New-York tribune., 1921-10-09

walrus l first took a picture of dozen
lying on an ice foe, then woke them up and
got their pictures rushing for the water. Next
had l-tack crawl to another herd and shoy
how an Esquimau hunts them on the ice. Then
placed the camera an ice foe near herd
and showed the attack by boat Running out
OF him, we returned to the ice foe, where the
others had just finished butchering Before
loading the meat | asked Okback to paddle
me to an enormous herd of about five hundred
lying on an ice foe. We landed on a nearby
foe and / crawled to within twenty feet Of
the foremost ranks. had the camera covered
with white cloth, but Ne soon as | raised the
lens and began cranking the walrus noticed
the motion and became restless I had 10
freeze until they quieted down. then | took q
lew more feet of film, and so on until had
perfect picture.
1t was funny to see big bull trying to get
on the already over burdened ice foe They
were lying SO close that some Of their tails
were hanging over The edge As the big bull
hooked his tusks on the ice to lift himself
those near the edge resented the intrusion
and hacked at him with their tusks. He bent
his head as if craving pardon and submission.
when the rest were asleep he repeated the
maneuver, each time gaining few inches.
Finally, the bull, after many scrap, gained
the ice and crowded among them Near the
center they were lying three deep.
NO sooner had the skin boats left the foe
than they were surrounded by an infuriated
mob of walrus. The Esquimaus thrashed the
sides of the boats with their paddles and imi-
tated the grunts, but did not shoot, knowing
q,
saw female walrus rise out of the water
thrustlng her sharp slender tusks high in
alr. This meant attack. We were too far
70 reach the nearest ice foe Two Esquimaus
reached for their spears, while I took the
rifle The next moment there came a hollow
sound like the beating Of a drum, then a
crash. Actic-toak's kyack rose in the air,
throwing him cn top Of me and upsetting
the tripod and camera. grimly held to one of
the legs Of the tripod. We did not even see
the walrus, let alone getting spear thrust or
shot at it. She had bumped with her head
on the underside of the kyack and ripped the
frail skin boat wide open. It Immediately
tilled, and the remaining kyacl. could just
barely hold the weight Of the three of US above
water. | saw astern tail, then the hind part
of walrus. 1t rose and came with A sian
over the rear end Of the kyack. We were a
huddled and befuddled mass fioundering half
IN the water, but as the walrus slid over the
end of the kyack her head came in sight.
stuck the muzzle of my rife into her face and
pulled the trigger. She scuttles no more
kyacks.
Vengeance was not very sweet, for 81 500
camera lay at the bottom Of the Arctic. AS
u the shot had been a signal to all the walrus,
the next minute we were surrounded by
herd OF them. We thrashed the water shouted
and padded as best we could to the nearest
fioe Here we patchd up the rent in the
kyack with our kamelinkas while we were
surrounded by believing walrus and kept
prisoners for over an hour
AS our boats grated on the beach in front
Of the village we were greeted by the in
haoltants with shouts of joy. This walrus
meat meant a whole winters supply for all
the families of the men engaged in the hunt.
Every igloo III the village was roasting walrus
meat that night. Stories Of the hunt were
told, and Actic-to toak's wrinkled old mother came
to our igloo, pressed my hand and said: "Illi-
conna-mig" ("Thank you").