But when three more shots came in rapid succession, the old man turned pale, and a horrible thought crossed his mind, which made him rush out and climb hastily to the top of the cone. He shuddered at the sight which met his eyes. The three hunters, followed by Duk, were tearing home at full speed, followed by the five huge bears! Their six balls had evidently taken no effect, and the terrible monsters were close on their heels. Hatteras, who brought up the rear, could only manage to keep off his pursuers by flinging down one article after another--first his cap, then his hatchet, and, finally, his gun. He knew that the inquisitive bears would stop and examine every object, sniffing all round it, and this gave him a little time, otherwise he could not have escaped, for these animals outstrip the fleetest horse, and one monster was so near that Hatteras had to brandish his knife vigorously, to ward off a tremendous blow of his paw. At last, though panting and out of breath, the three men reached Johnson safely, and slid down the rock with him into the snow-house. The bears stopped short on the upper plateau, and Hatteras and his companions lost no time in barring and barricading them out. "Here we are at last!" exclaimed Hatteras; "we can defend ourselves better now. It is five against five." "Four!" said Johnson in a frightened voice. "How?" "The Doctor!" replied Johnson, pointing to the empty sitting-room. "Well, he is in Isle Johnson." "A bad job for him," said Bell. "But we can't leave him to his fate, in this fashion," said Altamont. "No, let's be off to find him at once," replied Hatteras. [Illustration: ] He opened the door, but soon shut it, narrowly escaping a bear's hug. "They are there!" he exclaimed. "All?" asked Bell. "The whole pack." Altamont rushed to the windows, and began to fill up the deep embrasure with blocks of ice, which he broke off the walls of the house. His companions followed his example silently. Not a sound was heard but the low, deep growl of Duk. To tell the simple truth, however, it was not their own danger that occupied their thoughts, but their absent friend, the Doctor's. It was for him they trembled, not for themselves. Poor Clawbonny, so good and devoted as he had been to every member of the little colony! This was the first time they had been separated from him. Extreme peril, and most likely a frightful death awaited him, for he might return unsuspectingly to Fort Providence, and find himself in the power of these ferocious animals. [Illustration: ] "And yet," said Johnson, "unless I am much mistaken, he must be on guard. Your repeated shots cannot but have warned him. He must surely be aware that something unusual has happened." "But suppose he was too far away to hear them," replied Altamont, "or has not understood the cause of them? It is ten chances to one but he'll come quickly back, never imagining the danger. The bears are screened from sight by the crag completely."