haven somewhere up here, if it could be found. The captain
has done well, and we shall have a tremendous hunting season."

"Well?" came from the deck, "see any opening, Steve?"

"Yes, sir, two; and we're not above a mile away from a great herd of
walrus."

"Seals, my lad--the little Jan Mayen seal."

"No, sir," said Johannes quietly; "they are walrus, and we've made our
way up to their home. I have just seen another herd nearer the land."

The men below heard this announcement, and gave a cheer, for the news
promised work, excitement, and plenty of profit for all on board.

Just then there was a loud barking from Skene, who was up in his
favourite place on the bows, just where he could look out well ahead.

"Look at old Skeny," said Steve. "Any one would think he was the master
of the ship. Why, there's a walrus!"

He was quite right, for there in the black water, staring hard at the
excited dog, was a peculiar round head with great soft eyes, a bristling
moustache, and a pair of long white tusks sweeping down from its upper
jaw in graceful curves. There was nothing visible but the head, and
that only for about a minute; for the sight of the vessel gliding
swiftly along startled the huge beast, so that it made a plunge and
disappeared.

A sharp look-out was kept for others, and several were seen, but always
at a distance; and they were forgotten directly in the excitement of the
navigation which followed as they neared the land.

All had gone on well so far. The _Hvalross_ had had to turn and double
to avoid huge masses of the ice-floe; but there had always been plenty
of open water, and this had grown wider as they neared a vast pile of
rocks forming a promontory, to the north of which lay the fiord which
the captain had marked down, becoming more and more satisfied with his
choice as they drew nearer, till they were about a mile away; for it
offered complete protection from the ice, which would be turned aside by
the rocky buttress till such time as a change of wind and the subsidence
of the heavy rocking swell should come.

All at once, with marvellous rapidity, there was a change. Beyond a
little grinding and scraping they had suffered no harm from the ice,
which had been floating with or following them; but now, as if the crowd
of blocks and fields in motion possessed a feeling that the vessel was
about to escape them and take refuge where it would be safe, there was
an increase of speed in their