in the world."

"Is that so?" inquired Juarez. "They certainly are sleek."

"They have got the most brain room, that's a fact."

The boys regarded the seals with peculiar interest as the boat passed
near the rock. They were moving about awkwardly by means of their
flippers, moving their sinuous necks this way and that and regarding the
strange boat with their soft brown eyes. Then they dived headlong into
the sea, swimming about with a peculiar grace.

"Queer animals," remarked Tom, "belong half to the sea and half to the
land."

"Something like sailors," remarked the shepherd.

"What's the Captain going to do with us?" asked Juarez in a low voice.
The shepherd's face took on a solemn expression, but before he could
reply the Captain's voice roared.

"None of that, you'll find out soon enough. You can talk about the flory
and fauny, with long shanks, but don't let me hear anything else out of
you," such was the Captain's ultimatum.

But soon matters grew so interesting that they lost all inclination for
talking. When they got near the Southern end of the island they began to
notice white caps to the Southward, dotting the darkness of the sea.

"You lads will have to hold tight now in a few minutes," remarked
Howell. "Do you get seasick?"

"No," replied the boys.

"Well, you will have a chance soon, and if it don't fetch you, nothing
will."

So far they had been rowing under the sheltering lee of the island whose
huge rocky bulk had shouldered off the charge of the wind-driven seas.
Now before they had fairly rounded the island the character of the water
began to change. The boat began to toss on the great rollers. Then as
they cleared the land for good and were in the channel, a fresh gust of
wind struck them, drenching the occupants of the boat with spray.

The Captain stood up in the bow of the boat and steadying himself took
in the conditions of the sea and wind. There was nothing in his grim
weatherbeaten face to show what he felt. The men at the oars now made
hard work of it against the headwind and the running sea.

They would climb up a steep wave and then with a sickening slide, go
down into the hollow, then with a lusty pull the sailors would bring the
heavy boat over the toppling crest of wave to find another rushing to
meet them. No rest, this was what made it such heart breaking work.

The early fog had come, covering the sea with gloom, and the waves did
not go down perceptibly. At times,