The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-25

my nervousness left me, for had nor
the least idea that he would attach
me- He was not over 10 feet from ma.
| and / could see his eyes and teeth &c
/ he poked his head high above the wa
/ ter. He looked at me and snapped his
! laws and then dove beneath the s,,r-
/ face of the water
Then / started to pull ashore, think.
| ing / had seen the last of Mr.. Seal IN
| fact, | had almost forgotten him be-
! fore | had gone 200 feet
| ..All at once / thought an earthauaka
| had struck me. My boat was boosted
| high in the air at the stern and came
down on the water again with loud
splash Almost instantly this was re-
peated and then, before / could real
ize what had happened, l saw the seal
poking his head over the side of the
boat He was swapping his jaws ana
believing like whole herd of bulls
His eyes were close to me and / could
feel his breath as / sat too stunned
with amazement to move. For an in
slant / was .powerless. Then / began
to think of the proper way to kill
seals. | had never had the opportuni
ty before, but / had hunted enough
to know how to tackle any animal Of
his size and style of fighting.
Il reached for my revolver, but be-
fore | could touch it the seal gave a.
splash and Topped onto the boat, uD-
setting it and throwing me into the
water. / came up again gasping for
breath, and instinctively | began 10
fight for my life. | am a fine swim
mer and diver or I would not be here
to-day. | made up my mind to swim
ashore if the seal would leave ME
alone. | felt sure / could put a few
holes in him if he interfered. But
Mr. Seal was bent on a fight. and lie
made at me. I pulled my revolver and
shot him in the neck, but he only bel
lowed and came at me with gaping
Jaws When 10 feet away he made
dive and came up just behind me.
seizing me by the shirt, just back of
the left shoulder. Fortunately, he did
not get hold of any of my bones
Down the big fellow went taking
me with him as easily as if l were a
shrimp l had kept my eyes open and
could look up through the blue water
and see the sun cleaning through All
at once we touched bottom. l wonder
ed if the seal intended to hold me
there until | was drowned / made up
my mind to hold my breath as long
as possible. 1t seems now as if it
must have been ages, but / suppose
it was only a few moments. Then,
to my surprise, the seal came to the
top. when took in good, long
else.
Then / saw what was the matter
with the seal The blood was flowing
in a stream from the wound in Ills
neck. Evidently my first bullet had
interfered with his brea thing apparat-
us. This gave me hope, and instinct
lively l took a firmer hold on my re-
volver and was glad that it was a Colt
a, and hoped the water would not
hurt the cartridges. | now felt that
had a show. After a moment down
we went again, but this time I dad
my senses about me and began punch
ing my antagonist in the neck with the
nuzzle of my revolver. He did not
expect this, or like it. either, for he
ct go his hold and | shot up to the
surface. He followed and grabbed me
again. This time. however, he grab
bed my shirt under the left arm, leav-
ng my right free and in a position
where | could use it.
There was another short dive, and
when we came TO the top again I
for my chance / was in
ropes that the seal would drop me-
tut he didn't He only took a firmer
grip, drew in a longer breath and
eemed to have made up his mind to
20 below again. But ! stopped him
hort. | put the revolver close to
where | thought the SEALS ear ought
Q De. Inen before l could pull the
r.gger we both rolled over in the wa
er again and | got a mouthful of
rine that pretty nearly choked me.
gain my chance came, and when my
evolver cracked it almost deafened
ne But the seal let go his hold and
oiled over in the water like log
n moment he sank to the bottom.
nd | was safe. except for the fact
nat / was several hundred feet from
hore and quite tired from my duck
1g But I managed to get ashore
Francisco Letter to
le Cincinnati Enquirer.