"Never mind, sir," said Johannes calmly; "there is another yonder with finer tusks--that one to the left; and you can steer the boat so that it will be out of sight till we are quite close." The captain's face, which had looked gloomy, brightened, and he followed out the instructions given; while Skene, after twice over being on the point of barking loudly at the huge beasts scattered about amongst the icefloes, appeared as if he grasped the position and the meaning of the talking-to he had received, and stood there with his feet upon one of the thwarts well out of the way of the harpooner and his line, and watched the walrus with his ears quivering and playing about, taking evidently as much interest in the proceedings as his master. This time the boat passed several of the heavy animals, which stared at them stupidly, but did not attempt to stir, so that there would have been no difficulty twice over in striking and making fast; but the huge fellow with the grand tusks was the one they aimed for, the walrus they passed having shorter or broken teeth. "How is it so many have their teeth damaged?" whispered Steve. "No dentists up here to attend to them," said the doctor, who had heard the query. "Some break them fighting," said Johannes seriously, for he did not comprehend Mr Handscombe's allusion; "but 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!"