t about
thirty yards from the sledge. The old sailor thought Providence had
sent this animal to him to be slain; without awakening his companions
he seized the doctor's gun and made his way towards the bear.

Having got quite near he took aim, but just as he was about to pull
the trigger he felt his arm trembling; his large fur gloves were in
his way; he took them off quickly, and seized his gun with a firmer
hand. Suddenly, a cry of pain escaped him; the skin of his fingers,
burned by the cold of the gun-barrel, remained clinging to it, while
the gun fell to the ground, and went off from the shock, sending the
last ball off into space. At the sound of the report the doctor ran;
he understood everything at a glance; he saw the animal trot quickly
away; Johnson was in despair, and thought no more of the pain.

[Illustration]

"I'm as tender as a baby," he cried, "not to be able to endure that
pain! And an old man like me!"

"Come back, Johnson," the doctor said to him, "you'll get frozen; see,
your hands are white already; come back, come!"

"I don't deserve your attentions, Doctor," answered the boatswain;
"leave me!"

"Come along, you obstinate fellow! Come along! It will soon be too
late!"

And the doctor, dragging the old sailor under the tent, made him
plunge his hands into a bowl of water, which the heat of the stove had
kept liquid, although it was not much above the freezing-point; but
Johnson's hands had no sooner touched it than it froze at once.

"You see," said the doctor, "it was time to come back, otherwise I
should have had to amputate your hands."

Thanks to his cares, all danger was gone in an hour; but it was no
easy task, and constant friction was necessary to recall the
circulation into the old sailor's fingers. The doctor urged him to
keep his hands away from the stove, the heat of which might produce
serious results.

That morning they had to go without breakfast; of the pemmican and the
salt meat nothing was left. There was not a crumb of biscuit, and only
half a pound of coffee. They had to content themselves with drinking
this hot, and then they set out.

"There's nothing more!" said Bell to Johnson, in a despairing accent.

"Let us trust in God," said the old sailor; "he is able to preserve
us!"

"This Captain Hatteras!" continued Bell; "he was able to return from
his first expeditions, but he'll never get back from this one, and we
shall never see home again!"

"Courage, Bel