basking on a bank of sand. Now was our weariness changed to eager
desire, and we at once prepared for some good sport.

Leaving our dead falcon on a slab of rock, we quietly distributed
ourselves. Willie Hercus approached the seals under cover of a
large boulder. I crept along by the foot of the cliffs with Selta,
intending to get down to the water's edge, and so work back again
to cut off the retreat of the seals; while Kinlay and Rosson did
the same on the other side.

We gradually and silently closed round our game. Our approach was,
however, somewhat marred by an alarm given by a seagull flying over
the seals. The largest animal turned round towards the sea. Its
mates took the signal and, with it, made for the water.

I gave a word to the dog, and Selta ran forward to meet the middle
seal, which she kept at bay as she might have kept a sheep, barking
in its face and always getting between it and the water. Tom and
Robbie ran after one of the others, while the largest seal, which I
had marked as my own prize, managed to escape me and plunge into
the sea. I then turned to encounter the seal that the dog and
Willie Hercus had arrested. Willie, having no stick or harpoon, was
throwing large stones at the animal, which seemed to pay little
attention to them, but kept its large, beautiful eyes fixed upon
the dog. One of the stones, unfortunately, struck Selta, and when
she turned, the seal made its way past. I saw the movement and
succeeded in striking the seal on the nose with my knobbed stick.
The animal collapsed at once; its head dropped on the sand, and it
moved no more.