AMONG THE WALRUS HERDS 143 



great for certainty. We had well learned that the small 

 brain was extraordinarily elusive, even when one had an 

 apparently perfect aim. 



But another cake, irregular in shape, lay very close 

 to the herd, so close in fact that it was doubtful if we 

 could reach it undiscovered. By this time, however, we 

 had some contempt for the enemy's organs of sight and 

 hearing. The only consideration remaining was the fre- 

 quent passage of walrus between it and us. 



"You might kill from here," said I, ''but you ought 

 to have the best chance; so let's get to that other floe." 



"I think that's better, too," said he, "but I didn't 

 like to propose it to you on account of the loose walrus 

 around here." 



We took our opportunity and nothing came at us, 

 pulled the kayaks into a crack in the ice, made them fast 

 with a seal hook, crawled over the crest of the pan, slid 

 on our bellies to the shelter of the ridge, which ran at 

 right angles to the side where we had landed, barely 

 screening us as we crawled into position only thirty-five 

 yards from the nearest walrus on the ice. It was sure 

 death for some of them, with the firearm in my com- 

 panion's hands and he laid out two and nearly got a 

 third. Curiously, the one he picked for second best had 

 the bigger tusks. All the others gained the water inmae- 

 diately. None of them ventured back upon the floe, so 

 we waved our caps to the "Abler" and she came up and 

 took the heads and bodies on board. The latter were to 

 supply with winter's meat the three natives we had 

 brought from Welen. 



The umiak came in while we were at dinner, with 

 one head shot by Elting. They had stalked four herds 

 and killed thirteen walrus, recovering only one of that 

 number. 



