AND THE WALRUS 



nearest cave, and on entering, every man seeks out a place 

 where he can press himself as close to the rock wall as 

 possible. Suddenly someone strikes a match; this is a 

 signal, and everyone lights his torch and starts shouting. 

 The wretched animals, thus taken by surprise, huddle 

 together or rush for the entrance; and now is seen the 

 wisdom of each man having packed himself in as small a 

 compass as possible, for the stampede is sometimes terrific, 

 and anyone who attempted to stem it would be trodden 

 down and crushed to death, if not torn in pieces by the 

 infuriated bulls. 



The first rush is allowed to pass unchecked, but when 

 it is over, the massacre of those that have stayed behind 

 commences ; and in this way an enormous pile of carcasses 

 is soon stacked up on the shore, ready to be taken aboard 

 or to be cut up on the beach. 



As a rule the skins are removed there and then, and 

 with them the thick blubber-coat which adheres. The 

 depth of this coat may be anything up to four inches ; 

 that taken from the young seal is the best and most 

 plentiful, for a very interesting reason. 



While the bulls have been settling about their future 

 homes, watching them and their families night and day, 

 what time have they had for obtaining food ? Seals live 

 on fish, and cannot, or will not, eat anything else; and 

 for two or three months the whole colony, or " rookery," 

 has been away from the chance of fishing. During all 

 that time the adults have sustained life by absorbing the 

 fat with which their bodies are so liberally supplied. 



The skin and blubber thus obtained is made into 



307 



