Steve was just in time to hear a sharp ejaculation, and see the doctor slip and roll down the ice slope, his rifle rattling after him with plenty of noise; and, knowing that if he were not quick there would be no shot, he raised himself up with rifle ready, thrust it over the ridge at the same time as the captain, and then stopped there staring. "Fire! fire!" came in a whisper from Jakobsen. "What at?" replied Steve, and the captain laughed good-humouredly. "Hurt yourself, Handscombe?" he said. "Hurt myself! Of course I have. I shall be all bruises," grumbled the doctor. "Why didn't you shoot?" "How can you ask that when you made noise enough to frighten away all the walrus in the arctic circle?" "Are there none there?" said Johannes, who had crept up to Steve's side. "Not a sign of one." "Don't say I scared them all away," said the doctor. "Oh no, sir," replied the Norseman, looking about searchingly. "They must have seen us ten minutes ago; they're yonder on the ice a quarter of a mile away. We were very careful, too." "I am glad I did not frighten them," cried the doctor, rubbing one of his elbows. "But it's so disappointing after all that trouble," grumbled Steve. "Wait a bit, sir," said Johannes, as he watched the herd; "you will have plenty of chances yet. There are sure to be some disappointments in walrus-hunting. We must be more careful next time. There are some, grand bulls there, though," he added thoughtfully; "look at that one's tusks, Mr Steve--that one drawing himself up out of the water." "Yes, I was looking at it," replied Steve. "What a monster! It looks like an elephant without a trunk, and his tusks turned wrong way on." For there, swimming about, or climbing on to a great mass of ice a quarter of a mile away, but which looked half that distance in the clear air, was the herd in perfect safety. They were of all sizes, from calves not half grownup to unwieldy cows and the huge massive bulls. Some floated quietly, others were gambolling about, and the rest lay in various attitudes as if basking or sleeping in the warm sunshine; while one great fellow had dragged himself on to the highest point, raised himself on his fore flippers, and, with head erect, was looking about in different directions. "That's the sentinel," said Johannes quietly. "He'll warn them of danger, and he must have seen us." "No," said Jakobsen; and he pointed to their right. Johannes laughed. "Right," he said. "No wonder you did not get a shot, gentlemen; there was some one stalking them first." "Some one?" cried the captain. "Who? where?" Johannes chuckled, and pointed to where the water was being parted by something swimming. "I see it," cried Steve; "a bear!" "Yes, sir; he has been trying to get one of the young calves, but they were too sharp for him; and now he has gone down to the water, and is swimming across to the floe to have another try. If you watch him, Mr Steve, you'll see some fun."