The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-01-10

weapons 3nu' went OIL, crOuCHlnS, lo-
ward the discolored area.
1t was newer than he had thought,
and bent like stiff leather under his
feet; but he knew it's toushness, and
glided rapidly forward toward the
jagged hole which the game had just
left.
Presently the spot of open water was
agitated. 1t darkened, and then the
broad, bristled muzzIe and white tusks
of a great bull anuk appeared. The
big. circular eyes fixed themselves
upon Metek in a wide stare of surprise.
Metek slowly raised his left arm
and pointed at the walrus, who, full of
curiosity, reared his huge bulk above
the water. When the pale spot be-
meath his left ripper was visible.
Metek's right arm shot forward, and
the harpoon flew true to its mark.
The bull divcd with a sputtering roar.
Metek. darted" back with the end of
the line, and swiftly drove into the
ice the. iron-pointed stake to which it
was fastened. i, Then. with both feet,
he stood upon the line, close to the
little stake.
The tough strip of sealskin straight
ened with a jerk, and lay taut as q
bowstring; but the ingenious anchor
held. Metek watched it with Il keen
and anxious eye. The moment he saw
the strain relax. he plucked up the
stake and carried it to a new spot
some yards away.
He was lone too quick. Two furious
COWS rose just beneath the stand he
had left, SCATTERING the ice to bits. To
their bellows of wrath Metek respond
ed with a hooking shout; but for the
bull be reserved a sharper welcome.
Lance in hand, he met the anuk as
it rose in a smother Of efervescing
water, and as it strove to charge at
him through3the ice, breaking of: great
tables with its tusks, lie darted; swiftly
about, in front Of the beast. With
tsevery forward, leap he thrust the keen.
| feam-shaped blade deep into the un-
wieldy body, until the water turned
red.
Spent and badly wounded, the walrus
sank at last, and Metek sprang again
to his stake.
Five times he shifted his ground,
and FIVE times the belligerent COWS
broke through the ice almost under
his feet. But luck was with him. Wet
with salt spray and blood, he rejoiced
in the fight.
"Am-na-yah! Am-na-yah" he shout
| ed. "Meat for the mother and the
babe within the hood! Meat for the
| strong. hunter! Meat from the. hand of
Dletek MANNER
The ice spit upward and almost let
him fall on the fat, .wrinkled. nape of
one of the COWS. BY a miracle Of agil-
ity he lanced her deep behind the
shoulder and got away. Almost 81
multaneously the bull rose, and he
found himself between the two. the
water gushing up about his ankles.
Metek struck the bull across the face.
binding him for the moment, and a
over the strip of. bending ice toward
q lighter, frmer patch. On this he
stopped with an agile turn.
The cow seemed hit in some vital
part, for she spun in an aimleSs circle
on her broad belly; but the bull was
still full of fight.
AS the vicious creature charged
through the ice Metek struck twice
with q true aim. The anuk gave n
last below, slipped back, and f1oated,
a bloated brown island, among the
rocking ice cakes.
Metek could hardly restrain himself
from leaping upon. it and cutting off a
long:needed. strip of blubber; but it
was not his own mouth he had come
to fill. While there was a chance to
secure more meat he must think neither
of hunger nor of WEAKNESS.
Almost exhausted, he staggered back
to the cow, and delivered a final lance
thrust that despatched her. Then with
his knife he made missions in the two
inch-thick skin Of his prizes and teth-
cred them to stakes by means Of a
pair of ussuk lines.
After that three dogs and a tired
but happy Eskimo had a glorious
feast. So royalty did they stuff them
selves that for two hours not n Of
the four could move a foot. Like noble
Romans. they reclined rotundly upon
their table and sent up signs of reple-
ton and thanksgiving, while the anuk
Eahing brooded benignly. owe them from
his stronghold.
Packed at last between the hot
chunks Of walrus fat, Metek swung his
whip over the dogs, and his homeward'
run began.
Well paid he felt for Lis palms, He
! saw the hungry mouths OF his people
once more luxuriously besmeared with
grease. And the Boosting Ootimiah!
! Where was he? twenty-five hundred
pounds Of rich Walrus flesh against
two stringy little seals! Who could
cry nahme now?
"Ho!" sang Metek. "The hunter re-
turns. Hunger flies before him. The,
anuk lies behind his sledge. Red meat
and white fat. Hoi Who will eat?
Metek, the provider, returns"-Youth's
Companion.
$500