Page:The white czar; a story of a polar bear (IA whiteczarstoryof00hawk).pdf/209

 Eiseeyou and Oumauk stood by the very boulder where the former had killed the first White Czar in the desperate encounter that so nearly cost him his own life.

He was describing with all of a boy's ardor just how he had rounded the boulder and come upon the monster. He then told of how he had fired quickly and merely wounded the great bear in the head. This had so enraged the Czar that he had struck the rifle from his hand, and then the two had clenched. Eiseeyou dwelt with special relish on the awful moment when the mighty fighter had slowly crushed him in his deadly embrace, and then told of how he had sunk his knife into the monster's heart. He did not fail to point out his cleverness in digging under the dead bear to protect himself from the deadly cold of the winter's night.

To all of this Oumauk listened with wide open eyes, and with his mouth agape in wonder, all of which pleased his father.

Two years had now elapsed since Eiseeyou and Oumauk had returned to Eskimo Land after their eventful visit to the great city. Oumauk had grown to a stalwart lad