CHAPTER XII
FRED'S EXPERIENCE
Both Jack Cosgrove and Rob Carrol could have shouted with joy at thesight of the missing boy, and the sound of his voice. More than once,during the stirring minutes that they were trying to save themselvesfrom the irrestrainable bear, they thought of the shot that was firedby neither of them, and which, therefore, they naturally attributed totheir friend.
The second shot left no doubt of its source, and here now was theyouth hurrying down from some point near where the brute had come,laughing like his own natural self.
It need not be said that his hand was shaken heartily by the sailorand his companion, and that he was overwhelmed with questions as tohis singular action.
The story of Fred was curious, and yet it had been partiallydiscounted by his chum.
It was not to be supposed that he would leave the comparative comforthe enjoyed when huddled close to his friends without good cause, andin that case he would have notified them of his intention, to savethem from alarm.
The experience of the day disturbed him, and caused him to dreamdreams of the most vivid nature. Several times, during the precedingyears, he had walked in his sleep, and his departure from the camp, asthey called it, was as unknown to himself as to his friends.
It was evident that he managed the business with great skill, sinceneither of the others was disturbed. He picked up his gun and went offin the direction followed by Rob, clambering farther up the side ofthe iceberg than was supposed possible.
"I think," said Fred, "that I can read the cause for what I did whileunconscious. You remember we had much to say about the 'Nautilus'being driven out of sight by the gale, and I recall that, before goingto sleep, I wondered whether we could not climb to a higher portion ofthe berg and signal to them.
"I suppose that was what set my mind and muscles to work whenunconscious, and impelled me to try what I never would have tried withmy full senses about me.
"When I came to myself I was in a cavity in the ice, where theprotection against the gale was much better than our camp. It was aregular bowl or hollow, which would have been just the place for usthree. But daylight had come, the weather was so moderate that I didnot suffer from cold, and there was nothing, therefore, to be fearedfrom that cause.
"As you may suppose, it took me sometime before I could recall myself,but I was not long in suspecting the truth. I was so comfortable inthe position involuntarily assumed that I lay still while ponderingmatters. When ready, I was on the point of rising, when I heard aslight noise on the ice above me.
"'That's Jack or Rob,' I thought; 'they are looking for me, and I willgive them a scare.'
"I lay still, expecting one of you to pass so close that you woulddiscover me, but though I could follow the movement by sound, andthough the object passed close to me it was not quite close enough tobe seen, I rose softly to my feet and peered over the edge of thecavity in which I was resting.
"Well, Rob was startled when he stumbled over that polar bear, but hewas no more frightened than I, when I discovered that instead of itbeing one of you, it was that frightful brute which had swung bywithin a few feet of where I lay.
"You can see the curious shape of matters. The bear had come from somepoint beyond where I lay, and, making his way down the ice, had nowplaced himself between me and you. The only means of my reaching youwas by passing close to him. That meant a fight to the death.
"I noticed his tremendous size, and from what I have heard they areamong the most dangerous beasts in the world--"
"You're right there, my hearty," interrupted Jack; "if there was everany doubt in my mind, which there wasn't, it was settled by thatlittle scrimmage awhile ago."
"I had my gun, and, at first, was half-disposed to take a shot, butthe chance was a poor one, for he was walking straight away, and itwas impossible to do more than sound him. That would render himfurious and cause him to attack me. Our rifles were not repeatingones, and before I could get another charge ready, he would be uponme, and it might be that several well-aimed shots would be necessaryto finish him."
"You had good sense," said Rob; "he would have made mince-meat of youin a fight."
"You must remember that while I could see the bear from where I peeredover the edge of the ice, I could not catch the first sight of you.The brute seemed to be following some sort of a path, while the massesof ice were so piled upon both sides and beyond him that all fartherview was shut off.
"While I was watching the enormous white body swinging along, itstopped, and then to my dismay, he turned about and started back.
"'He's coming for me!' was my conclusion, 'and now there will be a rowsure.'
"I braced myself to receive him, but, inasmuch as he had not yet seenme, and, inasmuch as he had once passed my shelter, withoutdiscovering me, there was hope that he would do the same again. So'Brer rabbit, he lay low,' and I listened for him to go by. As soon ashe was at a safe distance, I intended to climb out and hurry to you.We three ought to be enough for him, and I had no fear but that youmight manage him between you without my help."
"That was my opinion at that time," added Fred, with a twinkle of hiseye, "but it isn't now. While I was crouching there I heard youcalling me. You can understand why I didn't answer. I preferred toremain mum so long as that bear was between me and you and comingtoward me."
"We did a lot of shouting last night," said Rob.
"That's the first I knew of it. But the minutes passed without thebear being heard. I listened as intently as I knew how, but no soundreached me.
"'I wonder if he intends to promenade back and forth,' was my thought,as I ventured to peep out once more, with great caution; 'this isgetting interesting.'
"Well, I was surprised when I saw him. He was less than a dozen yardsoff, and lying down, with his head still turned away from me. Hisaction was just as if he had learned that his breakfast was going tocome up that path, and he intended to wait until it walked into hisarms."
"And that is pretty nearly what I did," said Rob, with a smilingglance at the carcass.
"His head being still away I dared not fire, nor would it have donefor me to call to you or answer your signals. It was plain to me thathe had no suspicion that the choicest kind of meal was right near him,and it wouldn't have been wise for me to apprise him of the fact; itmight have made things unpleasant all around.
"You needn't be told what followed. I watched him a few minutes,during which he was as motionless as the iceberg itself, and then Isettled down to await developments.
"While seated, of course I saw nothing of him, and the first notice Ireceived of what was going on was when I heard Rob shouting. I sprangout of my shelter, and, as you will remember, saved you both frombeing devoured by the monster. Isn't he, or, rather, wasn't he a bigfellow?" added Fred, stepping over to the enormous carcass andtouching it with his foot.
"He's the biggest I've ever seen," assented Jack, "and I'm thankfulthat we got off as well as we did. It's no use of denying that yourshots helped us through."
"Possibly, but it was Rob after all who wound up the business," Fredhastened to say, lest he might be thought of wishing to take unduecredit to himself.
"There's worse eating, too, than bear meat."
It was Jack who made this remark, and the others caught itssignificance. They were thus provided with the means of living for along time on the iceberg, and might hope for some means of rescue inthe course of a week or two.
Rob was about to make some characteristic reply, when the sailorpointed out to sea.
"Do you obsarve that?" he asked. "It's just what I was afeared of, andI don't like it at all."