“I will,” said I. “Is there anything else?”
“Yes, bring up a few more potatoes; they will let you take them if you say that I told you.”
“Shall I take Nero with me?”
“Yes, I do not want his company, for I am a little afraid of him.”
I called Nero, who came after me, and went down to the pool, when I found that the men had all woke up, and were very busy, some lighting a fire, some washing potatoes, and some trying to catch the fish in the pool.
“Oh, here he is. Come, boy, what have you got for our breakfast? We’ve been trying to catch some of these fish, but they’re as quick as eels.”
“Nero will soon catch you what you want,” replied I. “Here, Nero, in.”
Nero plunged in, and soon brought out a fish, and I then sent him in for another.
“Thanks, lad,” said the mate, “that will be enough for our breakfast. That seal of yours is a handy fellow, and well trained.”
While the other men were getting breakfast, one of them went up to Nero, I believe with the intention of making friends with him, but Nero rejected his advances, and showed his sharp teeth, snapping at him several times. The man became angry, and caught up a piece of rock to throw at the seal. He aimed at the animal’s nose, and narrowly missed hitting it. Had he done so, he would probably have killed it. This made me very angry, and I told the man not to do so again; upon this, he caught up another, and was about to throw it, when I seized him by the collar with my left hand, and with my right drawing my American knife, I threatened to stab him with it, if he attacked the beast. The man started back, and in so doing, fell over a piece of rock, on his back. This quarrel brought the mate to us, along with two or three of the men. My knife was still lifted up, when the mate said: