The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-04-01

So next day the hunting pesah'
did not know how to shoot. but pro-
ceeded to learn. And when | had eX-
pended some thirty shells for three
seals, decided that the ammunition
would be exhausted before | acquired
the necessary knowledge.
I'VE must club the SEALS" | an
nounced, when convinced of my poor
craftsmanship. Il have heard the
sealers talk about clubbing them"
They are so pretty" she objected.
Il cannot bear to think of it being
done. 1t is so directly brutal, you
know; so different from shooting
them"
That roof must go on" | answered
grimly. Winter is almost here. 1t
is our lives against theirs. 1t is I'M
fortunate we haven't plenty of am
munition. but | think, anyway, that
they suffer less from being dubbed
than from being all shot up. Besides.
shall do the clubbing.
The upshot of the affair was that
she accompanied me next morning.
| rowed into the adjoining cove and
up to the edge of the beach. There
were seals all about us in the water,
and the believing thousands on the
beach compelled us to shout at each
other to make ourselves heard.
Il know men club them" | said,
trying to reassure myself and gazing
| doubtfully at large bull, not thirty
feet away, upreared on his fore-flip-
pers and regarding me intently. But
the question is, How do they club
! them?"
! 1T iust comes 20 me-" she said.
that Captain Larsen was telling me
how the men raided the rookeries.
They drive the seals, in small herds,
short distance inland before they
kill them"
Il don't care to undertake the herd
ing Of one of those harems," OBJ
jected.
But there are the holluschickie.
she said. The holluschickie haul out
by themselves, and Doctor Jordan
says that paths are left between the
harems, and that as long as the hol-
luschickie keep strictly to the path
they are unmolested by the masters
of the harem."
There's one now" said, pointing
to young bull in the water. Lets
watch him, and follow him If he hauls
out"
| He swan directly to the beach and
clambered out into a small opening
between two harems, the masters or
which made warning noises but did
not attack him. We watched him
travel slowly inward, threading about
among the harems along what must
have been the path.
A quarter of a mile inland we came
upon the holluschickie-sleek young
bulls, living out the loneliness of their
bachelorhood and gathering strength
against the day when they would fight
their way into the ranks of the bene-
diets.
Everything now went smoothly. l
seemed to know just what to do and
how to do it. Shouting, making
threatening gestures with my club,
and even prodding the lazy ones,
quickly cut out a score of the young
bachelors from their companions.
: Whenever one made an attempt to
| break back toward the water, l head
ed it off. Maud took an active part
in the drive, and with her cries and
r Furnishings of the broken oar was OF
: considerable assistance. / noticed
though, that whenever one looked
tired and Jagged, she let it slip past
But / noticed, also, whenever one
with a show of fight, tried to break
past, that her eyes glinted and showed
bright, and she raped it smartly with
her club.
MY. it's exciting!" she cried, paus
ing from sheer weakness. Il think
| I'll sit down"
! | drove the little herd "a dozen
strong, now, what of the escapes she
had permitted) a hundred yards far
Their on; and by the time she joined
N me / had finished the slaughter anc
\ was beginning to skin. An hour latel
we went proudly back along the patti
between the harems. And twice agar
j we came down the path burdenet
with skins, till / thought we hat
enough to roof the hut. l set the sail
laid one tack out of the cove, and OF
the other tack made our own little In
d ner cove.
It's Just like homecoming" Maut
4 said. as | ran the boat ashore.
heard her words with a responsive
III thrill. it was all so dearly intimate
II and natural, and l said:
| 1t seems as though l have livet
this life always. The world of book
+ and bookish folk is very vague, NOR
like a dream memory than an actual
ity. surely have hunted and forage,
. and fought all the days Of my life
And you, too, seem part Of it. Yo
= are" was on the verge Of saying
my woman, my mate" but glib
changed it Outstanding the hardshi
. WELL"
But her ear had caught the flaw
- She recognized fight that midmos
broke. She gave me a quick look.
a Not that. You were saying"
:. That the American Mrs. Meyne
= was living the life Of a savage an
living it quite successfully" l sal
| oasily