SEALS 197 



The young ones were not at all timid, and 

 permitted themselves to be slaughtered without 

 seeking to escape. The old ones, on the other 

 hand, were not to be approached, and dived 

 into the sea as soon as they saw our boat in the 

 distance. 



We commenced with the young. I installed 

 myself in the bows of the boat, sitting at the 

 bottom between my two rifles, my head just 

 above the gunwale. Joe hid himself in the 

 stern with his camera ; Swensen and two men 

 were at the oars. 



On the first floe we found three young seals, 

 who stared at us with their round eyes, but made 

 no attempt to move. Nevertheless, as a pre- 

 caution, everyone hid at the bottom of the 

 boat, except a man noiselessly rowing and 

 steering. When we came within range I fired, 

 killing one of them instantly. The others 

 raised their heads at the noise and looked from 

 one side to the other without making any attempt 

 to save themselves by diving. 



I shot them one after the other. 



If the hunter is a good marksman, and 

 succeeds in killing the first animal with his 

 first shot, the other seals on the same ice do 

 not take alarm, and, seeing their companion 

 motionless, do not take to flight. But if the 



