154 HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



wall bears upon the stones of an arch. Captain Larsson 

 recklessly attempted to put the schooner through one of 

 these openings and nearly smashed her rudder and pro- 

 peller against a floe in the seaway. The sharp ice ripped 

 long gashes in the planking. He had to back in again 

 with great difficulty and good luck. At this part of the 

 pack the clear water to windward gave no easy transition 

 from the ice to the sea. Farther south, inshore, the 

 offing was filled with scattered cakes from the rest of 

 the shore ice to the eastward, and though our part of the 

 field seemed not less dense in that direction, there was a 

 better chance of forcing an exit in the stiller water where 

 the loose drift ice broke up the sea. In this way we got 

 out later in the afternoon. 



But eight walrus on an ice pan came into view. The 

 mate went to Collins and Lovering and said, "You 

 might as well get these walrus; we appear to be at the 

 edge of the ice." 



But Kleinschmidt objected, '^ You'll get plenty more 

 chances; we're not done with the ice yet. If I go to 

 Larsson and ask him to wait while you shoot these he'll 

 raise a fuss." 



They persuaded him to do so, however, and the 

 kayaks were put overboard. Collins then asked Elting 

 and me if we would like to go for the game, but we 

 declined. Collins and Lovering set out at once and in 

 three-quarters of an hour each had killed two good speci- 

 mens out of the lot. The tusks of one walrus came in 

 contact at the point. By five o'clock we had the heads 

 on board and were on our way through the ice to open 

 water. 



We lay offshore in a moderate sea with sails up to 

 make progress against the head wind and, when we 



