Page:The white czar; a story of a polar bear (IA whiteczarstoryof00hawk).pdf/114

 These birds are about the size of the screech owl, or a little larger than the robin. They are gay of plumage and very pleasing to the eye when they come in large flocks. They are so tame that if one goes to the top of a high hill and sits down on the ground perfectly still, they will light upon one's head and shoulders. They seem to be entirely fearless.

So when the auk had come back in great numbers, Eiseeyou, Oumauk, and Whitie went to the top of a high hill near by Eskimo Town to catch them in the nets.

Whitie was almost as much interested as the rest. Little Oumauk was all eagerness, as helping with the net was a sort of initiation into becoming a great hunter.

The net was something like a fish net. The two ends were secured on the tops of two tall poles about twelve feet apart.

The net was held open slightly on the south side by a spreader. When the auk had once flown into the net, he either got entangled in its meshes, or did not seem to understand that he could fly out in the way he had come. So by setting up the net