“Hold on, lads!” cried Fred, as he fastened the last lashing.  “We’ll be ready in a second.  Now, then, jump on, two of you!  Catch hold of the tail-line, Meetuck!  All right!”

“Hall right!” yelled the Esquimau, as he let go the dogs and sprang upon the sledge.

The team struggled and strained violently for a few seconds in their efforts to overcome the vis inertiae of the sledge, and it seemed as if the traces would part; but they were made of tough walrus-hide, and held on bravely, while the heavy vehicle gradually fetched way, and at length flew over the floes at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour.  Travelling, however, was not now quite so agreeable as it had been when they set out from the ship; for the floes were swept bare in some places by the gale, while in other places large drifts had collected, so that the sledge was either swaying to and fro on the smooth ice, and swinging the dogs almost off their feet, or it was plunging heavily through banks of soft snow.

As the wind was still blowing fresh, and would have been dead against them had they attempted to return by a direct route to the ship, they made for the shore, intending to avail themselves of the shelter afforded by the ice-belt.  Meanwhile the carcass of the walrus—­at least as much of it as could not be packed on the sledge—­was buried in the hut, and a spear planted above it to mark the spot.

“Ha! an’ it’s cowld,” said O’Riley, wrapping himself more closely in his fur jumper as they sped along.  “I wish we wos out o’ the wind, I do.”

“You’ll have your wish soon, then,” answered West, “for that row of icebergs we’re coming to will shelter us nearly all the way to the land.”

“Surely you are taking us too much off to the right, Meetuck,” said Fred; “we are getting farther away from the ship.”

“No fee.  De win’ too ’trong.  We turn hup ’long shore very quick, soon—­ha!”

Meetuck accompanied each word with a violent nod of his head, at the same time opening and shutting his mouth and winking with both eyes, being apparently impressed with the conviction that such contortions of visage rendered his meaning more apparent.

“Look! look! ho!  Nannook, nannook!” (a bear, a bear!) whispered the Esquimau with sudden animation, just as they gained the lee of the first iceberg.

The words were unnecessary, however, for the whole party were looking ahead with the most intense eagerness at a bear which their sudden advent had aroused from a nap in the crevice of the iceberg.  A little cub was discerned a moment after standing by her side, and gazing at the intruders with infantine astonishment.  While the muskets were being loosened and drawn out, Meetuck let slip all the dogs, and in a few seconds they were engaged in active warfare with the enemy.