THE WORLD OF ICE. 223

An awful fight now ensued between the giant and
the two bears. The pinnacle on which Blunderbore
stood was go low that the Big Bear, by standing up on
its hind legs, could just scratch his toes, which caused
the giant to jump about continually; but the sides of
the iceberg were so smooth that the bears could not
climb up it. This difficulty, indeed, constituted the
ereat and amusing feature of the fight; for no sooner
did the Little Bear creep up to the edge of the pin-
nacle, than the giant’s tremendous club came violently
down on its snout (which had been made of hard
wood on purpose to resist the blows), and sent it
sprawling back on the stage, where the Big Bear in-
variably chanced to be in the way, and always fell
over it. Then they both rose, and, roaring fearfully,
renewed the attack, while Blunderbore laid about him
with the club ferociously. Fortune, however, did not
on this occasion favour the brave. The Big Bear at
last caught the giant by the heel and pulled him to
the ground; the Little Bear instantly seized him by
the throat; and, notwithstanding his awful yells and
struggles, it would have gone ill with Blunderbore
had not Ben Bolt opportunely arrived at that identical
spot at that identical moment in the course of his
travels.

Oh! it was a glorious thing to see the fear-nothing,
dare-anything fashion in which, when he saw how
matters stood, Ben Bolt threw down his stick and
bundle, drew: his cutlass, and attacked the two bears

at once, single-handed, crying, “ Come on,” in a voice