till. Behind them were
the sea lions, roaring and snorting. In front of them, a hundred feet
away were the bears, growling and howling.

"Turn to the right!" cried Jack. "There is a big hill of ice we can
climb!"

The adventurers turned. As they did so Mark glanced back at the sea
lions, and uttered a cry of surprise.

"The lions are running away!" he shouted.

Sure enough, the seals, though their progress could not be called
"running" were retreating with their hitching, lumbering gait, away from
the adventurers.

"But the bears are coming!" called Andy.

"They aren't after us! It's the sea lions they want!" exclaimed Jack. "I
don't believe they will pay any attention to us!"

"The boy is right!" came from Andy. "The bears want fresh meat and are
going to tackle the lions. We're safe, but we'd better not stay around
here long!"

Jack's surmise was correct. The white bears did not follow the
adventurers when the latter had run to the right. Instead, increasing
their pace, the polar bears sprang into the midst of the sea lions and
soon there was a fierce battle between the two animal forces.

It was a fearful sight and the adventurers gazed at it in wonder,
mingled with terror. The bears would seek to enfold the lions in their
strong fore-paws, while the lions would try to sink their long tusks
into the vitals of the enemy.

Nearly a dozen had been killed on either side, but still the battle
raged fiercely. The men and boys were so fascinated by the sight that
they did not move, but stood staring from a small hummock of ice they
had mounted.

"I think we had better go!" called Professor Henderson. "No telling when
they will get tired of fighting each other and turn on us. Besides I am
anxious about the ship." And off they started.

The ship rested in the same position it had settled in when the gas
contracted. No harm had come to it as the fall had been so gradual.

"I'll have the gas machine in operation in about an hour," Professor
Henderson said. "Meanwhile, Bill, you and Tom had better get some dinner
for us. I'm hungry and I dare say the others are. Have some hot coffee,
for it is growing colder."

"I was thinking I didn't feel quite so warm," observed Andy. "While
there was a lot of excitement I didn't notice it, but now I am chilled
through."

"No wonder," remarked the inventor. "It's forty degrees below zero!"

All were glad to go inside the ship which was warmed with gasolene
stoves. Bill a