138 HY KSK1MO 1MHJ-SLK1) 



Hut I niusl go back to UK- morning when I 

 iirsl saw seal hunting: Our particular seal 

 hunl on thai November morning was partly 

 an accidental one. I \vas silling in the stern 

 of I he boat, watching I he rocks and the water. 

 It was a new thing to me, I his scum of ice 

 thai the waves \vcrc Hinging up; and the 

 spray from the oars was free/ing us I lie wind 

 whipped il over I he side of t lie hoal . 



I could see I he kayaks further oul, paddling 

 about in an aimless sort of way : hut I w r as 

 mostly watching the line of glistening boulders 

 at the fool of the rocks, with the oily-looking 

 swilling over I hem, and the sunshine 

 git aining on the crust of ice which the waves 

 \\ere leaving on them. The man with the 

 senlling-pole, who was standing beside me ill 

 the stern, suddenly whispered fc Puije &quot; (a 

 seal) and his face grew tense and eager. The 

 oarsmen stopped and turned to look, while 

 Jerry, the owner of the boat, hurriedly 

 crammed a cartridge into his rille. 



This was all very mysterious to me. I was 

 looking all round for a head above the water, 

 or for any bubbles or disturbance that might 

 mean a seal : but e\ eryl hing seemed as usual; 

 the dots of kayaks went paddling on, and i he 

 sea swilled over t he stones. 



Jerry seemed to aim at the line of boulders 

 below the rocks, and my eyes followed the 



