op-hole we will be able to fire at them, without
their taking our guns away from us."

"A good idea!" cried Bell, going towards Altamont.

Then Hatteras, withdrawing the poker from the stove, pushed it through
the wall. The snow, steaming at its touch, hissed sharply. Two bears
ran to seize the bar, but they roared fearfully when four shots were
fired at once.

"Hit!" shouted the American.

"Hit!" repeated Bell.

"Let us try again," said Hatteras, closing the opening for a moment.

The poker was put again into the fire; in a few minutes it was red
hot.

Altamont and Bell returned to their place after loading their guns;
Hatteras again pushed the poker through the loop-hole. But this time
an impenetrable substance stopped it.

[Illustration]

"Curse it!" cried the American.

"What's the matter?" asked Johnson.

"The matter! These cursed animals are heaping up the ice and snow so
as to bury us alive!"

"Impossible!"

"See, the poker can't go through! Really, this is absurd!"

It was more than absurd, it was alarming. Matters looked worse. The
bears, which are very intelligent beasts, employed this method of
suffocating their prey. They heaped the ice in such a way as to render
flight impossible.

[Illustration: "The bears heaped the ice in such a way as to render
flight impossible."]

"This is hard," said Johnson, with a very mortified air. "It's well
enough to have men treat you in this way, but bears!"

After this reflection two hours passed by without any material change
in their situation; a sortie became impossible; the thickened walls
deadened all sound without. Altamont walked to and fro like a bold man
in face of a danger greater than his courage. Hatteras thought
anxiously of the doctor, and of the great danger awaiting him when he
should return.

"Ah," shouted Johnson, "if Dr. Clawbonny were only here!"

"Well, what would he do?" asked Altamont.

"O, he would be able to help us!"

"How?" asked the American, with some asperity.

"If I knew," answered Johnson, "I shouldn't want him here. Still, I
can think of a piece of advice he would give us at this moment."

"What is that?"

"To take some food. It can't hurt us. What do you think, Mr.
Altamont?"

"Let us eat if you care to," was the answer; "although our condition
is stupid, not to say disgraceful."

"I'll bet," said Johnson, "that we'll find some way of driving them
off after dinner."

[Illustration]

They made no reply