THE FATTED CALF. 



17 



" The cap'ns had got a long way in the lead — 

 a quarter of a mile at the very least — when sud- 

 denly I heard a rifle-shot and saw a moving puff 

 of blue smoke. 



" The old man had shot a seal, and the wounded 

 beast was dancing around the beach like a man in 

 a sack-race, and every jump he made brought him 

 a little nearer the water. 



" The old man wanted me now as he'd never 

 wanted me before, for I had the powder and balls 

 in my pocket to reload his rifle. He hollered like 

 mad. 



li ' Hurry up, you scoundrel ! Do you hear ? 

 Quick ! Drop your ballast, I tell you ; quick, or 

 I'll thrash you ! Quick I say ! Quick ! Quick ! I 

 QUICK ! ! ! ' 



" I ran as fast as I could, but the sand was soft 

 and the stone was hard and I made sorry work 

 of it. 



" The old man chased the seal into the water 

 with a club, but as soon as the animal got afloat 

 in the surf he was the better off for the change. 

 He dashed away for life and liberty — the old 

 man after him, dealing murderous blows with the 

 cudgel. As I came up, puffing and blowing like a 

 winded walrus, the old man was in up to his ears 

 in salt water and the seal was bleeding from a 



2 



