Amber screamed and pushed herself to run faster. Hex twisted to look over his shoulder as he ran. His foot caught on a boulder and he fell full-length on the frozen ground. Amber continued for a few more paces before she realized that Hex was no longer with her. She turned and ran back to him as the bear splashed out on to the shore. 'C'mon! C'mon!' she screamed, grabbing Hex by the arm and hauling him to his feet. Together they staggered on towards the tundra buggy as the bear broke into a pigeon-toed lope behind them. Its low shoulders swung back and forth and its claws gouged the frozen snow as it picked up speed. Up on the viewing platform, Paulo and Li hung over the handrail, ready to grab Amber and Hex and haul them up to safety. They were both screaming encouragement. Amber and Hex put on a burst of speed, but the bear was bounding now, charging after them with distance-eating strides. Despite its huge bulk, it was capable of dangerous speeds over short distances. When stalking a seal on land, a bear will use stealth to get as close as possible to its prey before going into a final charge that can be as fast as twenty-five miles an hour.
