operation as
trying to stop a locomotive with one's hand. Neither of them had yet
had experience of the enormous strength of this white monarch of the
frozen regions and his tenacity of life, although both were reckless
enough to rush at him with any arms they chanced to have.

"Give him a long shot quick!" cried Singleton.

Fred fired instantly, and the bear stopped, and looked round, as much as
to say: "Did you speak, gentlemen?" Then, not receiving a reply, he
walked away with dignified indifference, and disappeared among the
ice-hummocks.

An hour afterwards the two wanderers were seated at a comfortable
breakfast in the cabin of the _Dolphin_, relating their adventures to
the captain and mates, and, although unwittingly, to Mivins, who
generally managed so to place himself, while engaged in the mysterious
operations of his little pantry, that most of the cabin-talk reached his
ear, and travelled thence through his mouth to the forecastle. The
captain was fully aware of this fact, but he winked at it, for there was
nothing but friendly feeling on board the ship, and no secrets. When,
however, matters of serious import had to be discussed, the cabin door
was closed, and Mivins turned to expend himself on Davie Summers, who,
in the capacity of a listener, was absolutely necessary to the
comfortable existence of the worthy steward.

Having exhausted their appetites and their information, Fred and Tom
were told that, during their absence, a bear and two seals had been shot
by Meetuck, the Esquimaux interpreter, whom they had taken on board at
Uppernavik; and they were further informed that the ice was in motion to
the westward, and that there was every probability of their being
released by the falling tide. Having duly and silently weighed these
facts for a few minutes, they simultaneously, and as if by a common
impulse, yawned and retired to bed.

CHAPTER NINE.

THE DOLPHIN GETS BESET IN THE ICE--PREPARATIONS FOR WINTERING IN THE
ICE--CAPTAIN GUY'S CODE OF LAWS.

An accident now befell the _Dolphin_ which effectually decided the fate
of the ship and her crew, at least for that winter. This was her
getting aground near the ravine of the giant flagstaff before mentioned,
and being finally beset by ice from which all efforts on the part of the
men to extricate her proved abortive, and in which she was ultimately
frozen in--hard and fast.

The first sight the crew obtained of the red snow filled them w