Part 8 (1/2)

”He ent said ”Never stops Can you hear a long hoarse roar? Sounds like a lion!”

”Of course I can hear it,” the boy answered; ”I thought that must be a sea-lion”

”A sea-lion's cry is deeper and not so loud,” his friend replied ”No

That roar is the bull seal's challenge You're near enough to hear a sort of gurgling growl?”

”Yes,” said Colin, ”I can catch it quite clearly”

”That's a bull talking to hi on When they're fighting, too, they have a spitting cough

Sounds like a locorade Precisely!”

”Do they fight much?” the boy asked

”Ever so often!” his infor?

That shows there's a fight going on I've seldo the early part of the season after the cows have started to haul up There's not nearly as h, as there used to be”

”Could I see a fight?” the boy asked eagerly

”Hardly help seeing one,” was the reply ”Watch now We're just at the rookery I sharply to the left, the older man led the way between two piles of stones heaped up so as to form a sort of wall, and shut off at the sea end

”What's this for?” asked Colin

”Path through the rookery Want to count the seals every once in a while,” the agent said ”Must have soh, otherwise”

”Why not?” queried Colin ”Would the beachmasters attack you?”

”They won't start it,” was the reply ”Sea-catch keeps quiet unless he thinks you're going to attack his hareo, I only just escaped Narrow squeeze Wanted to get a photograph of one of the biggest sea-catches I had ever seen Took a heavy camera The sea-catch didn't seem excited Not particularly So, I cae?”

”Ten or twelve feet Just about I got under the cloth Focused hi to press the bulb when he charged Straight for rabbed the camera and ran Promptly!”

”Did he chase you far?”

”A few yards I knew there was no real danger Best of it was that the plate caught the bull right in the act of charging! I've got a print up at the house Show you e get home!”

”I'd like to see it, ever so ap in the wall, the agent halted

”There!” he said ”That's a rookery”