the
rifle and fired. The result was startling! The female walrus began to
roll and lash about furiously, smashing the ice and covering the sea
around with bloody foam. At first the Eskimos stood motionless--rooted
to the spot, as if they had been thunderstruck. But when they saw Sam
Baker dart from behind the hummock, flourishing his harpoon, followed by
Gregory and Butts, their courage deserted them; they turned in terror
and fled.

On getting behind the hummocks, however, they halted and peeped over the
ledges of ice to see what the seamen did.

Sam Baker, being an old whaleman, darted his harpoon cleverly, and held
fast the struggling animal. At the same time Davy Butts seized the end
of the line which the natives had thrown down in terror, and held on to
the bull. It was almost dead, and quite unable to show any more fight.
Seeing that all was right, Gregory now laid down his rifle and advanced
slowly to the hummock, behind which the Eskimos had taken refuge.

He knew, from the reports of previous travellers, that holding up both
arms is a sign of peace with the Eskimos. He therefore stopped when
within a short distance of the hummocks and held up his arms. The
signal was understood at once. The natives leaped upon the top of the
hummock and held up their arms in reply. Again Gregory tossed up his,
and made signs to them to draw near. This they did without hesitation,
and the doctor shook them by the hand and patted their hairy shoulders.
They were all of them stout, well-made fellows, about five feet seven or
eight inches high, and very broad across the shoulders. They were fat,
too, and oily-faced, jolly-looking men. They smiled and talked to each
other for a few moments and then spoke to Gregory, but when he shook his
head, as much as to say, "I don't understand you," they burst into a
loud laugh. Then they suddenly became grave, and ran at full speed
toward the hole where the walrus floated.

Davy Butts made the usual sign of friendship and handed them the end of
their line, which they seized, and set about securing their prize
without taking any farther notice of their new friends.

The manner in which these wild yet good-natured fellows hauled the
enormous carcass out of the water was simple and ingenious. They made
four cuts in the neck, about two inches apart from each other, and
raised the skin between these cuts, thus making two bands. Through one
of these bands they passed a line, an