men from the second boat; and as
Steve glanced in that direction he saw that they were pulling hard,
apparently after nothing, for not a walrus could be seen.

Then, with Johannes erect in the bows, armed with his great lance, the
boat was pulled in the direction in which the line was running out, and
for a moment Steve was startled, for all at once a hundred heads almost
together appeared above the surface some distance before them, there was
a burst of sniffs and snorts as the animals took breath and instantly
dived down again, their flippers appearing above the surface, and then
they were gone.

The great bull appeared, too, and dived once more before the line was
run out; and when the herd, after which the other boat was in full
chase, had appeared in the same way two or three times, breathed, and
dived again, Jakobsen began to manipulate the line so as to get a pull
on the frightened beast, in whose tough hide the harpoon held fast. The
consequence was that, while the mate was urging on the men in the other
boat, the captain's was being towed and the men lying on their oars.

Just then there was a shout from the other boat, for the last of the
flying herd had been overtaken by hard pulling; and, watching his
opportunity so as to pick out a finely tusked head, the Norse harpooner
there had made a successful thrust, and they, too, were fast in a great
bull.

The end for the poor beast first struck was now near; it was growing
tired of trying to overtake the flying herd, which appeared and
disappeared with wonderful regularity and exactness. It had the boat to
drag as well as to force its mighty carcass through the water, and
Jakobsen drew upon the line again and again, so as to get within
striking distance when the animal ceased to make efforts to dive down.

"Let me come forward and send a bullet through it," said the doctor.

"Better not, sir. It may charge us, and we can stop it better with our
lances. If it got its tusks over the side, we should either have a
plank ripped out or be overturned."

"Do it your own way," said the captain; and the words had hardly left
his lips when Jakobsen stooped and rapidly picked up his lance, for the
head of the walrus appeared above the water with its great six-inch
bristles standing out above the gleaming tusks. And now it seemed as if
it were determined to fly no more, but to wreak its vengeance upon its
pursuers. With a loud, snorting noise it made a rush for th