It was a strange sensation for the boys to find themselves surrounded by countless thousands of the big, white birds which showed not the least fear, but pecked boldly at the boys’ garments as they picked their way among the nesting birds.
As they gained the farther side of the valley they came to a low, rocky ridge, and curious to see what lay beyond, they clambered up its side and found themselves once more in view of the sea.
“Look at those penguins!” cried Jim, as he caught sight of a great flock of the queer birds. “Gee, but they’re big fellows!”
“They’re not like the others,” replied Tom. “Say, we are finding a lot of queer things to-day.”
“And those don’t look like sea elephants on the beach either,” said Jim. “They look smaller and different, somehow.”
“I believe you’re right,” agreed Tom. “Let’s go down and have a look.”
As they approached the creatures basking upon the shingle, the boys saw that they were indeed very different from the huge sea elephants, for they were much smaller, they lacked the long snouts and their bodies were darker in color and beautifully spotted.
“Don’t let’s go too near,” exclaimed Jim. “I don’t like their looks.”
“Oh, don’t be a fraid-cat,” urged Tom. “They won’t hurt us. Of course, we won’t go among them. I don’t trust them as much as all that.”
Rather nervously, but anxious to see the odd creatures at closer range, the boys walked towards the herd of animals and were within a few rods of the nearest when the giant seal suddenly reared himself up, opened a huge red mouth filled with enormous, sharp-pointed teeth, and with a bellowing howl threw himself bodily towards the two boys. Instantly, with terror-stricken cries, the boys turned and fled, never stopping until they were well up the hillside.