THE WORLD'S WONDERS 



in attacking, as they are very serviceable for diverting the atten- 

 tion of the walrus, and thus affording the harpooners good op- 

 portunities to approach and throw their deadly instruments. 

 The walrus feeding grounds, which had recently changed, were 

 now in a newly formed field of ice that had been detached from 

 shore and was grinding in broken floes. Here they could be seen 

 sporting, coming up under the ice with such force as to throw 

 fragments many feet into the air. To cross over this moving 

 Held, broken here and there, leaving fissures between, was a haz- 

 ardous undertaking, but the promise of rare sport gave the party 

 courage to brave all dangers. For scores of miles .to the north 

 and south, the drifting floe was grinding its uneven face ;igainst 

 the firm but jagged front on which Hall stood. Mounting a high 

 ridge of ice, he saw, as far as the eye could reach seaward and 

 up and down the bay, a boundless field slowly moving oipv.-ird 

 toward the south, but crushing to atoms miles and miles of m;is- 

 sive ice; now rearing up mountains on mountains, now plowing 

 up acres into high ridges. 



One of the Innuits, who had joined him, was unable to reach 

 a large walrus which rose in a small water-space five fathoms off, 

 for the "squeezed, rolling crunching mass" was working be- 

 tween the floes. He gave a quick signal to those on the drifting 

 floe, and his companions ran rapidly toward the walrus ; but just 

 as he had his harpoon raised, the animal disappeared in the water. 

 Hall then directed their steps toward the loose pack which the 

 others had already gained, to reach which the sharp eye of the 

 Innuit quickly discovered the only possible crossing. A quick 

 run, a few steps over sludge and powdered ice, leap from this 

 trembling block to that one, and a final leap to the driving floe, 

 brought the two safely over. 



Walruses could now be seen in every direction ; some butting up 

 ice-fragments from the solid main, some with heads through the 

 butted holes, and some with their bodies half distended upon the 

 ice. The hunters now began their exciting work. In one direc- 

 tion two Innuits were under full run for the same blowing wal- 

 rus, the dogs running around them. Suddenly the two men 



