Page:The white czar; a story of a polar bear (IA whiteczarstoryof00hawk).pdf/216

 Twice the White Czar walked slowly about him and finally even sniffed his leather pants. Still Oumauk made no move on his part.

Finally the great beast walked slowly by him twice, rubbing his sides against the boy's body as he moved, first on one side and then on the other. Then he turned and walked slowly away for a few yards. There he stood looking back over his shoulder at the boy.

"Whitie, Whitie," cried the boy, "stay with Oumauk. Oumauk wants you Whitie. Stay with Oumauk."

The bear seemed to listen intently as though he sought to catch the meaning in the sounds. Then he turned his head towards the frozen Arctic Ocean and trotted silently away. Several times he stopped to look back, but each time the stop was shorter than the last.

Smaller and smaller he grew, and whiter and whiter against the snow. The blue shadows of the coming night were fast falling.

The sun had shown only an hour that day