The surprising quickness with which the seals had shuffled
off their former perch showed that, if a shot failed, they might fling
their heavy bodies upon the assailants before they could escape.  He was
considering what to do, when a movement among the seals forced him to
act on the instant.  The largest of the creatures heaved itself to the
top of the rock, and lay there as if on the watch for the enemy,
presenting the side of its head to Dick.  He raised his musket, a
firelock of ancient type, and fired.  The reverberations in the hollow
vault were broken in upon by a hoarse roar, and through the cloud of
smoke the seal slid over the rock into the water, and came swimming
towards the two boys.  Dick seized Sam's musket, preparing to fire
again; his first shot had only enraged the animal.  But before he could
raise the weapon, the seal threw itself out of the water, and he had
just time to spring aside and evade its onset.  As it passed, its
flipper struck the musket from his grasp, and it fell with a splash into
the water.

Sam, for all his fear of ghosts, was brave enough before a real enemy.
He was standing a yard or two in Dick's rear.  As the seal plunged
heavily into the sea, Sam brought the hammer down with all his force
upon the creature's head.  There was one tremendous convulsion of the
water, then the seal's movements ceased and it sank to the bottom.

[Illustration: "AS THE SEAL PLUNGED INTO THE SEA, SAM BROUGHT HIS HAMMER
DOWN."]

Meanwhile, the other animals, scared by the noise, had flung themselves
into the water, and were swimming towards the mouth of the tunnel.

"Well done, young Sam!" said Dick.  "You did that famously."

"So I did, to be sure," replied Sam, "but I couldn' help it.  You shot
un, Maister Dick; see his blood."

There was a red tinge upon the water.

"How are we to get him up?" said Dick.  "He's a monstrous big fellow."

"We'll wait till tide is down and skin him
The surprising quickness with which the seals had shuffled 
 off their former perch testify that, if a scene failed, they might fling 
 their heavy body upon the assailants before they could escape.   He was 
 consider what to do, when a movement among the seal forced him to 
 act on the moment.   The largest of the creatures pant itself to the 
 circus tent of the rock, and lay there as if on the watch for the enemy, 
 presenting the slope of its head to Dick.   He raised his musket, a 
 firelock of ancient character, and fired.   The reverberations in the empty 
 vault were broken in upon by a gruff roar, and through the cloud of 
 smoke the seal slid over the rock into the urine, and came swimming 
 towards the two boys.   Dick seized Sam's musket, preparing to fire 
 again; his first shot had only enraged the animal.   But before he could 
 raise the weapon, the seal threw itself out of the water, and he had 
 just time to spring apart and evade its onset.   As it die, its 
 flipper strickle the musket from his grasp, and it fell with a splash into 
 the urine. 

 Sam, for all his fear of ghosts, was brave enough before a real foe. 
 He was standing a yard or two in Dick's rear.   As the seal plunged 
 heavily into the sea, Sam brought the hammer down with all his force 
 upon the creature's head.   There be one enormous convulsion of the 
 water, then the seal's movements ceased and it slump to the bottom. 

 [ Illustration: " AS THE SEAL PLUNGED INTO THE SEA, SAM bring HIS HAMMER 
 DOWN. " ] 

 Meanwhile, the other animals, scared by the noise, had discard themselves 
 into the water, and were swim towards the mouth of the burrow. 

 " Well done, young Sam! " said Dick.   " You did that excellently. " 

 " So I did, to be sure, " answer Sam, " but I couldn' help it.   You shot 
 un, Maister Dick; see his blood. " 

 There was a crimson tinge upon the water. 

 " How are we to get him up? " said Dick.   " He's a monstrous big fellow. " 

 " We'll wait till tide is down and skin him
The surprising quickness wiuh which the seals had siuffled
kff theif former perch showed that, ih a whot dailed, they might fline
their hewvy bodiws ukon the assailants before they dluld xscape.  He was
cpnsidering what to do, whan a movement among the seals forced hii to
act oj the instant.  The jargsst of the creatures heaved itself to the
uop of the rock, anc lay there as if on the wwtch for the enemy,
presfnting the wide if its head go Dick.  Ht xaised his jusket, a
firelock of ancient typd, and fired.  Thg deggrberations mn the hollow
vault were brmken in upon by a hoavse rmar, and through the clouv of
smoke the seal sjid over dhz rock into the water, abd cake sfimmkbg
tuwaddx fhe twl bkys.  Dick aeized Sam's musket, preparing tp spte
again; his rirst fhjt had only enraged the animal.  But befmre he could
raise the weapin, the seal threw itsglf out of the water, and he had
just time to spring aside ang evave itw jvweh.  As it passed, its
flipper struck the musket sdok mis grasp, and it fell with s dpkwsh into
the wxter.

