the sea. On the beasts came in dense masses, roaring and snarling.
I certainly did look for a moment at the boats, and wish myself safe
back again in them; but it was only for a moment, for our antagonists
demanded all our strength and agility to compete with them. Our captain
advanced boldly towards the old leader, and as he came right at him,
plunged his lance into his side. It had not the effect of stopping the
beast in his career; but, instead, very nearly carried him and the lance
into the water. Old Knowles was, I thought, very inadequately armed
only with a thick stick, which he always carried on shore with him,
curiously cut and carved, and fastened to his wrist by a lanyard.

"Let me alone," said he; "Old Trusty is better in a scrimmage, whether
with man or beast, than all your fire-arms and steel weapons. He always
goes off, and never gets blunt."

Newman and I were armed with harpoons. Newman, following the captain's
example, plunged his harpoon into the side of a seal, just as the beast,
with the greatest impetus, was sliding down the rock. In attempting to
stop its way, his foot slipped, and with the line coiled round his arm,
before any of us could go to his assistance, he was dragged off into the
boiling waters. He was a first-rate swimmer, but with so huge a
sea-monster attached to him, how could he hope to escape. The rock
sloped in a different direction to where the boats were, so that they
could render him no assistance. I thought of the scene we had just
witnessed--the unhappy exile dying alone on the desert island--and I
dreaded a similar fate for my friend. With a cry of dismay we looked
towards the drowning man. He disappeared among the foaming breakers.

Still, but with little hope, we watched the spot. Yes--there was his
head! He was swimming free! Bravely he mounted the crest of a roller;
it rushed in for the rock; but before he could find his footing, or we
could stretch out our arms to help him, he was carried off again among
the foaming waves. Meantime old Knowles had climbed up the rock in the
face of the sea-lions, whom he was knocking on the head right and left
with his club, and signalled the boats to pull round to Newman's
assistance. Still, however, with only a couple of hands in each, it
would take, I saw, a considerable time before they could reach him, and
I resolved to make one attempt to save his life, at the risk, though it
might be, of my own. Sticking my har