ulders, but a dying howl from the bear
burst over the island, like the thunder of a heavy gun, and went booming
over the frozen sea. No wonder that the horrified Alf leapt nearly his
own height into the air and scattered his drawing-materials right and
left like chaff. He threw up his arms, and wheeled frantically round
just in time to receive the murdered bear into his very bosom! They
rolled down a small slope together, and then, falling apart, lay prone
and apparently dead upon the ground.

You may be sure that Leo soon had his brother's head on his knee, and
was calling to him in an agony of fear, quite regardless of the fact
that the bear lay at his elbow, giving a few terrific kicks as its huge
life oozed out through a bullet-hole in its heart, while Benjy, half
weeping with sympathy, half laughing with glee, ran to a neighbouring
pool to fetch water in his cap.

A little of the refreshing liquid dashed on his face and poured down his
throat soon restored Alf, who had only been stunned by the fall.

"What induced you to keep on sketching all night?" asked Leo, after the
first explanations were over.

"All night?" repeated Alf in surprise, "have I been away all night?
What time is it?"

"Three o'clock in the morning at the very least," said Leo. "The sun is
pretty high, as you might have seen if you had looked at it."

"But he never looked at it," said Benjy, whose eyes were not yet quite
dry, "he never looks at anything, or thinks of anything, when he goes
sketching."

"Surely you must allow that at least I look at and think of my work,"
said Alf, rising from the ground and sitting down on the rock from which
he had been so rudely roused; "but you are half right, Benjy. The sun
was at my back, you see, hid from me by the cliff over which the bear
tumbled, and I had no thoughts for time, or eyes for nature, except the
portion I was busy with--by the way, where is it?"

"What, your sketch?"

"Ay, and the colours. I wouldn't lose these for a sight of the Pole
itself. Look for them, Ben, my boy, I still feel somewhat giddy."

In a few minutes the sketch and drawing-materials were collected,
undamaged, and the three returned to camp, Alf leaning on Leo's arm. On
the way thither they met the Captain's party, and afterwards the band
led by Chingatok. The latter was mightily amused by the adventure, and
continued for a considerable time afterwards to upheave his huge
shoulders with suppressed laughter