ould pull strongly away should a dangerous wave
come in and threaten to dash them against the rocks--a mishap that
occurred sometimes on the calmest days.

"Oh! if there be any, Master Dick, sir, they'll keep going farther and
farther away, right into the end of the cave, where it be so small you
can't follow unless you wade."

"Will seals bite, Josh?" cried Dick.

"Well, sir, they say they will, and fine and sharp, and fight too; but I
never see 'em do it. Only thing I ever see a seal do was try to get
away as fast as she could; that's all I ever see."

"But have you ever seen seals in here?" said Arthur, who, in spite of
himself, looked rather white.

"Six or seven times, sir," replied Josh. "I've been with gentlemen as
come shooting seals, and with a couple of gentlemen who went right in
with clubs to kill 'em."

"And did they shoot and kill any?" said Dick eagerly.

"No, sir; not as I see," replied Josh. "One of 'em shot at a seal out
on a rock, but I don't think he hit her, for she only looked up at us
like a human being and then dived into the water and--but, look!"

Josh, who was about thirty yards from the entrance, ceased rowing; and
as Dick and his father followed the direction of his eyes, and Will's
pointing hand, they saw a curious, grey-looking creature rise up out of
the water and begin to scramble up on to one of the rocks by the cave
entrance, but on seeing the boat it gave a wallow, something like a
fish, and turning, dived off the rock with a dull plash into the deep
water.

"She's gone in," said Josh, propelling the boat towards the rugged arch.
"We've seen one. P'r'aps we shall see more seals to-day."

"But won't it be dark?"

"Will's brought the big lantern, sir," said Josh.

"And I," said Mr Temple, "have brought some magnesium wire."

A good-sized wave came in just then, carrying the boat forward upon its
swell right up to the archway; and then, as the wave retired, Josh
managed to give a touch here and a touch there with his oars, and the
next minute the sunshine seemed to have gone, and they glided in beneath
a fringe of ferns and into a dark grotto, where the trickling drip of
falling water came musically upon the ears.

It was a wonderful change--from the brilliant light outside, to the
soft, greenish obscurity of the cave, whose floor was of pellucid water,
that looked black beneath the boat, and softly green where some rock
came near the surface.

It was of no great s