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White Czar: A Story of a Polar Bear

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<h2>CHAPTER V I-WOK, THE MIGHTY</h2> Probably the most diabolical monster that travels upon sea or land in the western hemisphere, is the walrus, called by the Eskimo, I-wok. He lives upon the icefloe, so he travels northward in the summer and southward in the winter, following the movements of the arctic ice. He is found along the northeast coast of British America including Labrador and Greenland, along the shores of Behring sea, and in the Arctic Ocean north of Alaska in the summertime. There are two species, the Pacific and the Atlantic walrus. The only difference being that the Atlantic walrus possesses a slimmer neck; aside from that they are identical. Imagine, if you can, a mighty creature weighing two thousand pounds covered with a coarse, heavy, seamed and wattled skin, of a dirty yellowish brown, a skin so thick that it often weighs two hundred pounds when removed. To the Eskimo, who has as good teeth as a husky dog, this skin is considered a great delicacy, but a white man would as soon eat saddle leather. [Pg 75] Imagine this monster with a massive head, like the sea lion, only much larger, a head surmounted by two large tusks two feet in length. A head so large that it would be as high as a man's head if he were standing beside this satyr. Such a head supported upon a neck of ten feet girth. Imagine this monstrosity equipped with huge flippers about two feet in length instead of legs and a ridiculous tail which scarcely shows. If you can imagine all this, you have in your mind a good picture of I-wok, the mighty, the animal who furnishes more food and raw material to the Eskimo than does any other creature. [Pg 76] Another animal that also follows the icefloe and is almost as much of a favorite with the Eskimo is Nik-Suk, the seal, the most common species being the little-ringed seal, which is found adjacent to the whole of Eskimo Land. In fact it is the presence of these two animals that makes Eskimo Land inhabitable. There are several species of seals. The common harbor seal which is seen in many of the Atlantic harbors is a type of all the rest. He has a cousin called the harp seal, with stripes upon his coat resembling the strings of the harp. The ribbon seal has a beautiful and even ribbon around his neck and another along his sides and shoulders which meet underside. The strangest of all the seals is the hooded seal. The male of this species has a grotesque skin hood upon the top of his head which he can puff out at will. Both the walrus and the seal breed and feed upon the icefloe. But they are not the only inhabitants of that strange movable world; for the white Czar, the great polar bear, also follows the floe, that he may prey upon the young seals and the walrus calves. A dead whale is also to his liking. Some of the foxes, too, frequent the floe in certain times of the year. [Pg 77] The day following the return of the hunting party to Eskimo Town, Tunkine took his friend Eiseeyou to a larger Eskimo Town farther south where the local missionary, who was also a sort of doctor, put his arm in splints and he recovered very rapidly. In less than a month's time he had taken off the splints and declared that he was ready for another polar bear. By this time the sun had returned so far northward that it shone feebly for several hours each day. This was keenly enjoyed by the Snow People, who appreciate the sun as no other people in the world do. The icefloe had started southward and the walrus and seal hunting were good, even within a day's journey from Eskimo Town. The three hunters, tired of the unexciting work of attending the traps and shooting ptarmigan, were glad that the hunting of larger game was at hand. So they planned a hunt of I-wok, that should be long remembered in Eskimo Town. <hr class="chap" /> [Pg 78] <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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