The four names were all shouted at the same time; the sky, lightened by a magnificent halo, threw pale rays which coloured the frost-rime like clouds, and the summits of the icebergs seemed to emerge from liquid silver. The travellers found themselves circumscribed by a circle less than a hundred feet in diameter. Thanks to the purity of the upper layers of air, they could hear each other distinctly, and could talk from the top of their icebergs. After the first shots they had all thought the best thing they could do was to climb. "The sledge!" cried the captain. "It's eighty feet below us," answered Simpson. "In what condition?" "In good condition." "What about the bear?" asked the doctor. "What bear?" asked Bell. "The bear that nearly broke my head," answered the doctor. "If there is a bear we must go down," said Hatteras. "If we do we shall get lost again," said the doctor. "And our dogs?" said Hatteras. At this moment Dick's bark was heard through the fog. "That's Dick," said Hatteras; "there's something up; I shall go down." Growls and barks were heard in a fearful chorus. In the fog it sounded like an immense humming in a wadded room. Some struggle was evidently going on. "Dick! Dick!" cried the captain, re-entering the frost-rime. "Wait a minute, Hatteras; I believe the fog is clearing off," called out the doctor. So it was, but lowering like the waters of a pond that is being emptied; it seemed to enter the ground from whence it sprang; the shining summits of the icebergs grew above it; others, submerged till then, came out like new islands; by an optical illusion the travellers seemed to be mounting with their icebergs above the fog. Soon the top of the sledge appeared, then the dogs, then about thirty other animals, then enormous moving masses, and Dick jumping about in and out of the fog. "Foxes!" cried Bell. "Bears!" shouted the doctor. "Five!" "Our dogs! Our provisions!" cried Simpson. A band of foxes and bears had attacked the sledge, and were making havoc with the provisions. The instinct of pillage made them agree; the dogs barked furiously, but the herd took no notice, and the scene of destruction was lamentable. "Fire!" cried the captain, discharging his gun. His companions imitated him. Upon hearing the quadruple detonation the bears raised their heads, and with a comical growl gave the signal for departure; they went faster than a horse could gallop, and, followed by the herd of foxes, soon disappeared amongst the northern icebergs. CHAPTER XXX THE CAIRN