HUNTS AND EXPLORATIONS 47 



but surely making his way to the waters of the bay. Mane 

 with her baby on her back was sitting in the sand, her heels 

 dug into it as far as she could get them, holding on to the line 

 attached to the walrus, without apparently arresting its pro- 

 gress in the least, for she was being dragged through the 

 gravel and sand quite rapidly. While I looked, Matt came 

 rushing to her assistance, and taking hold of the line just 

 ahead of where Mane held it, he gave it one or two turns 

 about his wrists, and evidently thought all he had to do 

 would be to dig his heels into the sand and hold back ; but 

 in an instant he was down in the sand too, and both he and 

 Mane were plowing along, the sand flying, and both shouting 

 lustily for help. So strong was this little creature that had 

 not the other boys rushed out and secured him, he would 

 easily have pulled Matt and Mane to the water's edge, where, 

 of course, they would have let him go, and he would have 

 been a free walrus once more. I have always regretted that I 

 did not get a " kodak " of the scene. 



It was now the end of August, and active preparations 

 were in progress for sending a party with provisions to estab- 

 lish an advance depot on the inland ice for the spring sledge 

 journey across the great ice desert to the northern terminus 

 of Greenland. It was decided that Astrup, Gibson, and Ver- 

 hoeff should go on this trip, while Dr. Cook and Matt re- 

 mained with Mr. Peary and myself at Redcliffe. 



On September 3, all arrangements having been perfected 

 for the inland ice party, every one in the settlement, except 



