id nothing as, full of excitement
now, he kept pace with the others in the pursuit.

"Quick!" cried the captain; "fire anywhere now, or the brute will
overtake that man."

"Serve him right for being such a coward," muttered the doctor.

The bear was some fifty yards before them, and Andrew McByle another
fifty, but with the bear gaining upon him fast, it being astonishing how
rapidly the great unwieldy animal could shuffle over the rough ground.

Just then Andrew looked back over his shoulder at his pursuer, uttered a
wild yell, threw away the rifle, and with his hands in the air ran on
faster.

"I can't fire for fear of hitting the man," panted the captain; and then
he uttered a cry of satisfaction, for, in his alarm, Andrew had made for
broken ground, tripped over a rock, and fell heavily, whilst the bear
uttered a fierce roar.

"Halt!" shouted the captain, bending on one knee, as Andrew disappeared,
having plumped himself behind a huge block of stone.

Steve followed his leader's example, and fired directly after, aiming as
carefully as possible at the running beast.

"Missed!" muttered Steve.

"I think that touched him!" cried the captain, hurriedly opening the
breech of his piece and thrusting in another cartridge.

"Yes, that stopped him," said the doctor, as the bear swung round and
bit viciously at a spot somewhere about the centre of its back.

Then the doctor fired, but his shot had no effect save to draw the
animal's attention to its pursuers, and it came at them at once, showing
its teeth now viciously, while the two Norsemen placed themselves on
either side of the little party ready for the attack.

The captain took careful aim now, and fired, making the bear jerk its
head; but the bullet had made little impression, for the brute came on
till Skene made a dash at its nose, when the animal swung round just as
the captain was re-loading.

"Fire, both of you--now!" cried the captain excitedly; but only the
doctor drew trigger, hitting their quarry somewhere about the hip.
Steve did not fire; he could not have told why, but knelt on one knee
with his piece ready, and conscious of the fact that one of the big
Norsemen was at his right shoulder with the great lance held presented
over his head.

Skene kept on harassing the bear and taking off its attention; but a
bullet now struck it in so sharp a way that it ignored the dog, and came
rushing toward its enemies open-mouthed, blood and foam making