The Golden Harpoon — page 31: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

C = | AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER. 29 Harry then proposed that an immediate search should be made for the mysterious creature, and followed by Stump, who had pron eee himse!f with a harpoon and the boat ratchet, he moved quickly forward. They hed not gone far when they heard a low growl, which seemed to proceed from some one of the masses! of ice directly ahead of them. They were also enabled to distinguish a pair of gleaming eyes bent fiercely upon them, which Stump deciared were the saine,he had seen peering into the boat. * Quick—the harpoon!” whispered Marline, as a dark form, rapidly approaching them, now became visible—it’s a bear!” The iron was soon in the young man’s hand, - and, lifting it, he darted it into the creature’s side. The bear, however, came on, tossing his head, snapping his teeth and uttering ferocious rrowls; and before Marline had quite recovered his balance upon the slippery surface of the ice, the beast. was so close to him that he could feel its breath in his face; for the animal had by this time raised itself upon its hind-legs and drawn back its fore-paws preparatory to plunging its claws into the shoulders of the young man. = Stump, however, now rushed forward and buried the sharp edge of the boat hatchet deep in the animal’s neck, when, with a snarl of agony and rage, Bruin turned upon his new ad- versary. Retreating backward, the latter con- tinued to deal blow after blow upon the bear’s neck, until the hatchet was knocked from his grasp by a stroke from the paw of his oppo- nent. Stump slipped at the same moment, falling upon his back, and the next instant the bear, which had paused for a few seconds seemingly for the purpose of twisting its half-severed head into its natural position, was about to throw itself upon the prostrate man, when Marline plunged his sheath-knife into the creature’s stomach, drawing the edge—‘ Nor- wegian fashion”’—along its belly, and ripping open the flesh. The blood of the already weakened animal poured forth in a perfect torrent, and with a faint growl of defiance, the bear fell expiring upon the ice. “ Ay, ay,” said Stump, as he regained his feet and proceeded to smooth his ruffied pigtail, “he’s a dead lubber, sure enough. I’ve heard stories before now about them creaturs up this way not showing much fight, but twist me if I don't think this one is an exception, although he isn’t much taller. than a common-sized New- foundland dog, and very lean at that.” ‘The animal was half-starved, as you can perceive by its appearance,” replied Marline, “and that accounts for its ferocity. As a general thing a bear of this kind will run before an armed man.” “Ay, ay, this creatur’ hasn’t had anything to eat for a long time, T'll he bound, haying got adrift, somehow, on the ice. It’s a brown hear, I think, although it’s so dark that it’s hard to make out the colour. My eyes! I never yet liked to meet an enemy in the dark.” /sure enough; and more’s the wonde Marline did not reply, but with a pale and acitated countenance stood looking down upon the dead body at his feet. “Hasn’t it occurred to you, Stump,” he said at length, “that this animal may have been the cause of the disappearance of-——” “Sure enough!” interrupted the ship-keeper, starting, “and singular it is that the idea didn’t get into my head before. Depend upon it, that creatur’ is at the bottom of the whole thing. But Heaven help her!” he suddenly added, shuddering, “it can’t be that—that——” “J understand what you would say,” broke forth from the harpooner; “but you may set your mind at ease upon that score. Alice has not been devoured by the bear, for if she had been the animal would not have attacked us so soon afterwards.” | ‘Ay, ay!” cried Stump, brightening up, “I didn’t think of that. It’s as you say—the bear didn’t eat the poor gal. I ought to have known it by his being so lean, for he couldn’t ha’ swallowed such @ plump lass as she is without showing it. No, no. She saw thé ravenous creatur’, and she’s gone and hid herself some- where, and is afraid to come out. We'll find her in the morning, lad, depend upon it.” The two men made their way back to the block of ice upon which the ark was si{tuated, where they remained, sleepless and watchful, until the grey dawn began to creep into the mist. Then they moved off to continue the search. But‘they had not gone far when Stump suddenly uttered a loud cry, while his eyes—fixed upon some particular point— gleamed with a peculiar expression. “What is it? What do you sogigeied Mar- “Tt’s gone now!” cried Stump; “it’s gone, miracle—a parfect miracle; for my e deceive me; I’m sure of that!” ‘‘For Heaven’s sake, tell me; ab was it?” “Tt was that little golden 54 Se see gift that the captain gave to Miss Alice !” “What? How?—the harpoon? You must have been deceived. Where did you see it?” ‘“Where that lump of ice right ahead of us rises up. The harpoon was on top of it. [ saw the shine of the gold—I’m sure of it! But it was only for a moment, for the thing disap- peared all of a sudden—faded away from my sight.” “<Tmpossible ! Stump?” = Not a bit of it, lad. I saw the harpoon as plainly as I see you!” “ Are you positive upon——” “ Ay, ay! ready to swear to,it,” interrupted the other, resorting to his pigtail. The harpooner darted to the poms of ica to which the shipkeeper had alluded, and eagerly scanned every nook and crevice round it, for the idea had occurred to him that tho harpoon, owing to some imperceptible motion of the berg, might have been dislodged from its position. But the golden bauble was not found. “ valet me Have your senses left you, COmichbooks (CO)