HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 159 



that they would baffle pursuit, and afford a shelter which 

 his native element denied him ; sometimes with long, 

 exhausting dives, generally seawards, then breaching like 

 a porpoise two seconds under water and one out, the 

 leading boat watching his course by the string of air 

 bubbles and pulling for all it was worth, the other two 

 boats on either quarter ready to spread out to circumvent 

 any sudden deviation from his course, and greet his 

 appearance with a bullet. With undiminished strength, 

 doubling under water, with long dives and short ones, 

 now in one direction, now in another, and still unwounded, 

 the chase had already lasted without intermission for 

 two hours. But at length the dives became shorter, the 

 boats could draw nearer, and it was only a question of a 

 few more minutes before a well-placed bullet would end 

 the contest, when, without a moment's warning, probably 

 on account of our absorption in the hunt, down dropped 

 the thin mist from above, while the surrounding wreaths 

 and clouds that lay brooding over the still water swept 

 over us like some gigantic bird, and, folding its great 

 white wings, shut out sight and sound in its cold silence. 

 The wind rose quickly, bringing with it more fog, and drove 

 in our faces with wet and chilling breath that told of ice- 

 floes in the frozen north. 



Twenty miles from land, whose direction we only knew 

 from the compass, our otter lost in the mist, the little frail 

 boats already dancing on the quick -rising sea, and the 

 increasing roar of a tide-rip, in what direction we could not 

 tell, there was nothing for it but to turn the boats landward, 

 trusting to luck and the chapter of accidents. So, hoisting 

 our sails, with frequent bailings, we skimmed over and 

 through the disordered waves of the tide-rip. The wind died 

 away as suddenly as it came, and, taking to the oars, we 

 sought in silence the protection of the land. 



It was well on in the afternoon before we struck it. 

 Fortunately, the sea was quite calm, and we were thus able 

 to coast along within fifty yards until there should loom 



