hen rolled limply over and over.

"Ee! She packs a wallop!" breathed Jarvis.

"Is he dead?" said Dave.

The bear moved close to the limp form of her enemy and sniffed the air.

"Looks like she got 'im," grinned Jarvis, straightening his cramped
limbs.

For the first time the mother bear seemed to realize their presence, and,
apparently scenting more danger, she began again pushing her cub before
her, disappearing at last over the next low hill.

"Bully for 'er!" exclaimed Jarvis.

For some time they sat there on the crusted snow unable to believe that
the tiger was dead, and unwilling to trust themselves too close to his
keen claws and murderous fangs. Finally, Dave rose stiffly.

"Let's have a look," he muttered.

"Sure 'e's done for?"

As they bent over the stiffening form of the great yellow cat, Jarvis gave
the head a turn.

"Broke!" he muttered; "'is neck is broke short off! I say she packed a
wallop!"

"And the skin's ours!" exclaimed Dave joyously. "What a beauty! We'll skin
him before he freezes."

Suiting his action to his words, he began the task. He had worked in
silence for some time when he suddenly stood up with a start.

"What's that?" he exclaimed.

"What's what?"

"My knife struck metal--a chain about his neck!"

"Somebody's pet!" exclaimed Jarvis, "and a bloomin' fine one!" He bent
over to examine the chain.

"But whose?" asked Dave.

"'Ere's the tag. Take a look."

"Looks oriental. Some numbers and letters. I can't read them."

"Sure," grinned Jarvis. "Ain't I been tellin' y'? It's the bloody bloomin'
'eathen from the islands down the sea-coast. They're 'angin' about 'ere.
They'll be lettin' out a 'ole menagerie against us some fine
day--elephants, lions, mebby a hyena or two, and who knows what?"

He stood and stared at Dave; Dave stared back at him.

* * * * *

As Johnny Thompson prepared for the dash out of the cave, where he and
Pant were to have been trapped, he realized that it was a desperate move.
Pant had seen only lances and harpoons. There were doubtless rifles in the
natives' hands as well. He knew very well their intentions: they feared
him as a leader and, hoping to trap him here, had planned to end his life.
One by one, they would pick off his men. At last there would be a rush and
the remaining few would be killed. Then the supplies would be theirs. In
this land without law, they had nothing to fear but the fail