Washington sentinel., 1898-02-12
seal PoAchers.

Seal FOACu1ESa
Loosening the long knives in
their belts, and gripping hand
spike and rife, they crept quietly
up a slope Of rock, smooth scarped
and polished by the passage OF
countless seals. The mate we'll
knew the risk he ran, and was by
no means easy in his mind. II
party of Russian hunters, the right
ful owners Of the ground, had al
ready landed, they might be shot
down every man of them. for there
is little DOUBT that the seal poacher
meets with rough and ready justice
at times. Occasionally these free
lances of the ocean, who may only
kill seals in open water, carry
well stocked armory on board, and
weather beaten shippers have been
heard to boast OF beating off cruis-
ers' boats in open fight 1t is rum
ored that in 1892 some of the
schooners vigorously resisted at
tempts at seizure, and then. as now,
the independent sealer was rank
thorn in the side of British, Rus
slan, and American diplomatists.
The Caribou's crew, however,
did not approach the resounding
rookerY. In the first place, the
seven loot see catch, or bull seal,
is dangerous beast to meddle with
on the ground he has fought so
hard for; in the second, his fur has
generally been hopelessly torn and
rent in the fraY, and sealeT sell
dom molests the breeding amphio-
ians If he can obtain any others.
They follow the broad seal road in
stead which led away inland, until
the wltery moonlight fell on a
legion, perhaps thousand strong.
Of curious, Hopping objects drag
ging themselves over the ground.
These were the hulluschakie, or
bachelor seals, too young as yet to
enter the lists and fight with the
older bulls for place in the rook-
cry. For three months they would
founder about the ledges and
drive in the spouting surf, and then
depart to scour the wide Pacific
from Ksmchatka to Cape Horn,
never touching dry land again
until such as escaped thTesher
whales and basking shark should
return next year, full grown, breed
ing seals. Meanwhile they must
herd apart, and avoid the rookeries
on peril of their lives.
At a signal from the mate the
men spread out, and few moments
later with a muffled roar the legion
turned round and headed back
towards the sea, drawing themsel-
YES along with heads three feet in
the air at a curious, numbering
lope, until at the end of hundred
yards or SO many fell painting to
the earth. With practiSed eyes
the Siwash picked out the most
promising victims and hemmed
them in, letting the rest wobble
painfully away; and il is curious
that, while the fur seal will tear an
unarmed man to pieces IN rook-
cry, anywhere else it may be driven
like a sheep. Then the butchery
began. Hand spike and rifle butt
fell like fails on the rounded heads,
crushing in the thin skulls as
though they were cardboard, and
soon the hollow beneath the rocks
echoed with the sound OF thudding
blows, the piping of half killed
seals, and the hoarse shouts OF the
Siwash as they DIR ove the stragglers
in. The mems breath hung like
steam about them in the nipping
air, and the rank odor OF the jelly
blubber, which lies beneath the
holluschak's skin, was almost too
much at times even for the mates
accustomed nostrils.
In few hours time a winrow of
limp and furry bodies stretched
away into the darkness, and the
painting men flung themselves
down upon the stones, aching in
every Joint. The mates right arm
felt heavy as lead, and his sleeve
was soaked with blood TO the
shoulder, while the perspiration
dripped down into his eyes. But
his share of the work was done, for
now there remained only the task
of skinning the seals beforethe day.
light came, and this was the Indi
ans business. So he cuTled up
under the lee of a boulder, watch
ing the wild blood stained figures
ply the glinting knives, and suck
ing at his pipe, until the sea fog
closed down again and blotted out
the moonlight.