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Steve Young, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 28. Steve's New Pet |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. STEVE'S NEW PET The reason for the change of front from flight to a brave attack was this. As the second boat was returning with her disappointed crew, they drove back a member of the herd that had been left behind in the shape of a calf, which, to escape this second boat, swam and dived with such bad choice of direction that, unseen before, it all at once popped its droll-looking head out of the water close to where Steve was sitting looking at their huge prize. Possibly it was the dead walrus which had attracted the young one and brought it so close. Skene was the first to see the absurd-looking little creature, and, planting his feet upon the gunwale, he barked himself into a state of terrible excitement, driving the young walrus into hiding beneath the water, but only to come up again from time to time to breathe. The young walrus could not understand the remarks made about its personal appearance, or else in all probability it would have swum away; for the shapeless creature was dubbed "bladder of lard," "skin of oil," "prize pig," and the like, though Steve stuck to the notion of its being like a short india-rubber sack, blown full of wind, so little did head or flippers project from the blubber-distended body. "Oh, I say, Johannes, couldn't you catch it?" cried Steve. "The poor thing believes that is its mother." "Yes, sir, and will not go away till we begin to row." "Couldn't you catch it?" "Oh yes, sir, I could catch it, I daresay," replied the Norseman, "if the captain wishes." "But I do not wish," said Captain Marsham. "What do you want with a young walrus?" "To bring up and tame," replied Steve, with the impression the while that he was saying something rather absurd. "Have a big one," cried the doctor, "and let's form a zoological garden!" "I don't see anything to laugh at," said Steve. "It would be very interesting to watch the habits of the curious animal, and we've driven its mother away. What would become of it, Johannes, if it is left?" "Bear," said the Norseman laconically. "There!" cried Steve, looking at the captain. "Try and catch it," said the latter quietly; and, giving Steve a smile and a nod, the Norseman took hold of the end of a coil of line, made a noose, and, watching his opportunity, threw it cleverly over the head end of the calf. "Hurrah! got him first throw!" cried Steve. "No: gone!" For the rope on being tightened glided over the slippery hide and came away, while the calf dived, turning over like a round cork float, showing its hind flippers, and then it was out of sight. "There's nothing to catch hold of, sir," said Johannes good-humouredly, as he stood there with the noose gathered up in one hand, the coils of line in the other; "but he'll be up again directly." Johannes stood so quick and watchful that, as the calf's head popped out of the water again, a ring of rope fell round it and was tightened at once, but with no better fortune. Again and again the Norseman tried; but the little creature was too slippery, and gave way, so that it was like trying to lasso a huge egg bobbing about on the surface. "Give it up," said the captain at last; but it was just as the ring of line fell once more round the plump, swimming and diving object, and Steve's feeling of disappointment gave way to delight, for fortune smiled upon the Norseman's efforts at last, or else the little walrus threw one flipper over the rope and hugged it to its fat side, with the result that the line was tightened with a snatch, and its egg-like body was suddenly compressed into a dumb-bell shape. "Got him!" cried Steve joyfully, and Skene nearly jumped overboard in his excitement, barking the next minute furiously, while his master stopped his ears; for the calf, as it was dragged toward the boat, first set up a whimper, and then broke out into a series of snorts, barks, and squeals, which gave it a strong resemblance to a pig being coerced into quiescence while undergoing the ornamentation to its nose known as ringing. At the first dismal squeal, but unnoticed by the occupants of the boat, the walrus herd stopped its retreat, at the second it turned, and at the third it came rushing back as fast as it could tear through the water. But little heed was paid to this in the excitement of dragging the heavy calf over the side; for it "gave" in every way. There seemed to be nothing to grasp or of which to get a good grip, while to have hauled the animal in by the thin line looked like trying to cut it in two, as a shopkeeper does soap or cheese. But at last Andrew "got a han'," as he called it, of one hind flipper, Jakobsen of one of the fore flippers, Steve hauled in the line, and Johannes reached over and caught the other fin-like projection. Then there was a haul all together, and the squealing and snorting object rolled over the gunwale and down into the bottom of the rocking boat with what Hamish called "a squelch." By that time a warning cry was heard from Mr Lowe's boat, and the party with the captain gazed in dismay at the fierce-looking herd charging down. "Quick! oars!" cried the captain, and the men scrambled into their places with a scared look on their faces. "It's the youngling's cries has brought them down," said Johannes calmly. "You know these brutes of old," said the captain. "Will they attack us?" "They'll come close up, sir; but I don't think there's anything to mind, or I would say throw the calf overboard." "Yes, that might be the best thing to do." "But I would not yet, sir. We'll see. These things look very big and fierce, and sometimes they can fight, but it's mostly bully and noise." The rifles were ready, and the two Norsemen seized their lances, ready to repel any savage attack; while for a time the position of the party appeared to be one of extreme peril. But in this case it proved that, strong as was the desire of the animals to help and protect one of their young in trouble, it did not go far enough to make them run much risk. The Norsemen in both boats were ready to add to their take by lancing any aggressive individual; but the herd kept at a safe distance, calming down when the pig-like creature in the boat was quiet, and bursting out into furious snortings and shows of attack whenever the unhappy little creature remembered its trouble and burst forth into a wail. "There!" cried Johannes at last; "there is no danger. A few splashes of the oar will keep them off. Shall we harpoon another?" "No," said the captain; "we will be content with what is done. We have the bear to get as well, so there is plenty of work." The second boat threw a line on board, which was made fast, and with this help and the stout arms in their own boat, the dead walrus was towed along the open waterway to where the bear had been found. Then busy hands went to work skinning and flensing with such good will that at last, with both boats most unpleasantly loaded, as the doctor called it, they rowed back to the chasm and reached the ship in safety, well satisfied with their day's work. There was no aggressive walrus herd to make its appearance now, for, in spite of an occasional wail from the captive, none of its relatives attempted to enter the passage through to the fiord, and so the tremendous uproar which arose as soon as an attempt was made to get the captive on board the steamer, and which echoed loudly from the sides of the cliffs, was laughed at merrily, the men thoroughly enjoying the task of hoisting the slippery, yielding creature on deck. This was achieved by laying a tarpaulin in the bottom of the boat, rolling the cub over, lashing the corners together, and hoisting and hauling it up to the gangway, where a little more snorting and barking of a pig-like nature resulted in the little animal settling down in the bows penned up by a couple of gratings, and going to sleep in the warm sun, evidently thoroughly appreciating the dry nature of its new bed. _ |
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