AMONG THE WALRUS HERDS 127 



was a long distance away and in trying to near it the 

 mate in the crow's nest lost the exact location and we 

 went past. Then it seemed as if it had been an illusion, 

 for all dark patches were only shadow and dirty snow; 

 but on returning along our track we found the walrus 

 again. Lovering, whose turn it was to shoot (for we 

 had arranged a rotation of chances), invited me to go 

 with him and Collins in the kayaks. The man who had 

 the shot had always the first choice of when and what to 

 shoot, as well as direction of the stalk and the right to 

 fire exclusively or to permit the others to shoot. 



We paddled nearly a mile from the "Abler" — the 

 afternoon had well slipped by — and reached a small ice- 

 pan, about one hundred square yards in area, one hun- 

 dred and fifty yards to leeward of the larger piece on 

 which the walrus lay. To get there we had to pass and 

 not disturb a dozen of the huge beasts which were sleep- 

 ing and idling in the water to our right. Some floated 

 upright, their heads out to the ears, their tusks dipped 

 below the surface so that they could look about. Others 

 slept awash, their heads under water and the round of 

 their rumps and great shoulders showing a few inches 

 above the ripples. For at least a half hour they would 

 remain in this position, and doubtless could do so much 

 longer, though we never timed any exactly to learn how 

 long they could comfortably stay under. Some lazily 

 turned their faces towards us, but I doubt if their vision 

 was good enough to see us at the distance, about 

 seventy-five yards, or they would have indulged their 

 notorious curiosity to see what we were. In any case 

 we resembled a cake of ice as much as we could dress the 

 part; over our fur parkas we had pulled white cotton 

 ones that concealed every dark part of our clothing while 



