1914] IN SEARCH OF CROCKER LAND 63 



which ran east and west, were an indication of strong 

 northerly prevailing winds out in Eureka Sound, toward 

 which we were headed and which extended across our 

 course at right angles. Once out from under the lee of 

 the high hills and facing the wind, we should find the 

 ice swept clean of snow. 



The next morning we continued on through heavy 

 going until the dogs began to smell seal-holes, and then 

 there was a rush from hole to hole along the ice-foot. 

 The huge footprints of a polar bear and a bloody track 

 through the snow were evidence that the "tiger of the 

 North" had succeeded in capturing a seal. The dogs 

 were now fairly excited, dashing along with heads and 

 tails up, whining and yelping. In a few minutes a white 

 wolf, so large that we all thought it was a bear, bounded 

 out of the ice-foot and took to the side-hill, every twenty 

 yards or so stopping to look us over carefully, wondering 

 what kind of strange animals we were. The sledges 

 fairly leaped through the rough ice of the tidal crack, 

 but came to a sudden stop in the grit a short distance 

 from the shore. Pee-a-wah-to seized his rifle, ran to 

 the crest of a little knoll, dropped to one knee, and 

 fired. I have never seen a better shot. The animal at 

 the time was going at full speed away from him at a 

 distance of about one hundred yards. The bullet passed 

 completely up through his body, turned him over, and 

 left him a crumpled mass without a quiver. I examined 

 this first white wolf with interest. He was larger than 

 the Eskimo dog, which is supposed to be his descendant, 

 although not so thick-set. We removed the skin as a 

 specimen for the American Museum. The dogs sniffed 

 at the red flesh for some time, but finally walked away, 

 recognizing their near relative from the smell. 



