resently, they hove in sight of their hunting-ground; whereupon, they
at once stopped the way of the boat in order to map out their campaign.

It did not take long for them to do this; and the gist of the plan could
be seen in the arrangements they made for battle.

Fritz and Eric both put their rifles ready on the thwarts of the boat,
and the harpoons were also placed handy in the bows along with the boat-
hook; then, lowering the lugsail which the little craft carried, they
muffled their oars with some rags they had prepared and pulled in
steadily towards the beach.

As they got nearer, the seals could be seen swarming on the rocks, while
the noise they made--something like the bleating of sheep mingled with a
hoarse growling roar, not dissimilar to that of an angry bull in the
distance--could be heard plainly while the brothers were yet more than a
mile off.

Some of the seals were swimming about in the water, but the majority
were basking on the huge slabs of rocks that had been broken off from
the face of the cliff by the onslaught of the waves and which now lay on
the beach at its base, partly in and partly out of the sea.

"Now, Eric, be ready!" called out Fritz in a hoarse whisper. "Do you
see those two fellows on that boulder nearest us?"

"Yes," whispered Eric in return, almost breathless with excitement.

"Then, you take the right-hand one, and I will make sure of the one to
the left. Aim low and steadily at the head, for that is the only vital
part a ball will reach. Remember, if you only wound him, he'll slip
into the water and dive out of our reach!"

"Right you are; I'm ready," was Eric's reply.

"Wait till I give the word, then," said Fritz.

There was a moment of suspense as the boat crept closer to the poor
seals, who were playing away, thoughtless of danger, and then--

"Fire!" exclaimed Fritz.

The two murderous rifles, at the same instant, at once belched forth
their contents; and, a moment after, the dropped heads of the animals
aimed at showed that the respective bullets had accomplished their
mission.

"Now, let us push in," cried Fritz, seizing his oar again, when, his
brother following his example, they beached the boat in a few strokes.

Then, each taking up a harpoon, they attacked the cluster of animals,
killing fifteen before the frightened creatures could escape into their
native element, although they came off the rocks with a rush, looking
most formidable as they opene