122 
THE STRANGELAND BIRD LIFE 
that there was nothing in the sea that night 
but little black-pointed waves and little white- 
crested ones, which Mannie took for Killer 
Whale and Sea Leopard, and there was no one 
in the sky but some innocent white clouds, 
which had gone scurrying along and had 
seemed like terrible pirates. But then, we must 
remember, that Mannie was very young, and it 
was night and he was far from home. 
But at last he scrambled upon the shore 
and waddled home as fast as his legs could 
carry him. I don’t know for sure, but I think 
his mother was waiting for him with the lamp 
burning low, and that she set a cold bite out 
for him and rubbed his bruised knees with 
seal-oil ointment, and tucked him into bed at 
last, just as any loving mother should. Any¬ 
way, he found himself snugly tucked in bed 
when the sun shone again next morning. 
