e boat, its
eyes looking wild and red, and the whole aspect of the great visage
threatening to a degree.

Steve's heart seemed to give a bound, for he was close to the bows, and
only a few feet from the terrible-looking monster. Involuntarily he
raised and presented his piece; but Johannes uttered a warning growl
that sounded exactly like that emitted by Skene, who backed away amongst
the men, snarling and showing his teeth, as if saying, "I've got plenty
of fight in me, but it isn't fair to expect me to tackle an arctic
sea-elephant like that."

Then the huge beast was close up, with head raised, and the gleaming
tusks about to strike the boat's bows, when, _whish_! _crish_! two great
lances were driven into its breast. The recoil thrust the boat away
from where the water was tossed wildly about, the animal struggling
frantically, and recovering itself sufficiently from the two terrible
thrusts, which dyed the clear water with crimson, to make another charge
at the boat, but only to be met in the same way.

There was another desperate struggle, the poor creature scattering the
water with its great flippers, and the next minute, to Steve's great
relief, it was dead and beginning to sink; but Johannes seized the line,
and deftly threw a ring round the walrus's neck, gave it a few twists,
and made the monster fast, in case the harpoon should after all give
way, as it had with the other boat, which was now returning
disconsolate, it being impossible to overtake the swimming and diving
herd. Then all at once the animals turned, for something happened which
brought them tearing back through the water as rapidly as they had tried
to escape; and now, as they came swimming back, it was without any
diving, but with serried front, eyes flashing, and tusks gleaming, in a
grand charge upon the boats, and with a force sufficient to tear them
into matchwood and drown their occupants in the first rush.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

STEVE'S NEW PET.

The reason for the change of front from flight to a brave attack was
this. As the second boat was returning with her disappointed crew, they
drove back a member of the herd that had been left behind in the shape
of a calf, which, to escape this second boat, swam and dived with such
bad choice of direction that, unseen before, it all at once popped its
droll-looking head out of the water close to where Steve was sitting
looking at their huge prize. Possibly it was the dead walrus