Porpoise - Shooting. 49 1 



"How you like 'im porpusin' — pretty good fun ? " said Sebatis, as 

 he grasped his paddle and regained control of his canoe. 



" If you call this fun, I hope that you will put me ashore before 

 you begin in earnest," I replied. 



Presently I heard from seaward the distant booming of guns, as 

 of some ship of war at practice. 



" What guns are those, Sebatis ? " 



"Guns? Oh, that's Injuns shootin' porpusis. Make good deal 

 noise on salt water." 



" I see 'im five canoes," said Pieltoma, as we rode on the crest of 

 a wave. 



" Sartin, must be big school porpusis in rips to-day. Look quick; 

 you see 'im canoe ? " said Sebatis. 



" No, I don't see any canoe." 



" You watch 'im, by-em-by you see 'im." 



As we glided into the trough again, I saw a canoe riding a wave, 

 with an Indian standing up in the bow, and another sitting in the 

 stern, paddling. Then, in a short time, we seemed to be surrounded 

 by canoes, and they were constantly popping up, now on one side, 

 then on the other, and at short intervals their guns flashed in the 

 approaching darkness. 



" Hadn't we better get ashore somewhere, Sebatis ? " 



" Yes, we go pretty soon ; kill 'im one more porpus first." 



•' I don't see where you can put him ; that one you killed last was 

 an immense one." 



" Sartin, that very big porpus, but plenty room one more, s'pose 

 we find 'im." 



Just then there were a flash and a roar, and a canoe passed rap- 

 idly to leeward to secure their prey. 



" My turn next," said Sebatis, standing up in his canoe again. 



" Look out, Sebatis — look out ! Rig wave comin' !" cried Pieltoma. 



I thought that our time had come, but the canoe, dexterously 

 handled by the Indians, rode the wave like an ocean bird. 



" If we have many seas like this, Sebatis, we may come to grief 

 in one of them." 



" No danger 'tall ; only got to be careful, that 's all. You sec, 

 tide just turned now and we got too far in eddy ; move out little 

 way, then good deal smoother." 



