March, 1921 
FOREST AND STREAM 
131 
Using the paddle as a balancing rudder, 
I leaned on it. Every muscle was tense 
in an endeavor to keep the canoe aright. 
The strain was severe. It became a con- 
test to decide which of us would give in 
first. Just as I was about to relax from 
exhaustion father seal changed his mind 
and made for the Aleutian Islands. 
Over I went, continuing my ride in a 
different world — for the rope was 
wound around my left leg. 
Fortunately I had been more or less 
amphibious in my youth, else I would 
have become shark-bait. Luckily, also, 
my strange adversary had come, by this 
time, to the end of his tenacity of life 
allowing me to slaken the rope and un- 
tangle it. Swimming back to the canoe, 
which was only a short distance away, 
I straddled it and drew myself in. How 
my rifle had kept its place during all 
this commotion seemed a miracle. When 
I returned to the seal he was floating 
on his side in the blood-stained water. 
His eyes were closed and he was scarce- 
* ly breathing. Having at last ample 
time to take careful aim, I sent the 
I farewell bullet into the region behind 
his left ear. Instantly the animal let 
all the air out of his lungs in a long 
stream of bubbles — and sank. 
The thought of losing my prize after 
all this trouble and adventure was un- 
bearably. Once more I did the bull-frog 
act, this time to catch the rope, which 
was rapidly being drawn down. With 
this I clambered back into the canoe 
again and made the end fast to the ring. 
But the curtain did not yet descend on 
my day of adventure. While towing 
the heavy body of my victim up the 
coast and digesting in my mind these 
unusual events, I became aware of an 
uncanny swishing sound in the water 
behind me. I turned around quickly. 
There, fifty yards away, was mother 
seal in a fit of fury and indignation, on 
vengeance bent. Straight at me she 
came bounding through the brine with 
that undulation peculiar to sea-serpents 
in nightmares. My first motion was 
towards my trusty weapon; then, upon 
second thought I hesitated. I am 
averse to shedding unnecessary blood 
and I have a tender regard for the fe- 
male of the species. Raising my paddle 
I made several heroic passes in the air, 
then brought it down with all my might, 
broadside, on the water. The sound was 
not unlike the salutation from a young 
cannon. Mother seal changed her mind 
about eating American hunters, and I 
was left to continue my laborious pad- 
dling up the coast in peace. 
A N evening breeze had now sprung 
up and my progress was rendered 
more difficult against a choppy 
sea. At last I drew the canoe up along 
the brown-ribbed beach out of reach of 
the running tide. Then I hauled in the 
rope and my fat prize at its extremity. 
My seal was surely a whopper ! It was 
all I could do to half lift, half drag 
his carcass up to a hollow behind the 
sand-dunes. Here I stood on the high- 
est point and stretched myself. It 
lacked but a few minutes of sunset. 
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 140) 
AIR RIFLES 
One Down! 
O NE shot from the B. S. A. Air Rifle — and 
Bre r Rabbit waits for you to put him 
into the game sack. The greatest small- 
game rifle on the market, amply powerful up 
to 50 yards, as accurate as the finest of .22 
calibre “powder” rifles, but safe to use in settled 
districts. 
y 1 
The B. S. A. air rifle — not an airgun — is made 
by the largest firearms factory in England with 
the same care used in making the British 
service rifle. It has a specially rifled heavy 
steel barrel and shoots a special bullet, not a 
BB shot. Accurate sights permitting of fine 
changes for wind and elevation, little noise, 
no powder, no smoke, no messy cleaning 
after shooting the rifle. 
Used by thousands of members of air-rifle 
clubs in England for target practice. 
The .177 bore for home target practice, the 
.220 bore for all around shooting. Various 
models, stock lengths, and weights. Descrip- 
tive booklet at your dealers or 
B. S. A. GUNS, Limited : Birmingham, England 
Sole Agents for U. S. A, 
PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT CO. 
Gun Dept. 20 5-7-9 Union Square, New York 
Canadian Agents 
FRASER & COMPANY 
10 Hospital St.. Montreal, Can. 
I 
FRANCHOTTE GUNS $150 
Owing to the late arrival of a shipment 
of Franchotte Double Barrel Field Guns 
we have made decided reductions in 
prices, notwithstanding advice that future 
prices will he 37% higher at the factory- 
in Belgium. A fine selection of 12-gauge, 
weighing 6;4 to 6J4 lbs. and 20-gauge, 
weighing 5 Va to 6 lbs, All have fine 
stocks and some Greener cross bolts. 
Ejectors $25 extra. 
BAKER, MURRAY & IMBRIE, Inc. 
97 Chambers Street New York 
CAMPING OUT 
By Warren H. Miller 
The book for the wilderness traveller, who 
camps out anywhere from ten to fifty miles 
from the railroad. Lone Hiking, Canoe 
Cruising, Winter Camping, with Knapsack 
and Rifle, Western Camping. Tent Making. 
Adirondack Cruising. — these are samples o' 
the chapters in this book. Written by War- 
ren H. Miller, for seven years Editor of Field 
& Stream, and an experienced woodsman and 
big game hunter. If you want to learn 
modern Camping, this is the book for you 
Price. $2.00. 
WARREN H. MILLER, Interlaken, N. J. 
. 
In Writing to Advertisers mention Forest and Stream. It will identify you. 
