The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-05-09

- the Fourth OF July, 1899, in a broad
level valley in the heart OF Elermore
Land I came upon herd OF five musk
oxen When they they ran to-
eether and stood back to back i'll star form,
with heads outward. This is their usual
method of defense against warus, their only enc
mics In this land Alter they were shot dis
covered tiny calves which till then had been
hidden under their mothers hairy bodies.
Such funny little coablack creatures they were,
with a gray patch on their foreheads. great, soft
black eyes enormously large bony knock-kneed
legs, and tails all!
With the falling of the last musk-ox, my dogs
made rush for the little animals, which, though
wide-eyed and trembling with fear showed bold
front to the savage unknown creatures which sur
rounded them Fortunately, l was too quick tor
the dogs, and rescued the little fellows.
Then l hardly knew what to do | had not
the heart to kill them myself, nor to tell my Is
kimos to. Finally l thought I would try to get
them the ship. fifty miles away, though l did
not know how l to do this over the miles OF
mountains and rough ice.
After the dogs fastened, the little fellows
stood quietly by the bodies of their mothers till
all the animals were skinned and cut up; but when
we were ready start for camp, and had put
line about their necks lead them away, they
struggled violently at the touch OF the rope that
knowing they would strang1e themselves
DEATH l had the ropes taken off Then we TIRE
to drive Them but could not. Then l remembers
my experiences years before at 1ar-OH Independents
Bay and told Ahngmaloktok to throw one Of the
musk-ox skins over his back and walk off.
! With b1a-a-a the little fellows were at his
heels in instant, and with noses buried in the
long hair trailing behind him. followed contentedy,
while the rest of us kept off the dogs,
In this way everything went nicely, and we
scrambled along the rocks, wadcd across two
or three streams and walked through exQusitely
soft green little patch OF meadow, cut by gurgGng
crystal brook. until reached the ice-boat, where
the sledge had been lett.
After a short at the ice-foOt AhngmalOkt
and with the calves, started the ice Of the
bay camp the opposite side, leaving the
Eski1nos to follow with the dogs, sledge and
Between the shore and the ice-sheet in the center
of the bay was broad canal OF water with cakes
of ice floating in it. This trying place for the
little fellows, but they very pucky. and nothing
could keep them from following that black-furred
skin the back Of Ahngmaloktok, who led the way.
When the distance from cake to another
too great Jump. they plunged into the water with
out hesitation, though sometimes a reproachful
tda-a-a sent after the untcellng "mother'
ahead. With little help from me they finally
climbed out upon the unbroken ice and two
drenched and fororn little figures hurried patiently
on after Ahngmaloktok
But their troubles were by no means ended. 1t
was long four miles across the bay; and there
were numerous pools of water, which kept them
constantly wet Fortunately for them, the day was
clear and sunny with wind. they not so
cold they might have been; but when camp was
reached they we're verv. very tired. AhnQnraloktok
threw the skin down close beside the and curl
ing themselves up close against it they went once
20 sleep, regardless OF us and the dogs.