the masters of the harem."

"There's one now," I said, pointing to a young bull in the water. "Let's
watch him, and follow him if he hauls out."

He swam directly to the beach and clambered out into a small opening
between two harems, the masters of which made warning noises but did not
attack him. We watched him travel slowly inward, threading about among
the harems along what must have been the path.

"Here goes," I said, stepping out; but I confess my heart was in my mouth
as I thought of going through the heart of that monstrous herd.

"It would be wise to make the boat fast," Maud said.

She had stepped out beside me, and I regarded her with wonderment.

She nodded her head determinedly. "Yes, I'm going with you, so you may
as well secure the boat and arm me with a club."

"Let's go back," I said dejectedly. "I think tundra grass, will do,
after all."

"You know it won't," was her reply. "Shall I lead?"

With a shrug of the shoulders, but with the warmest admiration and pride
at heart for this woman, I equipped her with the broken oar and took
another for myself. It was with nervous trepidation that we made the
first few rods of the journey. Once Maud screamed in terror as a cow
thrust an inquisitive nose toward her foot, and several times I quickened
my pace for the same reason. But, beyond warning coughs from either
side, there were no signs of hostility. It was a rookery which had never
been raided by the hunters, and in consequence the seals were
mild-tempered and at the same time unafraid.

In the very heart of the herd the din was terrific. It was almost
dizzying in its effect. I paused and smiled reassuringly at Maud, for I
had recovered my equanimity sooner than she. I could see that she was
still badly frightened. She came close to me and shouted:

"I'm dreadfully afraid!"

And I was not. Though the novelty had not yet worn off, the peaceful
comportment of the seals had quieted my alarm. Maud was trembling.

"I'm afraid, and I'm not afraid," she chattered with shaking jaws. "It's
my miserable body, not I."

"It's all right, it's all right," I reassured her, my arm passing
instinctively and protectingly around her.

I shall never forget, in that moment, how instantly conscious I became of
my manhood. The primitive deeps of my nature stirred. I felt myself
masculine, the protector of the weak, the fighting male. And, best of
all, I felt myself the protector of my loved one