Page:The white czar; a story of a polar bear (IA whiteczarstoryof00hawk).pdf/90

 But the great walrus fought at a disadvantage, for the white hunter came up to breathe only when it was necessary.

They would charge at her as soon as the white head appeared above the water, but immediately she sank from sight.

But the walrus calf was a bulky weight to carry and it had a tendency to rise to the surface. The bear several times narrowly missed being struck by the mighty swimmers as they charged at her. They churned up the water until it was covered with foam and the small cakes of floating ice danced like corks. But all the time the cunning bear was working her way to the solid ice. Finally, when she had become nearly winded, she climbed out on the solid ice, just as the enraged bull came bellowing to its edge.

Once on the firm ice, she struck the helpless calf a crushing blow on its head and it lay still.

It would have been a simple matter to have trotted back to the cave with the calf had not the unexpected happened.

Just as the mother bear had taken a good