bling out upon the shingle,
they tugged wildly at the boat to draw her up. But the Pup, his eyes
beaming affection, was almost on their heels. With a yell of dismay
Mike dashed up the shore toward their shack; but Barney, having less
on his conscience, delayed to snatch out of the bow the precious tin
pail in which they carried their bait. Then he followed Mike. But
looking back over his shoulder, he saw his mysterious pursuer ascend
from the water and come flopping up the shore at a pace which
assuredly no _mortal_ seal could ever accomplish on dry land. At that
he fell over a boulder, dropped the pail of bait, picked himself up
with a startled yell, and made a dash for the shack as if all the
fiends were chasing him.

Slamming the door behind them, the two stared fearfully out of the
window. Their guns, loaded with slugs, leaned against the wall, but
they would never be guilty of such perilous impiety as to use them.

When he came to the tin pail and the spilled bait the Pup was pleased.
He knew very well what the pail was for, and what the men expected of
him. He had no objection to being paid in advance, so he gobbled the
bait at once. It was not much, but he had great hopes that, if he
acquitted himself well, he might get a pan of warm milk. Cheerfully he
hoisted his massive chest upon the pail, and then, pounding jerkily
with his flippers as hard as he could, he lifted his muzzle heavenward
and delivered himself of a series of prolonged and anguished groans.

This was too much for his audience.

"Howly Mother, save us!" sobbed Barney, dropping upon his knees, and
scrabbling desperately in his untidy memory for some fragments of his
childhood's prayers.

"Don't, Dan, don't!" pleaded Mike, gazing out with wild eyes at the
Pup's mystical performance. "I'll give back them boots to the b'y.
I'll give 'em back, Dan! Let me be now, won't 'ee, old mate?"

Thus adjured, the Pup presently stopped, and stared expectantly at the
shack, awaiting the pan of warm milk. When it did not come, he was
disgusted. He had never been kept waiting this way before. These men
were not like Captain Ephraim. In a minute or two he rolled off the
pail, flopped heavily down the beach, and plunged back indignantly
into the sea. As his dark head grew smaller and smaller in the
distance, the men in the shack threw open the door, and came out as if
they needed fresh air.

"I always _said_ as how Dan had a good heart," muttered Mike, in a
s