The head was cut off by means of an axe, so that it might be preserved with its large, grinning, ivory teeth; and then the men busied themselves over the rather disgusting operation of cleaning off all the fat from the body, genuine bear's grease being a valuable commodity. This, too, was borne to the boat for rendering down in the caldron fixed in the fore part of the ship, in connection with a steam-pipe from the engine-boiler. In the course of the proceeding the bear was opened, and the sight that presented itself went a long way toward satisfying Steve that the slaying of a polar bear was not so unnecessary a work after all. "Much better for the seals of the neighbourhood," said the captain grimly, as Johannes pointed out the fact that their quarry must have killed and eaten a good-sized seal that day, the unfortunate animal having been chopped into big fragments by the bear's tremendous teeth, the food they had seen it searching for being probably taken just as an amusement--_pour passer le temps_. The huge piles of muscle laid bare upon the neck and shoulders of the animal told of such great strength that the wonder was that the dog had not been killed; but there he crouched so little the worse, that all of a sudden he made a dash by Johannes, stuck his teeth in the still warm flesh, and gave it an angry shake--that is to say, held on and shook his own head and neck, for the ponderous mass of flesh was pretty well immovable. The piles of fat had all been cleverly removed and sent on board, and as no one evinced any desire to partake of bear-steaks or sirloin, the sailors announced their work as done just as Andrew uttered a shout of warning--"Look out!" "What is it?" cried the captain, who had been vainly trying to get a shot at a bird or two tempting enough for supper. "The bear coming." "Where away?" "Three points on the port bow, sir!" cried Andrew, who treated his rocky look-out place as a ship. The captain took out his little binocular glass and swept the shore, to make out the second bear away in the distance, walking slowly along on the top of the ice-floe which shut them in to the north. It was raising its head on high, and evidently on the look-out for its mate. "What do you say, Handscombe?" said the captain; "shall we tackle it? There is a good chance if we can approach the animal unobserved." "For my part, I say no," replied the doctor, as the Norwegians, who had been ridding themselves of the traces of their unpleasant task, picked up their spears. "I have had enough bear for one day, and should like some beef. It's past twelve." "Oh, it must be later than that!" cried Steve. "Why, we've been hours and hours ashore. I should have thought it was six o'clock." "No," said the doctor, smiling. "My watch keeps good time. I say a quarter to twelve." "Then we'll go on board," said the captain. "I, too, had no idea it was so late." "Early?" suggested Steve.