158 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS-OF CARA 
horse is hunted without the assistance of the kyack. 
The new ice being thin, the walruses break up through 
it at any place, and sport about in the water-holes which 
they make. Then the hunters—for several of them 
usually go together—march out upon the ice and attack 
them from the edge of the water-holes. This method of 
hunting is, however, rather dangerous, as the animals 
have an ugly habit of noting the position of their assail- 
ants, then disappearing below the water, and in a moment 
presenting themselves below the ice at the spot where 
the men stand. 
The Eskimos, who are familiar with this manceuvre, 
always change their position the moment one of the 
crafty brutes goes down, and stand, harpoons in hand, 
ready to receive him when he returns crashing through 
the ice with deadly designs upon his craftier adver- 
saries. 
It is an easier matter to harpoon a walrus thus in the 
ice than it is to secure him, for here the “oweta” or 
float cannot be used to advantage, and it is no easy 
matter to hold a three thousand pounder of the sea. 
However, this is attempted, and when one or more 
harpoons are made fast to the walrus the ends of the 
lines are spiked down to the ice by stout spikes, and in 
this way the brute is very powerfully anchored; but, as 
I have before stated, in spite of all that can be done, he 
often breaks away and takes the lines with him into the 
cleep. 
Polar bear hunting is an extremely dangerous and 
exciting sport. An Eskimo rarely ever cares to tackle a 
bear single-handed, but two men, armed with lances, do 
not hesitate to attack this monarch of the north. 
