f white snow-clad ice came floating by, and that
same evening the crow's-nest was hoisted high, high up at the very top of
the main-mast. The crow's-nest was like a big barrel with a lid at the
bottom, Pansy said, and Tom, or the mate, used to climb and crawl through
the bottom, and stand, spy-glass in hand, and look all about them.

"Oh," cried Pansy one day, "shouldn't I like to get up just once!
Wouldn't you, Ara?"

"But we could never climb up," sighed her sister.

The clever professor heard them, and lo and behold! the very next day he
had a kind of easy-chair ready for them to go up in. He himself sat down
in it with the children, and up they were hoisted, up and up. It was so
fearsome that the girls shut their eyes and clung to Pete, but when they
did open them what a sight they saw!

They were not far off the main pack, and as far as the eye could see was
one vast field of snow-covered ice. Their eyes were dazzled in looking at
it.

They were not in the crow's-nest, but close beside it, and Pete made them
look through the spy-glass. This was wonderful, for away yonder to the
north, and near to the edge of the pack, where the sea looked as black
as ink, they could see four great ships, with their crews on the ice,
shooting seals and dragging skins. But in two hours' time the _Valhalla_
herself got north as far as these ships, and was stopped.

Neither of the girls felt cold, for they wore great mits and hoods, and
were altogether as snug as mice.

Then a boat was lowered, and when they looked down they could see Tom
himself get in with shooting-clothes on and a great rifle in his hand. He
waved his cap to them, and Pansy cried: "Hoo-lay!" The boat pulled away
and soon touched the ice; Tom sprang nimbly on shore, and before long he
could be seen only as a little black dot on that dazzling plain of snow.
Then he was observed to stop and kneel down while some huge monster,
yellowish-white in colour, came rushing towards him.

Aralia must have the glass now.

"Oh, the bear! the bear!" she cried in grief. "It is going to kill Tom.
Oh! oh! oh! my brother Tom!"

"Let me see! let me see!" screamed Pansy.

"Look now!" said Aralia with a smile. "Isn't Tom brave?"

Tom was indeed. For Pansy could now see the monster lying dead, and Tom
leaning on his gun, and once more waving his cap. Then men came up and
skinned the bear, and dragged the head and hide and paws to the ship.

[Illustration]

Tom was a splend