topped suddenly and pointed far off across the ice.
Neither Tommy nor Johnny could see anything except ice and snow, try
as they might. But they understood from his excitement that somewhere
in the distance was a seal or possibly even a polar bear and, gun in
hand, with beating hearts, they followed him as he stole carefully
through the ice-peaks, working his way along, and every now and then
cautioning them to stoop so as not to be seen.

So they crept along until they reached the foot of a high ridge of ice
piled up below a long ledge of black rock which seemed to rise out of
the frozen sea. Up this they worked their way, stooping low, the guide
in front, clutching his bow and arrow, Johnny next, clutching his gun,
and Tommy behind, clutching his, each treading in the other's tracks.
Suddenly, as he neared the top, the guide dropped flat on the snow.
Johnny followed his example and Tommy did the same. They knew that
they must be close to the bear and they held their breath; for the
guide, having examined his bow and arrows carefully, began to wriggle
along on his stomach. Johnny and Tommy wriggled along behind him,
clutching their guns. Just at the top of the ledge the guide quietly
slipped an arrow out of his quiver and held it in his hand, as he
slowly raised his head and peeped over. Johnny and Tommy, guns in
hand, crept up beside him to peep also. At that instant, however,
before Tommy could see anything, the guide sprang to his feet. "Whiz,"
by Tommy's ear went an arrow at a great white object towering above
them at the entrance of what seemed a sort of cave, and two more
arrows followed it, whizzing by his ear so quickly that they were all
three sticking in deep before Tommy took in that the object was a
great white polar bear, with his head turned from them, in the act of
going in the cave. As the arrows struck him, he twisted himself and
bit savagely at them, breaking off all but one, which was lodged back
of his shoulder. As he reared up on his hind legs and tried to get at
this arrow, he seemed to Tommy as high as the great wardrobe at home.
Tommy, however, had no time to do much thinking, for in twisting
around the bear caught sight of them. As he turned toward them, the
guide with a yell that sounded like "Look out!" dodged behind, but
both Tommy and Johnny threw up their guns and pulled the trigger. What
was their horror to find that they both had forgotten to load their
guns after showing the guide how t