od's will, and we must bow before it and be
reconciled.'

"'I fear, Dean, that is so,' I answered, solemnly.

"This was in the month of February, and the sunlight was coming back,
and, to see if we could not catch a glimpse of the god of day, we had
gone out together, wading through the snow.

"The Dean felt it when he said 'we must be reconciled'; but he had
hardly spoken when our attention was quickly called away from such
reflections (and from the sun too) by seeing something dark upon the
frozen sea, not far away from us. It was moving.

"We were not long in doubt as to what it was, for we had seen too many
polar bears to be cheated this time,--a bear, without any doubt at all.

"He was running very fast, and was making directly towards the island.
He soon ran behind a large iceberg, and for a little while was out of
sight; but he appeared again soon afterwards, and held on in the same
course. Then we lost him once more among rough ice, and then again he
came in view. He appeared so dark at first, that less-experienced
persons might have been uncertain about what it was; for although the
polar bear is usually called the white bear, yet in truth he has a
yellowish hue, and is quite dark, at least in comparison with the pure
white snow.

"'It's another bear, I do believe!' exclaimed the Dean, and at once we
made for the hut. But the bear was running much faster than we were, and
was moreover coming in right towards the place for which we were bound.
So we grew much alarmed, and quickened our speed, not however without
difficulty; for the snow was, in places, very deep.

"By and by the bear, which proved to be a very large one, caught sight
of us; and, as you know already that the polar bear is rather a cowardly
beast than otherwise, you will not be much surprised to learn that, when
he saw us, he altered his course, and turned off from the island as fast
as he could go. Seeing him do this (as you may be sure to our great
delight), we halted to watch him; and now we perceived, for the first
time, that the animal was pursued. By what we could not imagine, but,
clearly enough, by something; for in the distance, and from the quarter
whence the bear had come, there was plainly to be seen, winding among
the bergs and rough masses of ice, something dark following on the very
track which the bear had taken, sometimes lost to sight and sometimes in
full view, and growing larger every moment, just as the bear had done.