“Yes;—no. I came down very heavily, though.”
“Fall over one of the seals?”
“No, it went between my legs, and I couldn’t save myself. Well, we’ve won, and I’m glad we know now they were only seals. It was very stupid, but I got fancying they were goodness knows what horrible creatures.”
“So did I,” said Vince, with a faint laugh. “Old Joe’s water bogies seemed to be all there, with fiery eyes, and I hit at them in a desperate way like. I say, you can’t help feeling frightened at a time like this, specially when one of them fastens on you like a dog.”
“What!”
“Yes,” said Vince quietly, and without a tinge of boasting in his utterances. “I was whacking about at random, when one came at me, and made a sort of snip-snap and got hold, and for a bit it wouldn’t leave go; but I whacked away at it as hard as I could, and then it fell gliding down my leg, and the next moment made another grab at me, but its head was too far forward, and it only knocked me sidewise. Such a bang on the thigh: I nearly went down.”
“But where are you bitten?” cried Mike excitedly.
“Here,” said Vince, laughing, and holding the lanthorn to his side. “Only my jacket, luckily. Look, it tore a piece right out. What strength they’ve got! I felt it worrying at it, wagging its head like a dog. I say, Mike!”
“Yes.”
“I was in a stew. I wasn’t sorry when the brute dropped down.”