45 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



than tliouglit, has thrown the bladder out of the kaiak behind 

 him. It dances away over the surface of the sea, now and then 

 seeming on the point of disappearing, as indeed it finally does. 

 Before long, however, it again comes in sight, and he chases after 

 it as quickly as his paddle can take him, snapping up on his way 

 his harpoon shaft which has floated to the surface. The lance is 

 laid ready for use. Next moment the seal comes up ; infuriated 

 at its inability to escape, it turns upon its pursuer, attacks first 

 the bladder, which it tears to pieces, and then goes straight for 

 the kaiak. Again Boas is within range; the animal arches its 

 back and hurls itself forward with gaping maw, so that the water 

 foams around it. A miss may now cost him his life; but he 

 calmly raises his lance and sends it speeding with terrible force 

 through the seal's mouth and out at the back of its neck. A 

 shudder runs through it, and its head sinks ; but the next moment 

 it raises itself perpendicularly in the water, the blood pours froth- 

 ing from its mouth, it gapes wildly and utters a smothered roar, 

 while the hood over its nose is inflated to an astounding size. It 

 shakes its head so that the lance shaft quivers and waves to and 

 fro ; but it does not succeed in breaking it or getting free from 

 it. A moment more and Boas's second lance has pierced through 

 one of its fore flappers into its lungs; the seal collapses and the 

 fight is over. He paddles up to its side, and, as it still moves a 

 little, he gives it a finishing stab with his long-handled knife. 

 Then he sets quietly about pulling out his lances and replacing 

 them in the kaiak, takes out his towing line and blows up his 

 towing bladder, which he fastens to the seal, cuts the harpoon 

 head out and once more makes it fast to the shaft, coils the line 

 on the stand, and takes out a new bladder and places it behind 

 him. Next, the seal's flappers are lashed close to its body with 

 the thong designed for that purpose, and the animal is attached 

 by means of the towing line to one side of the kaiak, so that it 

 can easily be towed along, its head being fastened to the fore- 

 most pair of thongs on the deck and its tail to the hindmost. 

 Now Boas is ready to look about him for more game. He is 

 lucky, and has not paddled far before he catches sight of an- 

 other seal. In an instant he has cast loose the one already 

 killed, which is kept afloat by the towing bladder, while he 

 again sets off in pursuit. This one, too, he kills, after some 

 wary stalking and eager waiting ; he takes it in tow and returns 

 for his first prey. The two great animals are fastened one on 

 each side of the kaiak. He has now a good cargo, and can not 

 get very quickly through the water ; but that does not prevent 

 him from increasing his bag. As soon as another seal comes in 

 sight those already secured are cast loose, and when the next one 

 is killed it is fastened behind the others. In this way one man 



