“Had it two legs, or four?”
Sturgess was incorrigible. Notwithstanding the start caused by the sound of the gun, he grinned. The girl turned to Nina.
“Please tell them, Nina, that we are not romancing,” she cried indignantly.
Nina handed the rifle to Maseden.
“Put this thing right,” she said coolly. “It won’t work, but I’m sure I hit the beast with the first bullet.”
Maseden pressed down the lever, and saw that a cartridge had jammed, as the extractor lever had not been jerked downward with sufficient force. He began adjusting matters with the blade of his knife.
“Were you attacked by an animal?” he inquired.
“We don’t know exactly what it was,” said Madge. “When you left us we decided to have a bath before putting on dry clothes. As our only towel was the ship’s flag, we arranged that each should rub the other dry with her hands. We had just finished dressing, and Nina had gone to pile fresh logs on the fire, when I heard a splash in the water of the creek. I looked around and saw a fearful creature, bigger than a horse, which barked at me. I shrieked, and Nina ran with the rifle. The thing barked again—it was only a few feet away—so she fired. Then we both made off.”
“You disturbed a seal, I expect.”