Walrus on Deck. All the Meat Went to the Eskimos, the Skeletons and Hides to the Museum.
At last he gave up trying to get away and [[120]]made a rush right at the launch. He sort of got on his back and put a flipper on each side of the bow of the little boat and tore furiously with his tusks at the bottom. We were watching from the deck of the Morrissey, only thirty feet or so away, and we could see the splinters fly. He put two holes right through the boat.
The Eskimos were in their kayaks and they and Captain Bob succeeded in lancing the big bull, who once came right up under a kayak which really almost slid right off his back as the kayaker paddled desperately away.
After he was dead we hooked the two throat halyards on him and hoisted him on board, which was quite a job. Then we went around to get the other walrus which the hunters had killed. In all there were seven and a little one I will tell about in a minute.
A nice thing about this kind of hunting is that not a pound of meat is wasted. As a matter of fact it is a blessing for the Eskimos. [[121]]Every bit of it is taken by them and used for their own food and for dog food. Our coming just helped them get their supplies. I suppose in all they got four or five tons of meat, what with the walrus and the narwhal.
After that Dad, Dan and myself went out in the little rowboat and followed along after two hunters in kayaks. They went right into a herd of about forty and harpooned one and motioned for us to come up and shoot it. There was a good-sized herd within fifty yards of us, puffing, grunting and barking. Now and then stray animals would come up right close to the boat. They look awfully funny with their whiskered faces popping up on the surface and glaring at you like cross old men. Then they give a grunt and a spray of steam and down they go.
When they were excited like this they formed sort of a circle with the tusks of all the old bulls facing out toward the hunters. I can’t imagine a more exciting sport. I wish [[122]]that some day I could learn to use a kayak really well and try getting a walrus myself.
“Halitosis,” the Baby Walrus Roped by Carl.