The Irish standard., 1915-06-05


less the appearance Of a seal swimming
about with something attached to it
was in itself startling enough.
II will go out with you in the morn
ing" said. THAT seal we must
shoot"
Early next day, though the wind had
risen and the sea was rough, my neph-
ews and I took the boat together at the
shady Goes and rowed out. Between the
COOS and Dhu- Corrig we saw some half
dozen seals. Several times had good
opportunity of shooting one of them,
but did not shoot. The seal wanted
was not visible. We came home for
early dinner and went out again imme-
diately after. The boys, who now knew
what ] wanted and who were not short
sighted like myself, kept sharp look
out for the seal of which was in quest.
As we rowed slowly along Joseph said:
"There is seal lying on the Corrig-
a-skame rock. That may be it, for I re-
member it was a small one. Do you see
anything behind him, Harry?"
"No." said Harry, but it is hard to
see anything in the place where he is
lying. When he begins to move, we can
see the ball better, for it will hop and
jump somewhere behind him."
Row on very slowly, lads" said I.
We were coming from the east, and
the seal was lying on the rock with his
head to the west. The wind, too, was
blowing from that direction. Corrig-a-
SHAME was long black rock covered,
literally all over, with little mussels
growing as thick as grass. 1t was in
visible at high water, but at low tide
stood out pretty we'll and resembled the
back Of small whale. The name means
the Rock Of the Leap. Some active
wight in old times had sprung from
the corrig to the cliff or from the cliff
to the corrig. tits common name for
such rocks on the west coast. Almost
every league Of the coast exhibits some
where a co1rig-a-skame or rock called
after somebody's leap-Lem-con or
Lem-cathal, etc.
I had the boys wrap their handker-
chiefs round the leather of the oars to
deaden the sound of the rowing and
went to the bow with my rife. The
boys, sitting sternward of their oars so
as to keep their eyes on the seal, Towed
yently forward.
II am sure it is the same" whis-
pered Harry, who was just behind me,
"and I think I see the ball too. Yes, it
u.s." he added, "and see the ball.
Fire at him now. uncle
While was trying to get q steady
aim, which was difficult, owing to the
rocking Of the boat, the creature sud-
denly turned its head, saw Us and COM
menced bounding and Topping forward
along the length Of the rock, while be-
hind it as it moved swiftly along a
round ball jumped too. fred and
missed. The creature sent forth loud
moving sort Of cry and splashed into
the water on the farther side.
ut has loft the ball behind" cried
the two boys both together, in great ex-
element.
This was true, the ball having been
caught in some cleft so that the string
which connected it with the animal had
broken. None Of US saw exactly how it
happened, but the creature was gone,
and the ball remained behind. I could
not see it now myself, as it was no
longer in motion, but the boys did. We
rowed up to the rock, but the surf all
around it was so great that we could
not land. The wind was steadily rising
and the sea beginning to run unpleas-
antly high. My boat, too, was small
and light, not intended to stand rough
weather. The tide, however, was flow
ing, and in short time I knew that
some wave would sweep the ball off the
rock. We kept the boats head to the
wind for about three-quarters Of an
hour, and at last had the pleasure of
seeing one large wave carry the bad
clear back off the rock. A little later
the ball had disengaged itself from the
surf. You can imagine with what a
thrill of delight took this waif into
my hands. Though there was little
rational ground for such a belief, felt
an assurance amounting to conviction
that had in my hands the explanation
of the mysterious tragedy. The ball
was small bladder, apparently a
sleeps bladder, and was very tightly
fastened at the mouth with whipcord or
strong fishing line. When the boys
looked to see me open it, did nothing
of the kind. had the boys row, went
myself to the tiller and turned the
boats head home. I had staid in the
vicinity Of Co1rig-a-skame too long,
and knew it. I knew that good steer
ing and good luck, too, were now re-
quired in order to enable us to make
my COOS. did not open the bladder,
partly because I did not desire to re-
main in this jeopardy a moment longer
than was necessary, and partly because
I wished, in the event of an accident
Detailing US, that the unopened bladder
with its contents should still be left
swimming. The situation indeed was
momentarily becoming more serious.
The wind increased to gale, and the
huge waves lifted the little boat and
propelled her forward like chip.
feared to bring her broadside to the
wind and waves. Yet that was neces-
sary in order to get into the shady COOS.
So I steered past it and let her drive
forward to the Basin, mile farther on,
the entrance to which was wide and
did not offer such sharp angle to be
turned as did my own little cove. How
ever, not to be tedious when I have so
many infinitely more important things
to relate, we made the Basin in safety
and drew up our boat on the coast
Quards, alin bidding the hnua saw