape; and, as everybody knows, their
habits are very dissimilar. Why, one lives in forests, and feeds
chiefly upon fruits; while the other dwells amidst fields of snow and
ice, and subsists almost exclusively on flesh, or fish. Variety,
indeed! no, they are surely different species."
"Undoubtedly," answered Alexis; "but we shall have an opportunity of
comparing them hereafter. For the present we must drop the subject, and
find out the route of travel which papa has traced out for us."
"But he has not indicated any route--has he? He gives us permission to
go where we please, so long as we get the bearskins, and do not return
upon our meridian. We are not to take the _backtrack_--ha! ha! ha!"
"Of course not; but you will find, to avoid doing this, we shall have to
go by a definite course, and can take no other."
"By my word! brother, I don't see what you mean. I shall trust all to
you: so take me where you please--which way, then?"
"Ah! that has yet to be determined. I cannot tell myself; and it will
take me some time before I can make quite sure as to what direction we
are to take on starting out--whether east, west, north, or south. It
will be necessary for me to examine a map of the world, and trace out
the boundaries of the different countries in which King Bruin holds
sovereignty."
"Ah! that will be an interesting lesson for me. Here is the map; let me
spread it out, and do what I can to assist you in finding our way."
As Ivan said this, he drew a large travelling map of the world from its
case, and opening it out, laid it upon the table. Both the youths sat
down; and, running their eyes over the chart, proceeded to discuss the
direction which, by the conditions imposed upon them, they must
necessarily take.