Part 7 (1/2)
”I' hi to persuade Father to let me join the Bureau, but this is such an out-of-the-way place that I never expected to be able to see it for myself”
”It is a little out of the way,” the official replied ”But in some ways, I think it's the most important place in the entire world so far as fisheries are concerned It's the one strategic point for a great industry Of course!”
”Why is it so ie?” Colin queried ”Just because of the seals, or are there other fisheries here?”
”Just seals,” was the reply, in the jerky speech characteristic of the -place in the world You'll see Nothing like it anywhere else And, what's more, it's almost the last This is the only fort left to prevent the destruction not of a tribe--but of an entire species in the world of life Certainly!”
”Calling it a fort seee,” Colin remarked
”Well, isn't it? It's the heroic post, the forlorn hope, the last stand of the battle-line,” the Fisheries enthusiast replied ”All the nations of the world were deliberately allowing all the fur seals to be killed off Uncle Sam stopped it It's not too late yet The japanese seal-pirates must be exterminated absolutely! Could you run a ranch if every tiot more than threeand shoot it? Of course not Obviously!”
”But this isn't a ranch!”
”Why not? Saent answered ”Ranchers breed cattle in hundreds or thousands We breed seals in hundreds of thousands; yes, in millions And a fur seal is worth more than a steer
Oh, yes!”
”Do seals breed as largely still?” Colin asked in surprise
”Would if they had the chance,” was the indignant answer ”Undoubtedly millions and millions have been killed in the last fifty years Takes time to build up, too! Only one baby seal is born at a tietting there Certainly!”
”Our gunner was tellingseals at sea was the cause of all the trouble”
”Yes Lately Before that, rookery after rookery had been visited and every seal butchered Old and young alike No mercy Worst kind of cruelty”
”But hasn't the sea trouble been stopped?” queried the boy ”I thought it had, but you said so just now about seal-pirates”
”Stopped officially,” his informant said ”Can't kill a seal in the ocean, not under any consideration That is, by law Not in American waters Nor in Russian waters Nor in japanese waters Nor in the open sea International agreement determines that Of course But lots of people break laws Obviously! Big profit in it There's a lot of killing going on still Stop it? When we can!”
”But how about killing them on land?” Colin asked ”You do that, I know, because I've read that the Bureau of Fisheries even looks after the selling of the skins While itthe theet ashore”
”You don't understand!” his friend said ”Got anything to do right now?”
”Not so far as I know,” Colin answered
”You've had breakfast?”
”Yes, thanks,” the boy answered, ”and I tell you it tasted good after a night in the boat”
”Cooing I count the seals every day That is, as nearly as I can Tell you all about it If you like, we'll go on to the killing grounds afterwards
Yes? Put on your hat”
Colin realized that his host seldom had a listener, and as he was really anxious to learn all that he could about the fur seals, these creatures that kept up the deafening roar that sounded like Niagara, he followed interestedly
”Looks a little as if it ested, as they left the house ”We could stand so”