n it apparently paid to
them, the calves wallowing about and playing on the ice, and the rest of
the herd gradually drawing themselves up to bask in the warmth. In
fact, though it was interesting to examine the huge beasts through the
glass, Steve began to think it time to commence inspecting something
else, or try to shoot something useful to the ship's cook.

"Old Johannes don't know everything," he said to himself; but the
thought had hardly crossed his mind when the object thereof touched his
arm.

"Look," he said.

"I was looking," replied Steve, whose glass was fixed upon the walrus
herd. "What fat, comical creatures the young ones are! They seem to
have no shape at all."

"No, no; look at the bear. He's hungry, that fellow, and wants a good
feed."

Steve turned the glass upon the bear, and saw that it had risen to its
feet, and was licking itself, with its head turned away from the walrus,
and then, lying down, it rolled over two or three times before beginning
to lick and paw itself again for a time, but always shuffling backward a
little as it attended busily to its toilet.

"See what he means, sir?" whispered Johannes.

"Yes, it's trying to get nearer to the young walrus."

"That's it, sir. Now, you watch."

Steve's attention was taken now, and he eagerly scanned the action of
the great Polar bear, which appeared to be in quite a playful mood, and
had another roll and gambol on the ice before beginning to preen and
clean its long, soft, whitish fur again as if it were feathers.

This went on for a long time; but it was so cleverly and artfully
managed that it took the others' attention, and they all lay there on
the ice in the warm sunshine, watching the cunning animal as it
continued to get nearer and nearer to the herd, while the old bull, with
his head erect and his white tusks curving away sat up in the most
stupidly stolid fashion.

"Why, the silly great bull will let the bear get close up to him!" cried
Steve at last, after looking at one of these evolutions. "He managed
quite six yards then. Why doesn't the creature give the alarm?"

"Not so stupid as you think, sir," said Johannes. "I've watched these
animals many times before, and you'll see that he'll give the word
before long; I mean he'll do something to start them all off."

All the same, it did not appear as if the huge walrus realised the
danger approaching so steadily, for every now and then, while performing
some antic