Then placing a harpoon and coil of rope on the sledge,
and taking up his musket, he made signs to the party to keep under the
cover of a hummock, and, pushing the sledge before him, advanced towards
the seals in a stooping posture, so as to be completely hid behind the
bit of canvas.
"O the haythen! I see it now!" exclaimed O'Riley, his face puckering up
with fun. "Ah, but it's a cliver trick, no doubt of it."
"What a capital dodge!" said Fred, crouching behind the hummock, and
watching the movements of the Esquimau with deep interest.
"West, hand me the little telescope; you'll find it in the pack."
"Here it is, sir," said the man, pulling out a glass of about six inches
long, and handing it to Fred.
"How many is there, an ye plaze?"
"Six, I think; yes--one, two, three--I can't make them out quite, but I
think there are six, besides the one on the ice. Hist! there he sees
him. Ah, Meetuck, he's too quick for you."
As he spoke the seal on the ice began to show symptoms of alarm. Meetuck
had approached to within shot, but he did not fire; the wary Esquimau
had caught sight of another object which a lump of ice had hitherto
concealed from view. This was no less a creature than a walrus, who
chanced at that time to come up to take a gulp of fresh air and lave
his shaggy front in the brine, before going down again to the depths of
his ocean home. Meetuck, therefore, allowed the seal to glide quietly
into the sea, and advanced towards this new object of attack.
Pages:
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145