Part 59 (1/2)

”But suppose its mate comes?”

Johannes paused, and looked dubious

”Ah!” he said, ”then we should have to fight thethis tiht; the other bear may come in search of its companion We must not attempt to camp here”

”I should say not,” cried the doctor, ”if we are likely to have another bear visitor”

”Do you think you can walk a few o slowly,” replied the boy ”I'o on”

And risking the destruction and loss of the skin, they started at once for the boat, to reach it after what to Steve was a long and painful walk

That night he slept so soundly that ten hours had passed before he ood deal scratched and otherwise marked, but little the worse for his adventure

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

SIGNS OF THE COLD

The skin of the bear was considered to be of tooa fresh start was made as before, and in due tihly-built fireplace stood up blackened against the grey stones But the bear lay out of sight beyond a mass of rock

As they came to where the animal should have been, it did not seem to be there; but directly after Steve pointed, nearly speechless onder

”Look!” he cried ”Cohed

”Hardly,” he said; ”don't you see that it is the bear'sthe dead aniely resented, and the second bear caan at once, with the result that the Norsemen, who had all accoe was heavily laden with the valuable portion of their gans were pointed out by Johannes soon after, and they started back, but did not reach the boat till the ground was covered with snow and a peculiar chill was in the air This snow in suh run easily, and the boat was reached in less time than had been anticipated; but the mountain slopes on either side of the fiord were completely transforht expect to set in before long if they stayed

As the sureat ra, but these signs were few; and as the sun rose less high day by day, and there were onceto bear the winter where they were began to be discussed

Butexpedition as often as the men had cleared away the quantities of seal and walrus blubber that were brought in and rendered down These expeditions were e of the lay of the land increasing, they persevered in their search wherever it was possible to penetrate the valleys, while the coast to north and south was explored as far as the boats could go

But there was no sign of the lost crew, and as the tiion occupied by their friends

”Let us hope that they”I think we have done everything we can to find theravely; ”but we cannot fight against fate”

There began to be certain signs now of the short su of the sun in the far north-west The birds were not so plentiful, and whenever a flock approached as eese as possible were shot, and placed in ice for use in the winter, when no doubt they would all have gone south

Thanks to the Norwegians, too, who proved to be very ingenious in watching the seals so as to find suitable places, plenty of fish were caught, reeable addition to their diet