piece of coal on board was thrown into the
stove.

CHAPTER XXVII.
THE GREAT COLD AT CHRISTMAS.

For a moment he had a feeling of despair. The thought of death, and
death by cold, appeared in all its horror; this last piece of coal
burned with an ominous splutter; the fire seemed about to go out, and
the temperature of the room fell noticeably. But Johnson went to get
some of the new fuel which the marine animals had furnished to them,
and with it he filled the stove; he added to it some tow filled with
frozen oil, and soon obtained sufficient heat. The odor was almost
unendurable; but how get rid of it? They had to get used to it.
Johnson agreed that his plan was defective, and that it would not be
considered a success in Liverpool.

"And yet," he added, "this unpleasant smell will, perhaps, produce
good results."

"What are they?" asked the carpenter.

"It will doubtless attract the bears this way, for they are fond of
the smell."

"Well," continued Bell, "what is the need of having bears?"

"Bell," replied Johnson, "we can't count on seals any longer; they're
gone away, and for a long time; if bears don't come in their place to
supply us with their share of fuel, I don't know what is to become of
us."

"True, Johnson, our fate is very uncertain; our position is a most
alarming one. And if this sort of fuel gives out, I don't see how--"

"There might be another--"

"Another?" asked Bell.

"Yes, Bell! in despair on account of--but the captain would never--but
yet we shall perhaps have to come to it."

And Johnson shook his head sadly, and fell to thinking gloomily. Bell
did not interrupt him. He knew that the supply of fat, which it had
been so hard to acquire, would only last a week, even with the
strictest economy.

The boatswain was right. A great many bears, attracted by the scent,
were seen to leeward of the _Forward_; the healthy men gave chase; but
these animals are very swift of foot, and crafty enough to escape most
stratagems; it was impossible to get near them, and the most skilful
gunners could not hit them.

The crew of the brig was in great danger of dying from the cold; it
could not withstand, for forty-eight hours, such a temperature as
would exist in the common-room. Every one looked forward with terror
to getting to the end of the fuel.

Now this happened December 20th, at three o'clock in the afternoon;
the fire went out; the sailors, grouped about the empty stove, gazed