Willy and Peter in their eagerness frequently went ahead of the rest of the party. The latter was a little in advance of his companion, when he uttered a loud cry. "Oh! there is another of those horrid brutes." At that instant a fierce bellow was heard, and a huge tiger bull-seal started up and gazed fiercely at the midshipmen. They grasped their axes to attack the seal; but the animal, rushing forward, warned them that "discretion was the best part of valour." With such short weapons they could not hope to strike it without the risk of being seized by its formidable tusks. "Run, Dicey, run," cried Peter; and Willy, brave as he was, felt that it was prudent to follow Peter's example. The seal came after them at full speed, bellowing loudly. His voice and their shouts brought the seamen to their assistance; but the animal, seeing fresh foes in front, turned aside, and before the men could reach it, dashed at a rapid rate through the bush. The doctor and captain now joined the chase, and away they all went, the seal bellowing and the men shouting and laughing. The doctor, who was not so active as the rest of the party, was soon distanced. The captain in vain attempted to get a shot at the animal's head; he knew that a wound in any other part of the body would produce no effect. On went the seal, down the side of the mountain, following a well-marked track. "Where he goes we can follow," cried Willy; "come on, come on." The seal soon showed that he could not only run for a short distance faster than they could, but that he could keep at the same speed for a longer time. "This beats coursing," cried Peter Patch. "The creature will give us as good a chase as a hare. If we had but some dogs it would be fine fun. We must have run a couple of miles already." "We may have to run a couple more before we catch him," said Willy, "and it won't do to give it up." They were approaching the shore, or, rather, the head of a gulf which ran up from it. Should the seal reach the water he would be lost. The party doubled their speed, when the animal, then about fifty yards ahead, suddenly disappeared. Willy and Peter could with difficulty stop, and save themselves from falling into a deep narrow gully with perpendicular sides which appeared before them. They leaned over the edge. It was thirty or forty feet deep, a stream of water running at the bottom. Had they gone over, they would probably have broken their necks. "He will escape by the end of the gully," cried Willy. "Sharp and Wall, run round to the beach and try and stop him."