face downwards, and
so was unable to turn over, which fact prevented him from speaking more
plainly when he recovered his senses.

"Not dead? Oh, I am so glad!" shouted out Eric joyously, in sudden
revulsion of feeling. "I was afraid that you were killed!"

"I feel pretty near it," said Fritz, although he spoke now in a stronger
tone, Eric having partly raised him up, by putting his arm under his
neck. "Gently, laddie, gently," he called out, however, as his brother
lifted him, "my poor back hurts fearfully!"

"I thought it was your leg, Fritz, for it is bleeding awfully. Your
trousers are wet with blood!"

"That's nothing, laddie--nothing to speak of," said Fritz.

"Oh, isn't it?" cried the other, who had been busily cutting away the
trouser leg and stocking with his sheath knife. "Why, the bullet has
gone through the fleshy part of your calf."

"I wish it had gone through the horny part of that horrid old goat,"
said Fritz grimly, smiling at his own joke, which made Eric laugh.

"The old brute! But, you would go after him, you know."

"Yes; still, I am suffering now, and perhaps justly, for not leaving the
poor animal alone. He never harmed me before I tried to harm him, so it
only serves me right! It's a bad job, Eric; I'm afraid I shan't be able
to get down to the hut again. You will have to rig me up some sort of
shelter here."

"Oh, no, that won't be necessary," said Eric, glad that his brother
seemed to be getting more like his old calm self and able to look
matters in the face.

"Why, how can I move? Do you think I shall be able to climb down that
abominable tussock-grass ladder in this condition, especially when I was
hardly able to manage it while sound in wind and limb--which I can't say
is the case at present?"

"I didn't think of your getting down that way, old fellow," said the
lad, after a moment's reflection. "I've got another plan in my noddle--
a better one than yours I think."

"And what is that?" asked Fritz.

"Why, you know where you are now, don't you?"

"Yes, I should think I did; I haven't quite lost my consciousness yet!"

"You are close to the western side of the coast, just near where the
plateau slopes down to the sea by our sealing ground."

"Well, what of that?"

"Why, don't you see through my plan yet, brother? Can I not pull the
whale-boat round from our bay, and then manage to lift you down the
incline here into it--thus getting you back home easily in t