he Dean quickly gave
him a crack with 'Old Crumply,' which sent him back again.

"Grown now utterly reckless, he bolted right through the door. I was
ready for him, standing on the top of the passageway and on the stone to
which the harpoon line was made fast. As the bear came under me, I let
drive with the harpoon, and stuck him in the back. And then away he
dashed like a fiery demon, plunging through the snow, smoking and
blazing all over. He had evidently rolled all about in our burning fat
and moss, as bits of burning moss were sticking to him, setting his hair
all on fire, and no doubt scorching his skin to a degree that must have
made a dive into the snow very comfortable indeed.

"As soon as he had run out all the line, the stone under my feet,
instead of holding fast, gave way, pitching me after the bear, and
turning me quite upside down. I landed head-foremost in a snow-bank. The
burning bear went rushing and roaring away, dragging the big stone after
him; but not far, however, for he fell over and died directly,--no doubt
partly from fright, but chiefly, perhaps, from his wounds and his severe
burns.

"Having got rid of the bear, we gave him no further thought for the
present, but rushed into the hut to see what mischief he had done there.
The smoke was at first so thick that we were almost smothered by it. Our
cloth coats and part of our fur bedding were all mixed up with the
burning moss upon the floor, and were being rapidly destroyed. As we had
feared, the pots and lamps were all broken; and, in short, the inside of
the hut was in a most sorry state.

"It was a long time before we fully repaired all the damage the bear had
done, and we suffered much inconvenience and discomfort before we
replaced our pots, cups, and lamps. When we had, however, at last done
all this, we were not sorry that the bears had come to disturb us, but
on the other hand were rather rejoiced; for we were now in all respects
just as comfortable as ever, and had besides a great warm bear-skin to
sleep on, and one more variety of food added to our list, and that, too,
in such large quantity that there was no fear of our coming to want very
soon."

* * * * *

Seeing that the ancient mariner showed signs of breaking off at this
stage of the story, Fred spoke up, and wanted to know more about the
bear that had set fire to himself.

"O, it don't much matter about him," replied the Captain. "