138 HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



more rapidly than the ice. We had principally to guard 

 against being caught under the edges of a tossing floe, 

 which was not easy when Collins mounted some of these 

 to look about for walrus. Not happening upon any for 

 the first hour of our search, we went on with the current, 

 now and then catching a glimpse of the dory, which had 

 taken a course farther inside, to leeward. 



At last we sighted some animals Ijdng on a very small 

 pan where the cakes were packing tightly together. It 

 was easy to approach, almost to windward, and gain a 

 piece of ice hardly twenty yards away. For some time 

 the best tusker lay badly and the other three interposed 

 when he raised his head. Then all were still. They 

 would not rear up. Collins was ready to shoot. I was 

 still in the kayaks, keeping them in a safe position. The 

 sky was threatening snow; time was shortening. So I 

 threw a few small pieces of ice on the lazy brutes. Each 

 time they were thus tickled the walrus sat up angrily and 

 quarreled with each other over the annoyance. But the 

 big fellow lay down so quickly that a sure shot was hard 

 to get in. Then I hit him full on the back and he got 

 up and stayed there till Collins had put a bullet into his 

 brain. Down he fell as if asleep, and the others, mildly 

 surprised at the rifle report, but accustomed to the sharp 

 noises of the ice, made no haste to get away. Indeed, 

 they snuggled down again beside their dead mate, 

 although a tiny jet of his blood was steadily pouring out 

 on one of them. At Collins' invitation I then climbed 

 up and shot two of the others, but they slipped into the 

 water and were lost. 



Lovering had heard the shots and now came to the 

 rescue, for it would have been a long, tedious task to 

 hack the head off with our small knives and carry it all 



I 



