Big Game at Sea 



the walrus herd, butting through the ice with tre- 

 mendous force, and in the confusion seizing the 

 young which have been lying on the backs of their 

 mothers in fancied security. The jaw of the huge 

 man-eater shark, with its many rows of serrated teeth, 

 is a menace, but it does not compare to that of the 

 orca. The head of the latter is extremely power- 

 ful, and the heavy jaws are provided with great tusk- 

 like ivory teeth, well devised to crush and tear the 

 largest of animals, its method of attack well justify- 

 ing the title the tiger of the sea. 



The capture of so vigorous an animal as the orca 

 or killer as a sport would hardly appeal to one 

 familiar with its ways. Off the channel island 

 of Southern California, where the maroon-saddled 

 killer, as described, is common, it has never attacked 

 any one, and except on very rare occasions display- 

 ing a disagreeable officiousness, demonstrated by fol- 

 lowing up boats, once chasing a small boat nearly 

 to the rocks, doubtless in curiosity, possibly thinking 

 it was some kind of a whale like itself. But the 

 dignified procession of orcas on certain warm days 

 was so attractive and inviting to certain landsmen 

 that they determined to take one, or at least 

 to make the attempt. The party provided them- 

 selves with a heavy shark line five or six hundred 

 feet long, a heavy hook constructed for the purpose, 

 and to the extreme end of the line fastened an iron- 

 bound box. The hook was baited with a thirty- 



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