hunger, and its fight was brief--the lances of four natives pierced the
gaunt body. The bear meat was divided after the communal custom of the
tribe, and the gnawing of their stomachs was again somewhat appeased.
Some days later three bears were killed near the village. The hearts
of the tribe arose, for spring was surely dawning.
Early in March Arnaluk, skirmishing along the shore, saw a bear
disappearing in the distance. The animal was making its direction
seaward, and this indicated to the astute native that its quick senses
had detected the presence of seal.
"Ootah! Ootah!" he called. "Attalaq! Attalaq!" The two tribesmen
responded. With harpoons and lances they followed the trail of the
bear. Less than a mile from shore they found it sitting near a seal
blow hole in the ice. At the sight of the men it fled. A close
inspection resulted in the discovery of a half dozen blow holes--or
open places to which 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,
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