THE GREAT EXPEDITION. 337 



set off for the animals, which were not in the least shy, and I 

 do not think they would have taken the trouble to dive if we had 

 walked straight up to them. 



At a suitable distance fire was opened, and though it might 

 have done more damage than it did, we got enough of them, for 

 three animals were left lying on the ice after the others had taken 

 to the water. We then drove up to the spot in question, so that 

 the dogs could feast on all this excellent fresh meat. Out of each 

 tentful one man was told off for camping and cooking, and the 

 others set to work to skin the animals. 



Before the dogs were brought up, however, we noticed that 

 there was still life in one of the three animals, which suddenly 

 rose to its flippers, blowing off blood and steam from its mouth 

 like smoke. The shooters then gave it another charge of lead to 

 put an end to its sufferings, but it was an extraordinary animal, 

 and did not seem to care in the least how much we shot at it. 

 In fact, the more we fired bullets into its skull the more alive 

 it became. They have the best heads I ever came across ; but 

 probably it died at last, for, at any rate, it lay quite still. 



While we were standing lost in this walrus miracle, a wounded 

 animal thrust its huge head up through one of the three large holes 

 in the ice which the animals had probably kept open for some time. 

 It was badly wounded, and made several attempts to scramble 

 up, but had not the strength to do so. It had the biggest 

 tusks I saw on any walrus during the whole of this expedition, 

 and it dug them with such force into the ice that the splinters 

 flew off it. We ran up to the walrus and seized it by the tusks, 

 trying by means of a rope round them and its head to help 

 it up, but the rope slipped each time, and our exertions led to 

 nothing. The mate, in particular, was quite touchingly anxious to 

 help it, and worked at it till it sank. I thought then that he 

 meant to go after it, to see if he could not ' get it fast ' at the 

 bottom, but 'at the last moment he drew back. 



After the skinning had been accomplished, we dragged across 

 to the dogs as much meat as they could possibly eat ; and the last 

 thing we did at night was to drag them another portion, so that if 

 they liked they could go on eating all night. 



VOL. I. z 



