"
Then Kesshoo threw his harpoon, and Menie drove it into the ice
with all his might. Slowly Kesshoo drew the line taut, turned his
kyak round, and started for the shore. The journey out had been
dangerous, but the journey back was much more so, for Kesshoo
could not dodge the floating ice nearly so well. He had to pick
his way carefully through the clearest water he could find. Very
cautiously they moved toward shore.
V.
They were getting quite near the place where the ice had broken
with Menie, when suddenly, right near them, they saw the head and
great, round eyes of a seal! It was the seal mother.
She had come back to find her breathing hole and her baby.
The moment Kesshoo saw her he seized. his dart, which lay in its
place on top of his kyak, and threw it with all his might at the
seal.
The seal dived down into the sea, but a bladder full of air was
attached to the line on the dart, and this bladder floated on the
water, so Kesshoo could tell by watching it just where the seal
was.
Kesshoo knew he had struck the seal, and although he was already
towing the ice raft, he was determined to bring home the big
seal, too!
He called to Menie. "Sit still and wait until I come for you."
Then he quickly cut the harpoon line by which he was towing the
ice raft, and set it adrift again. As soon as he was free he
paddled away after the bladder, which was now bobbing along over
the water at some little distance from the boat.
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