TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 169 



How long that seemingly endless squirming and 

 crawling occupied I knew not, but Ralph told me 

 that it lasted about two hours, during which time I 

 had barely covered eight hundred yards. Finally, 

 having approached by slow degrees to within about 

 twenty-five yards of the sleeping herd, I ventured to 

 rise on one knee in an attempt to focus the camera. 

 Being caught in flagrante delicto by the sentinel's 

 watchful eye, he gave vent to a loud grunt or roar, 

 and the whole group of animals were on the qui vive. 

 Now or never was the time for a snap-shot, and trust- 

 ing to luck I "pressed the button," and devoutly 

 prayed that the great photographic company which 

 advertises that they will " do the rest " might in time 

 develop a fairly successful print as the result. 



The outcome was not equal to my anticipations, but 

 it is ever thus. Life is made up of disappointments. 

 This picture, though no exception to the rule, may 

 still stand as a somewhat unique photograph, if only 

 the inscription beneath it conveys to the spectator 

 what particular scene it is intended to illustrate. And 

 in this respect the snap-shot is not singular, for many 

 others which we see might well be superscribed " this 

 is a walrus," etc., etc., etc.^ and thereby leaves less to 

 the imagination. 



It was only a few seconds ere the whole herd had 

 floundered clumsily into the water, and started swim- 

 ming some distance away from shore. I retired back- 

 wards on hands and knees in crab-like fashion, hoping 

 that the walruses had not all discovered the real cause 

 of this trouble. And apparently my hopes were 



