"Isn't it a curious thing, now, to think that we're all _at sea_ a-eatin', and drinkin', and slaapin'-- or goin' to slaap--jist as if we wor on the land, and the great ocean away down below us there, wid whales, and seals, and walruses, and mermaids, for what I know, a-swimmin' about jist under whare we sit, and maybe lookin' through the ice at us this very minute.
Isn't it quare ?" "It is odd," said Fred, laughing, "and not a very pleasant idea.
However, as there is at least twelve feet of solid ice between us and the company you mention, we don't need to care much." "Ov coorse not," replied O'Riley, nodding his head approvingly as he lighted his pipe; "that's my mind intirely--in all cases o' danger, when ye don't need to be afeard, you needn't much care.

It's a good chart to steer by, that same." This last remark seemed to afford so much food for thought to the company that nothing further was said by any one until Fred rose and proposed to turn in.

West had already crawled into his blanket-bag, and was stretched out like a mummy on the floor, and the sound of Meetuck's jaws still continued as he winked sleepily over the walrus-meat, when a scraping was heard outside the hut.
"Sure, it's the foxes; I'll go and look," whispered O'Riley, laying down his pipe and creeping to the mouth of the tunnel.
He came back, however, faster than he went, with a look of consternation, for the first object that confronted him on looking out was the enormous head of a Polar bear.

To glance round for their fire-arms was the first impulse, but these had unfortunately been left on the sledge outside.

What was to be done?
They had nothing but their clasp-knives in the igloe.