" whispered Dave. "She has her cub with her."

"And the cat sees 'er. 'Oly mackerel, wot a scrap."

* * * * *

When Johnny Thompson dropped on hands and knees in the cavern after the
Eskimo's candle had flickered out, he felt his arm seized by the twitching
fingers of Pant, and, half by his own effort, half by the insistent drag
of his companion, who seemed to be quite at home in this dungeon-like
darkness, he made his way rapidly toward the door.

Complete darkness appeared to have demoralized the forces of evil that had
been arrayed against them. Soft-padded footsteps could be heard here and
there, but these persons seemed to be hurrying like frightened bats to a
place of hiding. Twice they were stumbled upon by some one fleeing.

Johnny's mind worked rapidly.

"Pant," he breathed, "if they strike a light and hold it, we're lost!"

"Got your automatic?"

"Sure."

"Take time to get hold of it."

"Got it."

"Shoot at the first flash of light. That'll fix 'em. They're cowards. All
natives are." Pant jerked out the sentences as he crawled rapidly.

They were none too soon. In another moment a match flared. Seemingly in
the same instant, so quick was Johnny's movement, a blinding flash leaped
from the floor and a deafening roar tore the tomb-like silence.

Johnny had fired at the ceiling, but this was quite enough. The light
flared out. There was no more lighting of matches.

Creeping stealthily forward, avoiding the overturning of the smallest
stone or bit of shale which might betray their position, they soon neared
the entrance.

"Gotta make a run for it," breathed Pant. "Automatic ready?"

"Ready."

"Give 'em three rounds, then beat it. Make a dash to the right the instant
you're outside. Ready?"

Johnny felt the hand on his arm tremble for an instant, then grip hard.

* * * * *

When the great, white bear and her cub came upon the scene on that
snow-domed hill where Jarvis and Dave cowered before the tiger, the point
of interest for the tiger was at once shifted to the fat and rollicking
cub. Here was a juicy feast. And to the great cat, inexperienced as he
must have been in the ways of the creatures of the very far north into
which he had wandered, the cumbersome mother seemed a rather insignificant
barrier to keep him from his feast. One spring, a set of those vicious
yellow teeth, a dash away, with the pon