ular visits.
The common harbour seal was there all the year round. Of these
animals, only the ponies and common seals still remain; the others have
been all killed off.

When Ben and Eric drew near the end of the island they dismounted and
tethered the ponies, so that they could not run back to the corral.
They then made their way cautiously to the edge of the bank thrown up
by the waves. Ben was a little ahead of Eric, and the moment he peeped
over the bank he turned and motioned Eric to follow.

"Look, lad!" said he, in a voice full of excitement, as he pointed to
the beach in front. "There they are! Aren't they beauties?"

Eric looked, and his face showed the surprise he had too much sense to
put into words. "Beauties!" he thought to himself. "Why, they are the
most hideous monsters I ever saw in my life."

And they certainly were hideous, with their huge, dun-coloured,
ungainly bodies, their bullet heads, their grizzly beards, their
terrible tusks, and their bulging eyes. They looked as ugly as some
nightmare vision. Plucky as he was, Eric could not restrain a tremor
as he gazed at them. But he had no time to indulge his feelings, for
Ben said in a hoarse whisper,--

"You take that tusker right in front of you, and I'll take the big
fellow to the right, and when I say 'Fire!' let drive. Be sure and aim
right at the nose."

Eric's heart was beating wildly, and he could scarcely breathe for
excitement; but his hand was steady as he drew the musket to his
shoulder, and took careful aim at the nose of the walrus Ben had
assigned to him. Giving a quick glance to see that all was ready, Ben
called "Fire!"

Like the report of one the two muskets cracked together, and the
marksmen peered eagerly through the smoke to see the result. Clearly
enough their aim had been good; for while the remainder of the little
pack of walruses lumbered off into the water snorting with terror, the
two that had been picked out as targets did not follow. Ben's fell
over on the sand, to all appearance dead; but Eric's plunged madly
about, seeming to be too bewildered to take refuge in flight.

Hastily reloading, the hunters rushed upon their prey, and Ben, seizing
a good opportunity, put another charge of slugs into the struggling
creature's head, just behind the ear, which cut short its sufferings.

"Hurrah!" cried Ben, radiant with pride and satisfaction. "We've got
them both, and no mistake. We'll each have a fine pai