six balls had evidently taken no effect, and the terrible monsters were close on their heels. Hatteras, who brought up the rear, could only manage to keep off his pursuers by flinging down one article after another first his cap, then his hatchet, and, finally, his gun. He knew that the inquisitive bears would stop and examine every object, sniffing all round it, and this gave him a little time, otherwise he could not have escaped, for these animals outstrip the fleetest horse, and one monster was so near that Hatteras had to brandish his knife vigorously, to ward off a tremendous blow of his paw.
At last, though panting and out of breath, the three men reached Johnson safely, and slid down the rock with him into the snow-house. The bears stopped short on the upper plateau, and Hatteras and his companions lost no time in barring and barricading them out.
"Here we are at last!" exclaimed Hatteras; "we can defend ourselves better now. It is five against five."
"Four!" said Johnson, in a frightened voice.
"How?"
"The Doctor!" replied Johnson, pointing to the empty sitting-room. "He is in Isle Johnson."
"A bad job for him," said Bell.
"But we can't leave him to his fate, in this fashion," said Altamont.
"No; let's be off to find him at once," replied Hatteras. He opened the door, but soon shut it, narrowly escaping a bear's hug. "They are there!" he exclaimed.
"All? "asked Bell.
"The whole pack."
Altamont rushed to the windows, and began to fill up the deep embrasure with blocks of ice, which he broke off the walls of the house.
His companions followed his example silently. Not a sound was heard but the low, deep growl of Duk.
To tell the simple truth, however, it was not their own danger that occupied their thoughts, but their absent friend, the Doctor's. It was for him they trembled, not for themselves. Poor Clawbonny, so good and devoted as he had been to every member of the little colony! This was the first time they had been separated from him. Extreme peril and most likely a frightful death awaited him, for he might
