the seal rise under the ice and come to the
surface to breathe. For a long while the men waited. Standing near
the holes, their weapons ready to strike, they imitated the call of
seals. Finally there was a snorting noise beneath one of the holes.
Ootah detected a slight rise of vapor. Attalaq's harpoon descended. A
joyous cry arose. Breaking open the ice about the hole a seal was
drawn to the surface. Daily visits were thereafter made to the
vicinity and the hunters, patiently watching near the holes, succeeded
in catching several seals. Other blow holes were later detected along
the ice, then they disappeared and for a period no seal rewarded the
hunters.

The weather continued to moderate, and these excursions on the sea ice
became more and more dangerous. One day Attalaq and Ootah, while
walking along the shore, heard a familiar call in the far distance, out
toward the open sea.

"Walrus," said Ootah, the zest of the hunt tingling in his veins.

"But the danger is great--the ice splits," said Attalaq.

"But we need food." Ootah thought of Annadoah. She had not been well,
she needed food--that was sufficient. Moreover, he thought of the
children; three were dying of lack of food. So he called the tribesmen
and gave the signal for preparations to depart. A selection had to be
made of the best dogs for the dangerous trip. Few dogs remained in the
village; many had been frozen by the bitter cold; others had to be
killed as food for their companions; some had occasionally been
devoured by the famished natives. And this the desperate people had
done with reluctance and great sorrow--for, as I have said, a native
loves his dog but little less than his child.

Ootah in the lead, with five others, started on the hunt, with three
sledges, each of which was drawn by a team of five lean, hungry dogs.
After some urging Maisanguaq had sullenly consented to accompany the
party.

Joy flushed the natives' skin, for a thin film of sunlight trembled low
over the eastern horizon. As they sped northward past great
promontories they saw several auks. Later two ptarmigan were spotted,
and still later an eider duck. They began chanting songs of the race.

Quickly, however, the brief sunlight faded, heavy grey clouds piled
along the sky-line, the atmosphere became perceptibly warmer, and
intermittent gusts of wind blew downward from the inland mountains.

They directed their steps over the ice to a distant black