rm of an
irregular arch. It was extremely bright, but the brightness was not the
same in all parts. It moved and waved gently about like a band of thin
green fire. Every now and then long tongues or streamers darted up from
it, and these were brighter than the rest. They were yellowish white,
and sometimes became pale pink in colour. The light from this beautiful
object was equal to that of the moon in her quarter, and the stars that
were behind it shone dimly through, as if they were covered with a thin
gauze veil.

While Davy was gazing in wonder at the splendid lights above him, a deep
growl fell upon his ear. If the man had been a Jack-in-the-box he could
not have leaped more quickly round. His pistol was out and cocked in a
moment!

The growl was followed by a roar, which drove all the blood back into
Davy's heart, and seemed to freeze it there--solid.

The man was no coward, as was quite clear, for at first he boldly stood
his ground. But he would have been more than mortal if he had not felt
some strange qualms about his heart when he saw a large white bear
rushing furiously toward him. The animal came this time from the
interior of the small island. The seaman knew well the place over which
young Gregory had jumped when he had been chased. After wavering for a
moment or two he turned and fled. Another tremendous roar helped him
over the ice like a deer, and he took the chasm with a bound like an
India-rubber ball.

It must certainly have been the same animal that chased Gregory, for,
instead of trying to leap the chasm, it went to another part of the rent
and scrambled across. This gave Butts time to increase the distance
between them, but a man is no match for a polar bear in a race. The
monster was soon close up with him, and the ship still far off. The man
knew his danger; he turned, took a quick aim, and fired. He missed, of
course; flung the pistol in desperation in the bear's face, and ran on.
The pistol happened to stick in the snow, with the butt in the air, and
when the bear came up to it he stopped to smell it!

It it well known, nowadays, that polar bears are full of curiosity, and
will stop for a few minutes to examine anything that comes in their way,
even when they are in full chase of a man. Davy Butts knew nothing of
this at the time; but he was a quick-witted fellow. He observed this
stopping of the bear, and determined to give him something more to stop
at.

When bruin