Some of them, however, did discover him to be a strange intruder in
their lodging house. These would turn their great, round eyes on him,
circle off from the ledge, then with a quick flip of their flukes dart
toward the opening, gracefully cutting the water as they steered for
their fishing grounds. Some returned with a fish in their mouths,
shining like silver, and all day he had a chance to watch their
movements.
He was greatly interested in the peculiar manner in which they climbed
upon the ledges. They would raise their bodies almost out of the water,
place their flippers on the edge of the rock and with a quick flirt of
their flukes, project themselves to the shelf in the most graceful
manner. Later in the morning, Paul noticed one enormous brute on a ledge
opposite him and about fifty feet below. It appeared to be heavy and
sleepy. Around it were clustered several smaller ones, seeming to be its
immediate retainers or most intimate friends. The big fellow was
uneasy. Several times he lifted his head, looked about with his blood
shot eyes and then dropped back again as though to finish a nap. Paul
expected an attack and braced himself for it. The monster finally edged
slowly over and plunged into the water.
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