II

“The thought of Annadoah in the embrace of the big blond man, of her face pressed to his in the white men’s strange kiss of abomination, aroused in Ootah a sense of violation. . . .  He heard Annadoah murmur tenderly, ’Thou art a great man, thou art strong; thy arms hurt me, thy hands make me ache.’”

Slowly, with silent paddles, the hunters moved over the limpid waters to the north of the floe.  On the far side they saw a horde of walrus bulls dozing in the sunlight.  Behind a ridge of ice they landed, drawing their kayaks after them.  With skin lassos, harpoons and floats, the party crouched low and crept toward the prey.  Thus they would be mistaken for other walrus by the unsuspecting animals.  Ootah was ahead.  Softly they all muttered the magic formulas to prevent themselves from being seen: 

“Nunavdlo sermitdlo-akorngakut-tamarnuga!” In the rear, his eyes evilly alight, Maisanguaq followed.

As they approached the herd they scattered.  Along the edge of the floe lay about twenty monstrous animals, steam rising from their nostrils as they snorted in their slumber.  There were a half dozen mother walrus with half-grown young about them.  Now and then they sleepily opened their eyes and made low maternal noises.

Before the others realized what had happened, Ootah sprang toward a bull and delivered his harpoon.  It rose in the air and roared deafeningly.  Ootah struck a second time.  The animal floundered in a pool of blood, whipping the floe furiously with its huge tail.

With a thunderous roar all the others leaped with one glide into the sea.  The floe rocked, the water churned like a boiling cauldron.  In a few minutes Ootah had despatched the beast.  Standing erect, he gazed in defiance at the clouds, at the distant gulls.  He forgot the omens, and laughed with joy.

Not a moment was to be lost, however.  Springing into their kayaks, the Eskimos put to sea.  Now the battle began in earnest.  Attacking enraged walrus in these frail skin boats is probably the most dangerous form of hunting in the world.  At any moment an infuriated animal is liable to rise from the sea immediately beneath a kayak and upturn it.

Forming a semi-circle on the water about the swimming herd, the fearless hunters sat in their tossing boats, each with one arm upraised ready to strike, and with the other manipulating the paddle.  Whenever a whiskered head rose above the water one of the hunters let a harpoon descend.  After each attack they waited breathlessly.

Tateraq suddenly let his arm descend—­his harpoon point struck home.  He shouted with joy—­for he, too, sought Annadoah.  Roaring with rage the lanced sea-horse dived into the deep.  The foaming water became red with blood, and a few snorting, bellowing heads appeared.  All about glared enraged, fiery eyes.  The animals plunged and tossed furiously in the water—­the savor of blood maddened them.  They began a series of attacks upon the kayaks.