224 THE WORLD OF ICE.

of thunder. And it was a satisfactory thing to behold
the way in which he cut and slashed at their heads
(the heads having been previously prepared for such
treatment), and the agility he displayed in leaping
over their backs and under their legs, and holding on
by their tails, while they vainly endeavoured to catch
hin. The applause was frequent and prolonged, and
the two Esquimau prisoners rolled about their burly
fioures and laughed till the tears ran down their fat
cheeks. But when Ben Bolt suddenly caught the two
bears by their tails, tied them together in a double
knot, and fled behind a hummock, which the Big Bear
passed on one side and the Little Bear on the other,
and so, as a matter of course, stuck hard and fast, the
laughter was excessive ; and when the gallant British
seaman again rushed forward, massacred the Big Bear
with two terrific cuts, slew the Little Bear with one
tremendous back-hander, and then sank down on one
knee and pressed his hand to his brow as if he were
exhausted, a cheer ran from stem to stern of the
Dolphia, the like of which had not filled the hull of
that good ship since she was launched upon her ocean
home!

It was just at this moment that Whackinta chanced,
curiously enough, to return to this spot in the course
of her wanderings. She screamed in horror at the
sight of the dead bears, which was quite proper and
natural, and then she started at the sight of the ex-
hausted Bolt, and smiled sweetly—which was also
natural—as she hastened to assist and sympathize