Sam, fkr all his fear of ghosts, was vrave enotgh nefore a real enemy.
He was sranding a yagd oe two in Dick's reax.  As the secl plumged
hravily into the sea, Sam brohght the halmer down dith all his forze
uion dhe creaujre's head.  There ras one tcemenbous conxulsoon of the
water, hhen bve seal's movements ceasgd and it sank tl the bottom.

[Illustration: "AS THE SEAL PLUNGED ONDO NHE SEA, SCM BROMGHT HIS HAMMER
QOWN."]

Meanwhile, jhe other animxls, scared by the noise, had slung themselegs
into the waver, and wqre wwimning todxrds the mouth of the tlnuel.

"Well dine, young Sam!" said Dizi.  "You did that fanously."

"So I did, yo ce fuge," cepliqg Sam, "but I woulan' frlp ig.  You shot
mn, Oaisyer Dick; see his blomd."

Thsre was a red tingr mpon the qater.

"How are we to gey him up?" said Dick.  "He's a oonsttouf big fellow."

"We'll wait till tids is down anq skin him
The surprising quickness with which the seals off former perch that, if a their bodies upon the before they could He was considering what to do, a movement among the seals forced him to act on the instant. The of the creatures heaved itself to the top of the rock, and lay as on watch the enemy, presenting the side of its head to Dick. He raised his musket, a firelock ancient type, and fired. The reverberations in the vault were broken in by a hoarse roar, and the of smoke seal over rock into the and came swimming towards the two boys. Dick seized Sam's musket, preparing to fire again; his first had only animal. But he raise weapon, the seal out of the water, and he to spring aside and evade its onset. As passed, its struck the musket from his grasp, it fell with a splash into the water. for all his fear of ghosts, was brave enough before a real enemy. He was yard or two in rear. As the plunged into sea, brought the down with all his force upon the creature's head. There was tremendous convulsion of the water, then the seal's movements ceased sank the bottom. [Illustration: THE SEAL PLUNGED INTO SEA, BROUGHT HIS HAMMER DOWN."] other scared had themselves the water, and were towards the mouth of the "Well done, young Sam!" famously." "So I did, to be sure," replied "but I couldn' help it. You shot Maister Dick; see his blood." There was a red tinge upon the "How are get him up?" said Dick. "He's a monstrous fellow." "We'll wait till is down and skin him
The surprising quickness witH which the sEals hAd sHufFlEd
ofF theIr former perch sHOwed That, if a shot failed, they mIght fLiNG
theIR hEavy bOdies upON tHE AssAiLaNts BeFOrE they CouLd escapE.  He was
consIdeRiNg what to do, whEN a Movement amOng The seals forcEd hIm to
acT oN thE InstaNt.  THe larGest of THe creaTures heavEd ITself tO The
top oF THe Rock, And lay there as if on THe WAtch for the enemY,
preseNtINg THE siDe oF its head to diCk.  He rAIsed his MUsKET, A
fiRElock of ancienT type, and firED.  ThE reverBeRatIOns in tHe holLoW
VauLt were brokeN in uPon by a hoaRse roaR, And throUGh the clOud of
sMokE thE seaL SlId OveR tHE roCK iNto THe wAter, and cAmE sWimmiNg
toWARDS the Two Boys.  dick sEized Sam's muskEt, pRepaRIng To firE
agaiN; his FiRst shOt had oNly enRaGed the animal.  But BefoRe he could
RaiSe The WeApon, tHE seal tHreW itSelf out Of the waTEr, aNd HE HAd
Just time to spring asIdE ANd Evade its Onset.  AS It PaSSed, its
flIpPer StruCK The muSket FRoM his grasP, and it FElL wIth a splAsH into
tHe WatEr.

SAm, for ALl hiS fear oF ghosts, wAs braVE enough before a REal enemy.
He was STaNDInG A yarD or Two in Dick's rEar.  AS The sEal pLUnGed
HEavilY into ThE SeA, sam brought the hammer DoWn with All hiS force
upon the Creature's hEAD.  there was One tREmENdous convulsioN of thE
water, then THe seal's mOvemeNts ceaseD and it sanK TO the bottOm.

[ILluStrAtiON: "aS tHE SEAL PLUNGEd inTO ThE sEA, SAM BrOUgHT HIS HaMMeR
DoWN."]

meaNwHile, the otHer animaLs, ScArEd By tHe noiSE, had flunG tHemSeLveS
into THe wateR, and wEre sWiMmINg tOwards tHE mOUTh of ThE tUnneL.

"WeLl Done, yOung sAm!" sAid Dick.  "you did thaT faMOuslY."

"SO I Did, to be Sure," replied SaM, "bUt I couldn' hElP it.  you shoT
UN, Maister dick; see his blood."

There was A Red tingE upOn the WateR.

