.

The harpoon thrown was attached to a short line, to the end of which an
inflated seal-skin was fastened for the purpose of forming a drag on the
animal harpooned, and, by coming to the surface, showing its
whereabouts. But on this occasion the creatures required no such
contrivance to bring them up, for no sooner were the two bulls in their
native element than they uttered a horrible succession of roars, and
made straight for the oomiak. A rip in the side of the skin boat would
have been fatal, or, if one of the animals were to hook on to it with
his tusks, an upset would be certain. Oolalik therefore grasped his
long lance, while Nazinred steered so as to keep the bow end-on to the
assailants. Another moment and Oolalik dealt the oldest bull a thrust
in the neck that sent it back roaring. The cry seemed to be a summons,
for answering cries were heard all round, and the walruses were seen to
be converging towards their savage old chief. Meanwhile the young bull
had reached the right side of the oomiak, where Cowlik sat with an
easy-going look on her placid face, admiring the scene.

Nazinred was so intent on keeping the craft right that he failed to
notice it until its ugly head and ponderous tusks rose above the
gunwale. But Cowlik proved equal to the occasion. The easy-going look
vanished, and the end of her paddle went into the throat of the brute
with a thrust so vigorous that the boat was driven to one side and the
tusks missed their mark. At the same moment Adolay, who sat close to
her, grasped her paddle like a double-handed sword, and brought it down
with surprising force on the creature's left eye. A shot from the
fire-spouter followed; the ball entered the same eye, reached the brain,
and the young bull sank to rise no more.

The Indian reloaded as fast as he could, but not in time for another
charge from the old bull, which Oolalik met with a stab in the side that
again turned him off bellowing. A still younger bull, anxious,
perchance, to win its spurs, took advantage of the situation, and made a
dash at the opposite side, but Nootka sent about two feet of her paddle
down its throat, which induced it to reconsider its intentions.

Just then a loud report told that the spouter was again to the front.
This time the ball took effect on the old bull's forehead, and remained
there. It neither killed nor stunned, though it probably surprised it,
for it sheered off permanently, and all the rest of