Fortunately both the hunter and Mr. Roebach fired the next instant and two of the sea lions were hit. The remainder of the herd slid over the ice-cliff and flopped away at good speed toward a break in the ice through which they could get into the water.
But Jack began to dance and shout, and Mark was too surprised to even fire at the herd.
"What under the sun is the matter with you, chum?" exclaimed Mark, with some asperity. "You're as bad as Washington White."
"Maybe I'm worse," bawled the cheerful Jack.
"You scared off them sea lions, boy," admonished Andy Sudds. "We only got two of them."
"Don't care if I did," replied Jack. "See yonder!"
The others followed the direction of his pointing arm with their gaze. Off beyond the headlands at the mouth of the river rose a column of thick black smoke. It was as big a smoke as though some great forge or factory was working overtime in that direction.
"Hurrah!" cried Mark, re-echoing his chum's delight.
The entire party was delighted. Yet not knowing who the people were who made the smoke, nor under what circumstances they would find them, the dead sea lions were packed aboard the sleds before they continued their way down the river.
"That smoke lies a good way beyond the mouth of the river," said Phineas
Roebach. "I believe it is on the sea."