"Then let us go the opposite way, as far as we can, and we'll stop out all day long and behave like children. I'm going to walk in the water," and she kicked off her shoes and lifted her blanket skirt and tripped along in the lip of the tide, and he did the same, enjoying her enjoyment. A watery sun shone feebly through a thin gray sky, the air was still heavy with moisture, the water in which they were walking was warmer than that of the lake. On that side, the island curved like the concave side of a great half-moon. The pale yellow sand stretched on and on as far as their eyes could reach. "I would like to bathe," said she exuberantly. "Wait till we get beyond the end of our lake, then you can take this side and I'll go across to the other. You won't go out too far? There may be under-currents that would carry you out." "I'll be very careful. And you must not come back for an hour... Oh, what are those? ... Dead men?" In a tiny dent in the long sweep of the curve, made by the sandhills running almost down to the water, were half a dozen dark objects lying on the dry sand and looking for all the world like dead bodies. He had never seen any jetsam of size on that side. The drive of the storms and drift of the currents landed everything on the western spits and banks. Still there was no knowing. "Wait here!" he said, and set off towards them. And she followed close at his heels. But before they had gone many paces, one of the bodies set itself suddenly in motion and began to shuffle towards the water. "Seals," said Wulf, who had never set eyes on a live one in his life, but had a general idea of what they were like. Before they could reach them, all had flopped away except one, which, when they drew near, raised its head and eyed them piteously and made an effort to rise. "It is sick or wounded," said Wulf. "Poor beast! Its eyes are like a woman's in----" He bethought himself and bit it off short. He had seen just such a look in many a woman's eyes. "We won't disturb her," he said, and led the way round to give her wide berth. "Oh--look! Oh, the little darling! How I would love to cuddle it!" whispered The Girl, for there, on the other side of Mrs Seal, with her front fins clasping it protectingly, was a late-born baby sucking away for dear life. The Girl's face was transfigured,--ablaze with intensest sympathy and the wonderful light of mother-love. The mother's eyes followed them anxiously, the fear in them died out as they backed slowly away, and she bent her head to her baby and seemed to say, "Thank you so much! You understand, and I am very grateful to you." "I _am_ so glad we saw them. I like the island better than ever I did before," said The Girl. "What a dear little thing it was! And she was just delightful," and all day long she kept referring to them and to her joy at the sight of them.