132 HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



the vessel coming back and they reheved us by saymg 

 that they had not lost us, but had gone to an open place 

 to turn around. 



Painstaking observations of the sun by captain and 

 mate indicated that we were just off Cape Vankarem, on 

 the Siberian coast. When, however, the land presently 

 came into sight it proved that our chronometer was quite 

 out. We were, in fact, fifty-two miles farther west than 

 the observations placed us 



Collins asked me to go with Kleinschmidt and him on 

 the next stalk. As the schooner cruised through the 

 fairly open ice field in a glassy, cahn sea, with bright sun- 

 shine warming the keen edge off the ice-breath, we came 

 close to a small group of our game, the walrus, huddled 

 upon a very small cake. Kleinschmidt directed our 

 movements. The very faint air that was stirring we 

 feared would be enough to give the quarry our scent and 

 no ice large enough to he on was nearer than fifty yards 

 on the lee side. A tall cliff rose ten feet high just beside 

 the rookery, and an expectant gull sat upon it, but we 

 dared not risk making it, for the walrus sat up and 

 looked around frequently. There were four of them and 

 the two that had good ivory lay badly for our position on 

 the leeward floe. 



The best shot is to have the back of the head 

 presented, for the heavy forepart of the skull stops or 

 turns even a high-power bullet, and the side view gives 

 but a very small area into which the lead must go to reach 

 the brain. This spot lies fifteen inches from the muzzle 

 and three inches below the top of the head, just back of 

 the tiny hole marking the ears. It is extremely hard to 

 reach the brain and many a one would be missed by the 

 best shots; even if wounded severely they are able 



