“Yes, I was looking at it,” replied Steve. “What a monster! It looks like an elephant without a trunk, and his tusks turned wrong way on.”
For there, swimming about, or climbing on to a great mass of ice a quarter of a mile away, but which looked half that distance in the clear air, was the herd in perfect safety. They were of all sizes, from calves not half grownup to unwieldy cows and the huge massive bulls. Some floated quietly, others were gambolling about, and the rest lay in various attitudes as if basking or sleeping in the warm sunshine; while one great fellow had dragged himself on to the highest point, raised himself on his fore flippers, and, with head erect, was looking about in different directions.
“That’s the sentinel,” said Johannes quietly. “He’ll warn them of danger, and he must have seen us.”
“No,” said Jakobsen; and he pointed to their right.
Johannes laughed.
“Right,” he said. “No wonder you did not get a shot, gentlemen; there was some one stalking them first.”
“Some one?” cried the captain. “Who? where?”
Johannes chuckled, and pointed to where the water was being parted by something swimming.
“I see it,” cried Steve; “a bear!”
“Yes, sir; he has been trying to get one of the young calves, but they were too sharp for him; and now he has gone down to the water, and is swimming across to the floe to have another try. If you watch him, Mr Steve, you’ll see some fun.”