NANSEN AS A MIGHTY NIMROD 375 



BULLETS WHISTLE THROUGH AIR. 

 "We reached the slant of the valley almost at the same time — a leap or 

 two to get up on some big boulders, and the moment had come — I must 

 shoot, though the shot was a long one. When the smoke cleared away I 

 saw the big buck trailing a broken hind leg. When their leader stopped, the 

 whole flock turned and ran in a ring round the poor animal. They could not 

 understand what was happening, and strayed about wildly with the balls 

 whistling round them. Then off they went down the side of the valley 

 again, leaving another of their number behind with a broken leg. I tore 

 after them, across the valley and up on the other side, in the hope of getting 

 another shot, but gave that up and turned back to make sure of the two 

 wounded ones. At the bottom of the valley stood one of the victims await- 

 ing its fate. It looked imploringly at me, and then, just as I was going for- 

 ward to shoot it, made off much quicker than I could have thought possible 

 for an animal on three legs to go. Sure of my shot, of course I missed ; and 

 now began a chase, which ended in the poor beast, blocked in every other 

 direction, rushing down towards the sea and wading into a small lagoon on 

 the shore, whence I feared it might get right out into the sea. At last it got 

 its quietus there in the water. The other one was not far off, and a ball 

 soon put an end to its sufferings also. As I was proceeding to rip it up, Hen- 

 riksen and Johansen appeared; they had just shot a bear a little farther 

 south." 



Hunting the mighty walrus is described by Dr. Nansen thus: 

 "Thursday, September 12th. Henriksen awoke me this morning at 6 

 with the information that there were several walruses lying on a floe quite 

 close to us. 'By Jove!' Up I jumped and had my clothes on in a trice. It 

 was a lovely morning — fine, still weather; the walruses' guffaw sounded over 

 to us along the clear ice surface. They were lying crowded together on a 

 floe a little to landward from us, blue mountains glittering behind them in 

 the sun. At last the harpoons were sharpened, guns and cartridges ready, 

 and Henriksen, Juell, and I set off. There seemed to be a slight breeze from 

 the south, so we rowed to the north side of the floe, to get to leeward of the 

 •animals. From time to time their sentry raised his head, but apparently did 

 not see us. We advanced slowly, and soon we were so near that we had 

 to row very cautiously. Juell kept us going, while Henriksen was ready iq 

 the bow with a harpoon, and I behind him with a gun. The moment the 

 sentry raised his head the oars stopped, and we stood motionless; when he 

 sunk it again, a few more strokes brought us nearer. 



