eland above, whence he was
able to reconnoitre the west coast, the favourite resort of the seals,
according to the information of young Glass, the Tristaner who
instructed them in the matter.

The lad did this daily as a matter of duty, "climbing the fore cross-
trees for a look-out," as he termed the scramble up the gorge; and, as
regularly, three times every day, after his morning, midday, and
afternoon observations, he would come back to Fritz with the same
unsatisfactory tale--that no seals were in sight.

One afternoon, however, towards the end of the month, he reported more
cheering news.

"Oh, there are such a lot of seals on the rocks!" he called out from the
top of the cliff, without waiting to come down. "Why, there must be
hundreds of them there, crawling in and out of the caves on their
flappers, to and from the sea! Which will be the best way to tackle
them, brother, we can reach them from here, you know?"

Fritz, who was below seated outside the hut, just preparing to mend some
of his clothes that had long needed looking after, in a moment became
equally excited, pitching the dilapidated garments back inside the hut
and putting off the work of repairing to some future day.

"Come down sharp, Eric, and help me to get the boat out," he cried. "We
must attack them from seaward; for, if we went at them from the cliff,
they would at once take to the water, and so escape us. Descend at
once, while I am getting the guns and tackle ready!"

"Right you are!" shouted the sailor lad in answer. "I'll be down with
you in a brace of shakes!"

No sooner had he uttered the words than he was scrambling down by the
tussock-grass through the waterfall gully; while, at the same time,
Fritz below was proceeding hurriedly to collect the various articles
required for the sealing expedition, which had been put away on one side
so as to be handy for just such an emergency:-- the loaded rifles, with
spare cartridges; the two harpoons, to each of which a long coiled-up
line was attached; the strong boat-hook to pull in the carcases of their
victims; and, other little etceteras.

The common seal, which is frequently seen on the north coast of Scotland
amongst the Hebrides and Shetland Islands, and the sea bear of Cape Horn
and the Magellan Straits, are both very similar in their general habits
to the Greenland seal of the Esquimaux; and the animals usually herd
together in flocks or droves of some thirty to a hundred, e