THE WALRUS 139 



our boat, with nostrils dilated, flinging high 

 into the air a cloud of blood-tinged spray. At 

 that moment it had indeed been king of its 

 element. With its white tusks, its black muzzle, 

 and almost its whole body out of water, it had 

 seemed like a charging hippopotamus ; stretched 

 now on the ice, it was no more than a mass of 

 flabby flesh of no precise shape. 



It measured about thirteen feet six inches 

 long, and rather more than ten feet around the 

 thickest part of the body. I was proud of our 

 achievement ! 



Meanwhile, the sailors had discovered the 

 body of the second walrus lying on the sea 

 bottom. We harpooned it, and with the aid 

 of tackle brought from the ship we hauled it 

 on to the ice more easily than we had the first 

 one. This also was a large male, whose tusks, 

 shorter than those of the other, were, however, 

 stronger. Brief as was the interval it had been 

 in the water since death, it was already covered 

 with minute shell-fish. From its nostrils blood 

 still streamed, for this was the one I had shot 

 full face. As regards the first, the bullet had 

 entered its mouth, smashed its palate at the 

 moment when it was charging, and penetrated 

 the brain. The sailors skinned the walruses 

 and I returned aboard with my trophies, quite 



