IMPRISONED IN DOCTOR'S HOUSE
The first business next day was to arrange for a hunt. It was
settled that Altamont, Bell, and Hatteras should form the party,
while Clawbonny should go and explore as far as Isle Johnson, and
make some hydrographic notes and Johnson should remain behind to
keep house.
The three hunters soon completed their preparations. They armed
themselves each with a double barrelled revolver and a rifle, and
took plenty of powder and shot. Each man also carried in his belt
his indispensable snow knife and hatchet, and a small supply of
pemmican in case night should surprise them before their return.
Thus equipped, they could go far, and might count on a good supply
of game.
At eight o'clock they started, accompanied by Duk, who frisked and
gambolled with delight. They went up the hill to the east, across
the cone, and down into the plain below.
The Doctor next took his departure, after agreeing with Johnson on a
signal of alarm in case of danger.
The old boatswain was left alone, but he had plenty to do. He began
by unfastening the Greenland dogs, and letting them out for a run
after their long, wearisome confinement. Then he attended to divers
housekeeping matters. He had to replenish the stock of combustibles
and provisions, to arrange the store-houses, to mend several broken
utensils, to repair the rents in coverlets, and get new shoes ready
for summer excursions. There was no lack of work, and the old
sailor's nimble clever fingers could do anything.
[Illustration]
While his hands were busy, his mind was occupied with the
conversation of the preceding evening. He thought with regret over
the captain's obstinacy, and yet he felt that there was something
grand and even heroic in his determination that neither an American
nor an American ship should first touch the Pole.
The hunters had been gone about an hour when Johnson suddenly heard
the report of a gun.
"Capital!" he exclaimed. "They have found something, and
pretty quickly too, for me to hear their guns so distinctly. The
atmosphere must be very clear."
A second and a third shot followed.
"Bravo!" again exclaimed the boatswain; "they must have fallen
in luck's way!"
[Illustration: Hatteras could only manage to keep off his pursuers
by flinging down one article after another—P.120]
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."
"We must get rid of them before he comes," said Hatteras.
"But how?" asked Bell.
[Illustration]
It was difficult to reply to this, for a sortie was out of the
question. They had taken care to barricade the entrance passage, but
the bears could easily find a way in if they chose. So it was
thought advisable to keep a close watch on their movements outside,
by listening attentively in each room, so as to be able to resist
all attempts at invasion. They could hear them distinctly prowling
about, growling and scraping the walls with their enormous paws.
However, some action must be taken speedily, for time was passing.
Altamont resolved to try a port-hole through which he might fire on
his assailants. He had soon scooped out a hole in the wall, but his
gun was hardly pushed through, when it was seized with irresistible
force, and wrested from his grasp before he could even fire.
"Confound it!" he exclaimed, "we're no match for them."
And he hastened to stop up the breach as fast as possible.
This state of things had lasted upwards of an hour, and there seemed
no prospect of a termination. The question of a sortie began now to
be seriously discussed. There was little chance of success, as the
bears could not be attacked separately, but Hatteras and his
companions had grown so impatient, and it must be confessed were
also so much ashamed of being kept in prison by beasts, that they
would even have dared the risk if the captain had not suddenly
thought of a new mode of defence.
He took Johnson's furnace-poker, and thrust it into the stove
while he made an opening in the snow wall, or rather a partial
opening, for he left a thin sheet of ice on the outer side. As soon
as the poker was red hot, he said to his comrades who stood eagerly
watching him, wondering what he was going to do—
"This red-hot bar will keep off the bears when they try to get
hold of it, and we shall be able easily to fire across it without
letting them snatch away our guns."
"A good idea," said Bell, posting himself beside Altamont.
Hatteras withdrew the poker, and instantly plunged it in the wall.
The melting snow made a loud hissing noise, and two bears ran and
made a snatch at the glowing bar; but they fell back with a terrible
howl, and at the same moment four shots resounded, one after the
other.
"Hit!" exclaimed Altamont.
"Hit!" echoed Bell.
"Let us repeat the dose," said Hatteras, carefully stopping up
the opening meantime.
The poker was again thrust into the fire, and in a few minutes was
ready for Hatteras to recommence operations.
Altamont and Bell reloaded their guns, and took their places; but
this time the poker would not pass through.
"Confound the beasts!" exclaimed the impetuous American.
"What's the matter?" asked Johnson.
"What's the matter? Why, those plaguey animals are piling up
block after block, intending to bury us alive!"
"Impossible!"
"Look for yourself; the poker can't get through. I declare it is
getting absurd now."
It was worse than absurd, it was alarming. Things grew worse. It was
evident that the bears meant to stifle their prey, for the sagacious
animals were heaping up huge masses, which would make escape
impossible.
"It is too bad," said old Johnson, with a mortified look. "One
might put up with men, but bears!"
[Illustration]
Two hours elapsed without bringing any relief to the prisoners; to
go out was impossible, and the thick walls excluded all sound.
Altamont walked impatiently up and down full of exasperation and
excitement at finding himself worsted for once. Hatteras could think
of nothing but the Doctor, and of the serious peril which threatened
him.
[Illustration]
"Oh, if Mr. Clawbonny were only here!" said Johnson.
"What could he do?" asked Altamont.
"Oh, he'd manage to get us out somehow."
"How, pray?" said the American, crossly.
"If I knew that I should not need him. However, I know what his
advice just now would be."
"What?"
"To take some food; that can't hurt us. What do you say, Mr.
Altamont?"
"Oh, let's eat, by all means, if that will please you, though
we're in a ridiculous, not to say humiliating, plight."
"I'll bet you we'll find a way out after dinner."
No one replied, but they seated themselves round the table.
[Illustration]
Johnson, trained in Clawbonny's school, tried to be brave and
unconcerned about the danger, but he could scarcely manage it. His
jokes stuck in his throat. Moreover, the whole party began to feel
uncomfortable. The atmosphere was getting dense, for every opening
was hermetically sealed. The stoves would hardly draw, and it was
evident would soon go out altogether for want of oxygen.
Hatteras was the first to see their fresh danger, and he made no
attempt to hide it from his companions.
"If that is the case," said Altamont, "we must get out at all
risks."
"Yes," replied Hatteras; "but let us wait till night. We will
make a hole in the roof, and let in a provision of air, and then one
of us can fire out of it on the bears."
"It is the only thing we can do, I suppose," said Altamont.
So it was agreed; but waiting was hard work, and Altamont could not
refrain from giving vent to his impatience by thundering
maledictions on the bears, and abusing the ill fate which had placed
them in such an awkward and humbling predicament. "It was beasts
versus men," he said, "and certainly the men cut a pretty
figure."