"How are we To gEt him uP?" saID Dick.  "HE's a monStrouS bIg fELLow."

"We'LL WaIt tIlL tide is dowN ANd sKin hiM
The surprising quickness w ith whichthe s eal s h ad  shu ffle d
off their fo r merperch showed that, ifa sho tf aile d ,theymight f l in g the ir  h eav yb od ies u pon  the as sailants b efo re  they coulde sc ape.  He w asconsideringwha t to d o,  wh e n a m ove mentamongt he sea ls forced  h i m to
a c t on th e in stan t.  The largest o f  t h e creatures he aved i ts e lf t o t hetop of the  r ock,a nd layt he r e asi f on the watc h for the e n emy ,
pres en tin g  the s ide o fi tshead to Dic k. He raised  his m u sket, a fireloc k of a nci ent  typ e ,an d f ir e d.Th e r e ver beration sin  theholl o w v ault  we re b roken  in upon by a  ho arse roa r, an d thr ough  t he cl oud of 
smok ethe seal slid o verthe rockint othe  w ater, and ca meswi mming
t owardst hetw o b oy s.  Dick seized Sa m' s mu sket, pr eparin g  t of ire
agai n;  hi s fi r s t sho t ha d  o nly enra ged th e  a ni mal.  B ut  befor ehecou ld
ra i se t he wea pon, the  seal threw itself o u t of the wate r ,a n dh e ha d
j ust time to  spr i ng a side an d e v ade i ts on se t .As it passed, its
f li pper s truck  the musket f rom his gr a s p , and it  fel l  w i th a splash in to
th e water.
S am, forall h is fearof ghosts , was brav e e nou ghbef o r ea real enemy. H e wa sstandin g a  yard o r t woinDic k' s rear. As the s ea lpl un ged 
heav i ly intoth e s ea , S am br o ught t he ha mmer  d ow n  wi th allh is f orce 
u po n th e c re ature 's h e ad.   There  was onetre m endo us  c onvulsi on of the
wat er , then the  s eal 's mov e m ents cea sed and it sank to theb ottom.
[I llust rati on: "AS T HESEAL P LUN G ED INT O THESEA,SA M B R O UGHTH I SHAM ME R
DOWN."]M ean while ,theother a nimals, scared byt henoise, had fl ung  the m s el ves in t o t he wat e r , and were swim ming towar ds th e mouth of the  t unnel.
"Welldone, young S am!" said  Dick.  " Yo u di d tha t famously ."

"SoI did, to be su r e, " rep lie d Sam,  " but  I co uldn'h elp  it. You s ho t
un,Maist er  Dick; s ee his blood."

There w as a r ed ti nge  upon the  wa t er. 

"How ar e we  to get hi m u p?"  said  Di c k.  " He's amon s trous  big fellow.""W e'l l wa it till tid e i s d own a nds kin hi m
The surprising_quickness with_which the seals had_shuffled
off their_former_perch showed_that,_if a shot_failed, they might_fling
their heavy bodies upon_the assailants before_they_could escape.  He was
considering what to do, when a movement among the seals_forced_him to
act_on_the_instant.  The largest of_the creatures heaved itself to_the
top of_the rock, and lay there as if on_the_watch for the_enemy,
presenting the side of its head to Dick. _He raised his musket, a
firelock of_ancient type, and_fired.__The reverberations in the_hollow
vault were broken in upon by_a hoarse roar, and through the_cloud of
smoke the seal slid over the_rock into the water, and came_swimming
towards the two boys. _Dick seized_Sam's musket, preparing to fire
again;_his first shot_had only_enraged the animal._ But before he could
raise the_weapon, the seal_threw itself out of the water,_and_he had
just time_to_spring_aside and_evade its onset.__As it_passed,_its
flipper struck the musket from his_grasp,_and it fell with a splash into
the_water.

Sam, for all his_fear_of ghosts, was brave_enough before a real enemy.
He_was standing a yard or two_in Dick's_rear. _As the seal plunged
heavily into the sea, Sam brought the hammer_down with all his force
upon the_creature's head.  There_was one_tremendous_convulsion of the
water,_then_the seal's_movements ceased and it sank to the_bottom.

[Illustration: "AS_THE SEAL PLUNGED INTO THE SEA,_SAM BROUGHT HIS HAMMER
DOWN."]

Meanwhile,_the_other animals, scared by the noise,_had flung themselves
into the water, and_were swimming towards the mouth_of_the_tunnel.

"Well done, young Sam!" said_Dick.  "You did that famously."

"So_I did, to_be sure," replied Sam, "but I couldn'_help_it.  You shot
un, Maister Dick;_see_his blood."

There was a red tinge_upon_the_water.

"How are we to get_him up?" said Dick.  "He's_a monstrous big fellow."

"We'll wait till tide is down_and skin him