The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-01-03

aud tethered the dogs to projection
of the foe. Then he gathered up his
weapons and went on, crouching, to-
ward the discolored area.
1t was newer than he had thought.
and bent like stiff leather under his
feet; but he knew its toughness, and
gided 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, brstled muzzle and white tusks
OF a great bull anuk appeared. The
big, circular eyes fixed themselves
upon Metek in 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 fiipper was visible,
Metek's right arm shot forward, and
the harpoon flew true to its mark.
The bull dived 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. 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 a
bowstring; but the ingenious anchor
held Metek watched It with a keen
and anxious eye The moment he saw
the strain relax, he plucked up the
stake and carried 1t to a new spot
some yards away.
| He was none too quick. Two furious
cows rose just beneath the stand he
had left. shattering the Ice to bits. To
their bellows of wrath Metek respond
ed with mocking shout; but for the
bull he reserved a sharper welcome.
Lance in hand, he met the anuk as
IL rose in n smother OF effervescing
water. and as 1t strove to charge at
him through the ice, breaking off great
tables with It's tusks, he darted swiftly
about in front of the beast. With
every forward leap he thrust the keen,
fleam-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 bellgerent 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-yahl -yahw he shout
ed. 'Meat for the, mother and the
babe within the hoodl Meat for the
strong hunter, Meat from the hand Of
Metek MANNER
The ice spit upward and almost let
him fall on the fat, wrinkled hape OF
one of the cows. BY miracle of agil-
ity he lanced her deep behind the
shoulder and got away. Almost si-
multaneously the bull rose, and he
found himself between the two, the
water gushing up about his ankles.
Metel struck the bull across the face,
binding him for the moment, and ran
over the strip of bending ice toward
a lighter, firmer 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 a true aim. The anuk gave a
last below slipped back, and fioated.
= 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 final lance
{ thrust that despatched her. Then with
. his knife he made incisions in the two
: inch-thick skin of his prizes and teth-
( cred them to stakes by means of q
pair of ussuk lines.
After that three dogs and a tired
but happy Eskimo had a glorious
feast. So royalty did they stuff them
j selves that for two hours not one OF
a the four could move foot. Like noble
Romans, they reclined rolundly upon
| lueH ldDle anu sent up SlSHS OIL Ieplt-
5 ton and thanksgiving, while the anuk
y thing brooded benignly over them from
u his stronghold.
Packed at last between the hot
I chunks of walrus fat, Metek swung his
n whip over the dogs, and his homeward
S run began.
a Well paid he. felt for his pains. He
saw the hungry mouths of his people
n once more luxuriously besmeared with
|, grease. And the boastlng Ootimiah!
d Where was he? Twenty-Five hundred
pounds of rich walrus flesh against
d two stringy little seals! Who could
J. cry nahme now?
"How sang Metek. "The hunter re-
Il turns. Hunger flies before him. The
II anuk lies behind his sledge. Red meat
). and white fat. Ho! Who will eatl
> Metek, the provider, returnsr'-Youth's
e Companion.