“I think I can give a better explanation—­begging your pardon, O’Riley,” said Captain Ellice, who had hitherto looked on with a sly smile.  “More than a year ago, when I was driven past this place to the northward, I took advantage of a calm to land a supply of food, and a few stores and medicines, to be a stand-by in case my ship should be wrecked to the northward.  Ever since the wreck actually took place I have looked forward to this cache of provisions as a point of refuge on my way south.  As I have already told you, I have never been able to commence the southward journey; and now I don’t require these things, which is lucky, for the bears seem to have appropriated them entirely.”

“Had I known of them sooner, captain,” said Captain Guy, “the bears should not have had a chance.”

“That accounts for the supply of tobacco and sticking-plaster we found in the bear’s stomach,” remarked Fred, laughing.

“True, boy; yet it surprises me that they succeeded in breaking into my cache, for it was made of heavy masses of stone, many of which required two and three men to lift them, even with the aid of handspikes.”

“What’s wrong with O’Riley?” said Fred, pointing to that eccentric individual, who was gazing intently at the bears, muttering between his teeth, and clinching his cudgel nervously.

“Sure it’s a cryin’ shame,” he soliloquized in an undertone, quite unconscious that he was observed, “that ye should escape, ye villains.  Av I only had a musket now—­but I han’t.  Arrah! av it was only a spear.  Be the mortial!  I think I could crack the skull o’ the small wan!  Faix, then, I’ll try!”

At the last word, before any one was aware of his intentions, this son of Erin, whose blood was now up, sprang down the cliffs towards the bears, flourishing his stick, and shouting wildly as he went.  The bears instantly paused in their game, but showed no disposition to retreat.

“Come back, you madman!” shouted the captain; but the captain shouted in vain.

“Stop! halt! come back!” chorused the crew.

But O’Riley was deaf.  He had advanced to within a few yards of the bears, and was rushing forward to make a vigorous attack on the little one.

“He’ll be killed!” exclaimed Fred in dismay.

“Follow me, men,” shouted the captain, as he leaped the ridge:  “make all the noise you can.”

In a moment the surrounding cliffs were reverberating with the loud halloos and frantic yells of the men, as they burst suddenly over the ridge, and poured down upon the bears like a torrent of maniacs.

Bold though they were, they couldn’t stand this.  They turned tail and fled, followed by the disappointed howls of O’Riley, and also by his cudgel, which he hurled violently after them as he pulled up.

Having thus triumphantly put the enemy to flight, the party continued their ascent of the hill, and soon gained the summit.