120 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



another, and when the moonlight is at all sufficient 

 to permit them to be abroad, they never tarry idly 

 in their igloos. 



My sleep was long and refreshing. The Eskimos 

 had not yet returned, when I arose, and, after a 

 delicious breakfast of hare's liver, hearts and bacon, 

 I took my .22 automatic rifle and tramped north- 

 ward around the base of a hill. After killing sev- 

 eral hares and missing some shots at foxes because 

 of uncertain light, I found myself many miles from 

 the igloo. The hares were too heavy to carry back 

 and I cached them to be picked up later. Though 

 I was absent several hours on this trip, it was still 

 several hours after my return before I heard the wel- 

 come crack of whips and howling of dogs, and saw 

 the sledges coming. Two foxes and another seal 

 had been killed. 



I accompanied the hunters, after all had taken a 

 brief rest, in search of walrus. A number were seen, 

 but the conditions were unfavorable, and in the face 

 of a north wind, we finally headed for Etah with 

 heavily laden sledges. 



The risks that an Eskimo will run is past belief, 

 and there is little wonder that now and again some 

 never return from sledging journeys. On our south- 

 ward trip much open water was encountered; now 

 young ice had taken its place. This young ice we 

 traversed for many miles, and much of it was so thin 

 that it bent dangerously beneath the sledges. In 

 crossing it, the dogs were kept on a run, for a mo- 

 ment's inactivity would have meant disaster and per- 



