290 Chapter VI. 



long before a great beast came rushing at us, with the 

 whole troop of clogs around it. As soon as we saw what 

 it was, we turned and ran our best for the ship. Mog- 

 stad, you see, he had moccasins (komager) on, and knew 

 his way better and got there before me. I couldn't get 

 along so fast with my great wooden shoes, and in my 

 confusion I got right on to the big hummock to the west 

 of the ship's bow, you know. I turned here and lighted 

 back to see if the bear was behind me, but I saw nothing 

 and pushed on again, and in a minute these slippery 

 wooden shoes had me Mat on my back among the 

 hummocks. I was up again quick enough ; but when I 

 got down on to the flat ice close to the ship, I saw some- 

 thing coming straight for me on the right-hand side. 

 First I thought it was a clog it's not so easy to see in 

 the dark, you know I had no time for a second thought, 

 for the beast jumped on me and bit me in the side. I 

 had lifted my arm like this, you see, and so he caught 

 me here, right on the hip. He growled and hissed as he 

 bit. 



" ' What did you think then, Peter ?' 



" ' What did I think ? I thought it was all up with me. 

 What was I to do ? I had neither gun nor knife. But 

 I took the lantern and gave him such a whack on the 

 head with it that the thing broke, and went flying away 

 over the ice. The moment he felt the blow he sat down 

 and looked at me. I was just taking to my heels when 

 he got up ; I don't know whether it was to grip me 



