rised not to find it there. He felt in his other pockets with
the same success; he went into the snow-house and examined carefully
the covering under which he had slept in the previous night, but he
could not find it.

"Well?" shouted the doctor.

Johnson came back, and stared at his companions.

"And haven't you got the steel, Dr. Clawbonny?" he asked.

"No, Johnson."

"Nor you, Captain?"

"No," answered Hatteras.

"You have always carried it," said the doctor.

"Well, I haven't got it now--" murmured the old sailor, growing pale.

"Not got it!" shouted the doctor, who could not help trembling. There
was no other steel, and the loss of this might bring with it terrible
consequences.

"Hunt again!" said the doctor.

Johnson ran to the piece of ice behind which he had watched the bear,
then to the place of combat, where he had cut him up; but he could not
find anything. He returned in despair. Hatteras looked at him without
a word of reproach.

"This is serious," he said to the doctor.

"Yes," the latter answered.

"We have not even an instrument, a glass from which we might take the
lens to get fire by means of it!"

"I know it," answered the doctor; "and that is a great pity, because
the rays of the sun are strong enough to kindle tinder."

"Well," answered Hatteras, "we must satisfy our hunger with this raw
meat; then we shall resume our march and we shall try to reach the
ship."

"Yes," said the doctor, buried in reflection; "yes, we could do that
if we had to. Why not? We might try--"

"What are you thinking of?" asked Hatteras.

"An idea which has just occurred to me--"

"An idea," said Johnson; "one of your ideas! Then we are saved!"

"It's a question," answered the doctor, "whether it will succeed."

"What is your plan?" said Hatteras.

"We have no lens; well, we will make one."

"How?" asked Johnson.

"With a piece of ice which we shall cut out."

"Why, do you think--"

"Why not? We want to make the sun's rays converge to a common focus,
and ice will do as much good as crystal."

"Is it possible?" asked Johnson.

"Yes, only I should prefer fresh to salt water; it is more
transparent, and harder."

"But, if I am not mistaken," said Johnson, pointing to a hummock a
hundred paces distant, "that dark green block shows--"

"You are right; come, my friends; bring your hatchet, Johnson."

The three men went towards the block which, as they supposed, was
formed of fresh water.