NEWS FROM HOME 177 



and hanging thick in the wake of the chase. 

 She was gaining steadily, for she was a steam- 

 ship and the schooner had only her sails to de- 

 pend on. Finally the revenue cutter sent a 

 solid shot across the schooner's bows. The ball 

 knocked up a great splash of water. But the 

 poacher did not heave to — just kept on her way, 

 leaning so far over that the clews of her lower 

 sails almost touched the waves and a big white 

 feather of spray stood up in front of her. So 

 pursuer and pursued passed over the horizon 

 and we did not see the end of the hunt. But 

 we knew that there could be but one end. The 

 fate of that poacher was sealed. Only a fog 

 could save her, and the sky was clear. 



We passed close to St. George Island, the 

 southernmost of the Pribiloff group, the breeding 

 place of the fur seals. As we came near the 

 shores, the air literally shook with the raucous, 

 throbbing bark of countless seals. The din was 

 deafening. Along the shore, a shelving beach 

 ran up to rocky declivities and beach and rocks 

 were packed with seals. There may have been 

 a hundred thousand ; there may have been a mil- 



