HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 129 



performance was gone through with the next two holes 

 certainly a unique method of prawn fishing. 



That morning I had an extraordinarily narrow escape 

 from shooting myself with a muzzle-loading Swiss match- 

 rifle that formed a portion of our miscellaneous armament. 



I had been busy in several odd moments fitting a new 

 silver foresight to it, as the elaborate affair with which it 

 was supplied made it quite useless, requiring as it did an 

 amount of manipulation and adjustment only suitable for 

 match-shooting. I had finished my labours and was pro- 

 ceeding to try its shooting from the deck when, for the 

 second time that day, the boats were manned only to 

 return, on account of the weather, and the rifle was hastily 

 put aside loaded. 



When the third call came to man the boats, quite for- 

 getting it was loaded, I seized it in my left hand by the 

 barrel, and, grasping the two other rifles the same way 

 with the right, the strap of the ammunition bag being 

 slung over one shoulder, proceeded to gain the deck. 

 With both hands full and the schooner rolling heavily, the 

 only way was to press the rifles close to the body and jam 

 oneself in the narrow companion, and wriggle upwards. 



When about half way up, the thought suddenly struck 

 me that the heavy Swiss rifle was loaded, that the muzzle 

 was just under my chin, and if the hammer-head caught in 

 the steps something disagreeable might happen. 



The boy was just scrambling over the top of the hatch 

 with the skipper's rifles ; so, waiting a moment until he 

 was clear, I threw back my head and eased the rifle back 

 with my wrist. Sure enough the premonition was correct ; 

 for the moment the rifle moved the bullet whizzed past my 

 head and scorched my cheek. 



Next morning we were early afloat ; a gentle breeze was 

 blowing very languidly, as if loth to ruffle the still waters 

 that shone like quicksilver beneath the rising sun. Every- 

 thing gave promise of a good day's hunting. Still, many 

 a day had dawned as fair, only to change with startling 



K 



