246 A WALRUS HUNT. 



flesh of the reindeer, yet it is much as we do " canvas- 

 backs ; " and, for a long and steady pull, there is noth- 

 ing like the "Awak," as they call the walrus, in imi- 

 tation of its cry. To them its flesh is what rice is to 

 the Hindoo, beef to the Gouchos of Buenos Ayres, or 

 mutton to the Tartars of Mongolia. 



The proposed hunt came off* successfully. Hans 

 and the old man set out with all of their tackle in fine 

 order, and found a numerous herd of walrus swim- 

 ming near the edge of the ice. They were approached 

 with caution, on all fours, and were not alarmed. The 

 hunters reached within a few feet of the water. They 

 both then lay down flat on the ice and imitated the 

 cry of the animals of which they were in pursuit; 

 and the whole herd was soon brought by this means 

 within easy reach of the harpoon. Rising suddenly, 

 Hans buried his weapon in a good-sized beast, while his 

 companion held fast to the line and secured his end 

 of it with the iron spike of a lance-staff", which he 

 drove into the ice and held down firmly. The beast 

 struggled hard to free itself, floundering and plung- 

 ing like a wild bull held by a lasso, but all without 

 avail. With every opportunity Hans took in the slack 

 of the line and secured it, and at length the strug- 

 gling prey was within twenty feet of the hunters. 

 The lance and rifle now did their work very expedi- 

 tiously ; the frightened comrades of the dying animal 

 rushed away through the waters with loud cries of 

 alarm, their deep bass voices sounding strangely 

 through the darkness. The edge of the ice proved 

 to be too thin to bear the captured game, and, having 

 secured it with a line, it was allowed to remain until 

 the following day, when, the ice having thickened 

 with the low temperature, the flesh was chopped out 



