Page:The white czar; a story of a polar bear (IA whiteczarstoryof00hawk).pdf/133

 seven feet in length and would have weighed about seven hundred pounds. This was an extreme size for the seal.

When Eiseeyou went up to him and prodded him in the side with his paddle, he lifted his large head and bellowed mightily, but made no move to attack the Eskimo. Finally he aroused himself enough to look at Eiseeyou sideways. He seemed much perplexed by this creature which stood erect instead of on four flippers. Finally he got up and started slowly towards Eiseeyou, who then retreated to the rock where Oumauk watched. The Eskimo boy was much terrified at the approach of so mighty a creature, but Eiseeyou assured him that the seal was very clumsy on the land and it would be easy to elude him.

After reconnoitering the rock on which the two stood and peering at them from every angle, the old bull went back to his warm bed in the sand and was soon sleeping peacefully again.

One day several weeks later when Eiseeyou and Oumauk had occasion to visit an island nearer the mainland, where there