Koko ran swiftly and quietly towards the birds. Menie sat on the
ice and watched him and held Nip and Tup, one under each arm.
When Koko got quite near the birds, he took careful aim and let
fly an arrow at them.

It didn't hit any of the birds, but it frightened them. They flew
up into the air and away to the north and alighted farther on.
Koko followed them.

All at once Menie heard a queer little sound. It went "Plop-plop-
plop," and it sounded very near. Nip and Tup sniffed, and began
to growl and nose around on the ice.

Menie knew what the queer noise meant, for his father had told
him all about seal hunting. It meant that a seal hole was near,
and that a seal had come up to breathe. It was the seal that made
the "plopping" noise.

Menie tried to keep the dogs still, but they wouldn't be kept
still. They ran round with their noses on the snow, giving little
anxious whines, and short, sharp barks.

The "plop-plop" stopped. The seal had gone down under the ice,
but Menie meant to find the hole. He went out quite near the open
water in his search. At last, just beyond a hummock of ice, he
saw it! He crept carefully up to it.

He lay down on his stomach and peeped into the hole to see what
it was like. He could not see a thing!