The suburban citizen., 1901-09-28
HUNTING THE SEA OTTER
ARE CAPTURED WHEN THEY co
FOR A HOLIDAY.

beach to be found anywhere on the
Pacific coast OF the United States is
the wide expanse Of spotless and gilt
tering sand which lies between Gray's
Harbor and the Qulnnlault River.
There may be seen an unbrOken area
of twenty miles in length, and at low
tide from three to FIVE miles in width,
which would make a moonlight play
ing ground for the hourls.
There are many tower-like structures
at regular distances of perhaps a mile
each which excite the curiosity Of the
people on the many coast line steam
ers plying between San Francisco and
northern ports. These are the towers
or shooting boxes Of sea otter hunters.
They are built of tall, slender poles,
generally four in number, sunk to
great depth and fixed securely in the
sand and surrounded by a small box
covered with a roof to protect its oc-
cupants from the burning sun. Cleats
securely fastened to the poles from
bottom to top afford the hunter means
of ingress and egress.
The hot sun which blazes fiercely on
this wide expanse Of white sand dur
ing the months of July and August
heats it almost to burning point, and
the waters of the incoming tide roll
ing and curling over this hot sand, be-
come deliciously warm. This is the
playing ground of the sea otter, the
place where they come to spend their
! holidays.
They leave their homes in the far
OFF rocky islands, where there are no
sand beaches, and the green waters
are cold and deep, and come here like
! people to a watering place, to spend
the summer months in rolling and
tumbling about in this warm water in
a perfect ecstacy of delight. They
] leap and play about in the foaming
breakers and polish their beautiful
skins by hugging the sandy bottom
and allowing the ocean swels TO drive
and throw them about as they will.
Although sea otters have the tlmid-
/ ity which is natural to all wild ami
mails, they are better able to protect
themselves than any Of the other ami
mails which have their homes in the
sea. The swlftness of their move
ments makes it possible for them
easily to catch any kind Of small fish,
and thus they can appease their hun
| ger with the daintiest food.
No shark can catch them; they could
be twenty feet away while Mr.. Shark
was turning on his back, and if the
shark were directly beneath them
they could throw themselves five feet
in the air like a kaleidoscope ball
while the ugly monster was swapping
his jaws. The hunter is in his box
the tide is coming in, and with a pow
erful field glass to assist his practiced
eye, he eagerly scans each coming roll
er. He has been here every day for a
week, and his rife has lain untouched
by his side. To-day something may
happen.
All at once he starts and mutters a
little ejaculation; he sees something.
He will soon know what 1t is for the
swells are coming swiftly and the dis
tance between himself and the object
he has seen will be quickly lessened.
Yes, there it is again; there is no mis-
take 1t is an otter, not more than
600 yards away. The hunter lays
down his glass, and there is $500 or
5000 worth of beautiful, shining fur
plainly visible to the naked eye.
The man In the tower picks up his
Sharps rife, inserts a 120-grain cart
ridge in the chamber, and there is a
wicked, wistful gleam in the keen eye
Of the hunter as he raises his weapon
for the first shot. There is a fash, a
recon and a report, which is scarcely
distingulshable in the roaring Of the
breakers to the man who holds the
gun. Ammunition is no object, and,
with lightning rapidity he loads and
fires his piece. That otter will not be
more than ten feet away from where
he was when the hunter pulled the
trigger when he gets there, and that
hunter can hit bounding deer at 300
yards twice out Of five shots. The Of
ter is enjoying himself in the danger
Gus company Of murderOus bullets,
which are doing their best to find him.
Another huge breaker brings him
within 200 yards Of the blazing rife.
s. quick recoil Of the heavy gun turns
the hunter half round there is an un-
natural splash which tells the man
something has happened. He strains
his eyes; no need Of his glass to see
there is blood in the water, and this
tells him that there is a big hole some.
where in that $500.
No need to shoot again; no otter
could bleed like that and not be washed
ashore. The hunter lays down his
heated gun; there win be no more OF
ters in sight to-day. He sees his game
, almost opposite his tower; it is drift
ing helplessly toward the shore. That
, skin is his and its possession means
that he will have everything he wants
for another year If he does not fire O
single shot.
The fierce CLEAN Of desire has left
his dirty face and has been replaced
, by one Of possession He is wild with