he cliff into the sea
yesterday."

"What!" cried the doctor excitedly. "Then I did not kill it?"

"No," said the captain, laughing. "You cannot kill a dead thing."

"But--but--" stammered the doctor.

"You see, doctor, your profession is curing, not killing," cried the
captain, laughing. "Never mind: better luck next time."

"But it is so absurd. The idea of shooting at a dead beast!"

"I'm glad I didn't, Mr Handscombe!" cried Steve merrily.

"Now, look here, don't you begin to joke me, sir," said the doctor,
"because I will not have it."

He spoke laughingly, but he was evidently greatly chagrined.

"So utterly ridiculous," he said. "I say, Johannes, you ought not to
have let me waste ammunition over a dead beast."

"I'm very sorry, sir, but I did not know till you fired the first shot,
the animal lay so naturally. Then I began to think it was our bear
wounded. Of course, sir, I would not have let you fire if I had known."

"Never mind," said the captain, laughing. "But I say, Steve, my lad,
your scruples saved you from a--from a--"

"There, say it; don't hesitate," said the doctor. "Saved him from a
very ridiculous action. I don't mind."

"Well, we have got a magnificent bear anyhow," cried the captain. "His
skin is finer than that of the other, and he is tremendously fat."

"There'll pe plenty more pear's grease for Watty's hair," whispered
Hamish; and Andrew uttered a dry laugh, which sounded like the rattling
together of pieces of wood.

"I don't think there can be any tide to rise here and sweep the animal
away," said the captain, "so we'll leave it till we return."

He led the way to the boat, leaving the bear untouched, and the next
minute they were rowing north, with the whole party keeping a sharp
look-out for the walrus, which seemed to have forsaken the coast.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

THEIR FIRST WALRUS.

But they were not kept waiting long. A quarter of a mile farther on the
coast trended round to the east, and there the open sheet of water
became encumbered with masses of ice, upon several of which Jakobsen,
whose eyes were wonderfully good and admirably trained, pointed out
walrus asleep or on the watch with head thrown back.

That was enough. Andrew uttered no more gibes, but tugged at his oar
with the rest, and as silently; for all knew how much depended upon
their surprising the wary beasts.

"Have you ever shot walrus, sir?" asked Johannes suddenly.

"Never,"