INTO THE ARCTIC 195 



as weapons of defense and as hooks by which 

 to haul themselves upon ice floes. 



We did not dare take chances in the boats 

 among such vast numbers of these formidable 

 creatures and soon left the great herd astern. 

 A little higher up the coast we ran into a small 

 herd numbering about a hundred, and Mr. Win- 

 chester, armed with his repeating rifle, lowered 

 his boat to have a try for ivory. 



When the mate's boat dashed among the ani- 

 mals they did not dive or run away, but held 

 their ground, standing well up out of water and 

 coughing out defiance. Long John darted a 

 harpoon into one of the beasts and it plunged 

 below and went scurrying away. One might 

 have thought the boat was fast to a young whale 

 from the way the line sizzled out over the bow. 

 The walrus dragged the boat about half a mile, 

 and when the animal again came to the surface 

 for air Mr. Winchester killed it with a bullet. 



But the blood and the shooting had thrown 

 the remainder of the herd into violent excite- 

 ment. Roaring furiously, the great beasts con- 

 yerged from all sides in the wake of the chase. 



