very heavily, though."

"Fall over one of the seals?"

"No, it went between my legs, and I couldn't save myself. Well, we've
won, and I'm glad we know now they were only seals. It was very stupid,
but I got fancying they were goodness knows what horrible creatures."

"So did I," said Vince, with a faint laugh. "Old Joe's water bogies
seemed to be all there, with fiery eyes, and I hit at them in a
desperate way like. I say, you can't help feeling frightened at a time
like this, specially when one of them fastens on you like a dog."

"What!"

"Yes," said Vince quietly, and without a tinge of boasting in his
utterances. "I was whacking about at random, when one came at me, and
made a sort of snip-snap and got hold, and for a bit it wouldn't leave
go; but I whacked away at it as hard as I could, and then it fell
gliding down my leg, and the next moment made another grab at me, but
its head was too far forward, and it only knocked me sidewise. Such a
bang on the thigh: I nearly went down."

"But where are you bitten?" cried Mike excitedly.

"Here," said Vince, laughing, and holding the lanthorn to his side.
"Only my jacket, luckily. Look, it tore a piece right out. What
strength they've got! I felt it worrying at it, wagging its head like a
dog. I say, Mike!"

"Yes."

"I was in a stew. I wasn't sorry when the brute dropped down."

"It's horrible," said Mike.

"Oh, I don't know. I don't feel a bit scared now. I tell you what,
though: it has warmed me up. I'm not cold now. How are you?"

"Hot."

"Then let's have a look round."

Raising the lanthorn, the two prisoners cautiously advanced for about
twenty feet, and then were stopped by solid rock, forming a sharp angle,
where the two walls of the cave met. Their way had been up a slope of
deep, shelly sand, which crushed and crunched beneath their feet, these
sinking deeply at every step. Then the light was held higher, with the
door open; and by degrees they made out that the pool was about fifty or
sixty feet broad, and touched the rock-walls everywhere but out by this
triangular patch of sand, which was wet enough where the seals crawled
out, the hollows here and there showing where one had lain; but up
towards the angle it was quite dry, and the walls were perfectly free
from zoophyte or weed--ample proof that the water never rose to where
they stood.

"Well," said Vince, setting down the lanthorn close to the wall, "we've
won the day, th