t very often they snap off the
points through digging, them into the ice."

"What for?"

"To drag themselves up out of the water," replied Johannes with a look
of surprise. "Now, hist!"

Steve was silent, and sat with his rifle across his lap watching the
animals, several of those swimming about being young of various sizes,
great, fat, shapeless creatures, more like inflated india-rubber sacks
cut short than anything else.

And all this time the boat and men kept well behind a large piece of the
ice-floe, which screened them effectually from the great bull. But now
the time had come when they would have to row round into sight, and the
captain sat ready with his piece cocked, the doctor also being prepared
to follow if necessary; and, seeing this, Steve softly raised the
hammers of his own rifle, and sat prepared.

Johannes noted his action, and gave an approving nod.

The boat glided round the end of the floe, and there, some sixty yards
away, lay the massive bull.

The huge animal had no idea of their approach till now, when they
learned the fact that it was evidently the sentinel of the herd, for it
drew itself right up with a look of surprise, and the captain raised his
piece.

"Not yet, sir!" cried Johannes. "Closer, closer!"

The men pulled, and they saw the bull go through some singular
evolutions, as if it were kicking at something beyond and out of sight.
It was so, for instantly three more walrus started into sight and
plunged into the water, and, the alarm being spread, the occupants of
other masses of ice and the edge of the principal floe slid and splashed
heavily in, their leader having evidently cried, "Danger! Every one for
himself!"

As soon as the grand old sentinel had done his duty, he prepared, with
an activity not to have been expected, to take care of himself, all of
this having been the work of half a minute; but the boat was now within
thirty yards, and gliding nearer, when the captain fired two shots
rapidly one after the other.

"Pull!" roared Johannes, and the men dragged at their stout ashen
blades; and as the bull, which did not seem even staggered by the heavy
bullets, plunged down from the side of the floe, the Norseman reached it
and drove the harpoon right into its back, giving a twist with his
wrist, and drawing back with the thin pine shaft, as the line ran
rapidly out over the bows, following the walrus which had disappeared.

"No, missed!" cried one of the Norse