At last a large walrus rose through the ice, breaking it with a loud crash. Just as the animal rose out of the water, Dr. Kane and the Eskimos fell at full length, flat on the ice. As soon as the head of the walrus sank below the water again, the hunters jumped up and ran toward the hole, where they knew it would soon reappear. Every time the head of the animal was seen coming to the surface, the hunters would fall to the ice or hide themselves behind hummocks. In this way――now running, now hiding――they at last came near enough to the walrus to throw their harpoon into its body. Tied to the harpoon was a long rope of walrus hide, which uncoiled rapidly as an Eskimo ran away to solid ice with one end in his hand. When at a safe distance, he drove a spike of bone into the ice and fastened the end of the rope to it. [Illustration: A WALRUS HUNT.] Meanwhile, the powerful walrus had been struggling in the water, breaking up the ice around with a frightful noise. The Eskimos tightened the rope whenever they could, and again the walrus rose and threw his powerful body against the ice, breaking it away; now they had to work fast. First one, and then another, would seize the spike and run with it and the rope to a safe place. In this way they tired the animal out, and were able to give him a second wound. During this battle the walrus roared hideously, using his tusks fiercely. He rushed toward the men and tore away great pieces of ice with his tusks, but though he received many lance wounds, he never once showed fear or made any attempt to run away. When the great beast was dead, the Eskimos drew it up on the ice, the flesh was divided, and Dr. Kane packed his share upon his sledge. Then with his own four dogs he set out to return to the brig. He himself ran most of the way home, because the dogs had difficulty in drawing the heavy load. The crew were glad to see Kane once more, and glad, too, for what he had brought. During the winter fresh meat had been so scarce that many of the men became sick with the terrible disease which salt meat produces. Toward spring Dr. Kane and Hans went hunting for seals. The seal comes up under the ice where it is thinnest, and scratches a hole through it with his sharp claws. Then he hollows out the snow above and makes an opening just large enough to allow the air to pass through; this is his breathing hole. It is so small that often one cannot see it, but the seal makes a blowing noise in breathing, and the hunters have learned to listen for this sound. Kane and Hans often sat many hours on a block of ice beside a hole, waiting for a seal. When the seal appeared, one of them quickly thrust a spear into him and usually killed him. Then Hans would fasten a thong of walrus hide about the neck of the seal and drag him away, across the ice, to the ship. The meat of the seal is delicious, and great was the rejoicing among the men when a hunting expedition was successful.