“Gone,” answered the mate, dryly, but in a tone of great vexation, “to see who ye was hollering at.” With this he pointed to the right, where the boys saw, already out of range, a dark object fleeing with incredible swiftness and a series of curious boundings, by which its body was thrown clear of the water by each impulse.
“Oh!” exclaimed Phil. “That’s too bad! What an idiot I was!”
“Never mind, son,” replied Jalap Coombs, consolingly. “Better luck next time; but mind and don’t speak out loud again till your seal’s in the boat.”
The next was discovered by Phil himself, and, holding up his hand warningly, he pointed to it. It lay on the surface asleep, and ere its keen sense of smell, which in a seal is active even in slumber, warned it of the presence of its enemies, they were within range. As it finally lifted its startled head a sharp report rang out, and it was dead.
“Quick, Serge!” shouted the mate. “Row to it afore it sinks, as it surely will unless it had just drawn in a breath.” The animal had sunk when they reached the spot, but so short a distance that the body could still be reached by the gaff and drawn into the boat. Phil’s eyes sparkled as he gloated over this his first seal, and while Serge was skinning it he eagerly searched for another.
The next one, discovered an hour later, took the alarm before they got within shot-gun range, and bounded away. “He’s a lucky beggar!” said Jalap Coombs, in a disgusted tone; but Phil, dropping the useless shot-gun and snatching up his rifle, took a quick aim and fired.
“The very prettiest wing shot that ever I see!” cried the exulting mate, as three minutes later they hauled the dead seal into the boat. “Plumb through the head, too!”
So with varying fortunes the day wore on until it was time to return to the schooner, unless they wished to remain out all night. In the boat were five handsome skins and one seal, just killed, that still retained its glossy coat. Now their sole anxiety was to know whether either of the other boats had beaten them or not. The mate thought they were “high line” for that day, but Phil was doubtful.