84 AUTUMNS ON THE SPEY. 



weed, a rifle projecting from one end and a paddle 

 from the other, the occasional use of the latter 

 enabling me, without any noise, to keep the little 

 craft from turning round, although entirely pro- 

 pelled by the receding tide. Occasionally I could 

 succeed in getting within shot, if the slumberers 

 happened to be unattended by a great black-backed 

 gull, Larns marinus; but that was a rare event. A 

 bird of this species, and one only at a time, generally 

 stood near them, and no sentinel ever kept more 

 faithful watch. As soon as I used to perceive him I 

 knew that all chance of bagging a seal was over for 

 that day. He was a capital judge too of distance, 

 for he would stand patiently, and quite immovable, 

 on one leg, apparently regardless of the object 

 that was gradually nearing the banks, or pretend- 

 ing not to see it, until I was almost within shot, 

 when suddenly he would rise, and flying round and 

 round over the seals, alarm them at once, uttering 

 all the time his loud, taunting laugh. Turning 

 rapidly "right about face" they would hobble 

 down the bank and soon disappear in the water, 

 while their protector, not satisfied with having 

 baulked me of my sport, would keep at a safe 

 distance over my head, and, adding insult to 

 injury, continue to repeat his jeering notes, until 

 at last they gradually died away in the distance. 



