116 ODOB^XUS ROSMAEUS ATLANTIC WALRUS. 



was fast to the harpoon and was dragging the boat furiously 

 through the icebergs, I was going to shoot her through the head 

 that we might have time to follow the others ; but Christian 

 called to me not to shoot, as she had a ^ junger ' with her. Al- 

 though I did not understand his object, I reserved my fire, and 

 upon looking closely at the Walrus when she came np to breathe, 

 I then i)erceived that she held a very young calf under her right 

 arm, and I saw that he wanted to harpoon it ; but whenever he 

 poised the weapon to throw, the old cow seemed to watch the 

 direction of it, and interposed her own body, and she seemed 

 to receive with pleasure several hariDoons which were intended 

 for the young one. At last a well- aimed dart struck the calf, 

 and we then shortened uj) the lines attached to the cow and 

 finished her with the lances. Christian now had time and breath 

 to explain to me why he was so anxious to secure the calf, and 

 he proceeded to give me a practical illustration of his meaning 

 by gently 'stirring up' the unfortunate junger with the butt 

 end of a hari30on shaft. This caused the poor little animal to 

 emit a peculiar, plaintive, grunting cry, eminently expressive of 

 alarm and of a desire for assistance, and Christian said it would 

 bring all the herd round about the boat immediately. Unfor- 

 tunately, however, we had been so long in getting hold of our 

 poor decoy duck that the others had all gone out of hearing, 

 and they abandoned their young relative to his fate, which 

 quickly overtook him in the shape of a lance thrust from the 

 remorseless Christian. 



" I don't think I shall ever forget the faces of the old Walrus 

 and her calf as they looked back at the boat ! The countenance 

 of the young one, so expressive of abject terror, and yet of con- 

 fidence in its mother's power of protecting it, as it swam along 

 under her wing ; and the old cow's face showing such reckless 

 defiance for all that we could do to herself, and yet such terrible 

 anxiety as to the safety of her calf! 



" This plan of getting hold of a junger and making him grunt 

 to attract others is a well-known 'dodge' among hunters; and, 

 although it was not rewarded on this occasion, I have several 

 times seen it meet with the full measure of success due to its 

 humanity and ingenuity." * 



When in the water, to again quote from Mr. Lamont, " the herd 

 generally keep close together, and the simultaneousness with 

 which they dive and reapjjear again is remarkable ; one moment 



* Seasons witli the Sea-liorses, pp. 70, 71. 



