"These will be a welcome prize to our poor friends," exclaimed the doctor; "so load yourself, Dicey, with as many eggs and birds as you can carry, and we will send the men up for the remainder." Saying this, the doctor, tying the legs of a number of birds together with his handkerchief, fastened them round his neck, and then filled his hat full of eggs. Willy did the same. "They will take us for a couple of feathered bipeds of some new species," said the doctor, laughing. In truth, except their heads, nothing was to be seen of the doctor and Willy but masses of feathers. Now and then some of the birds, who had only been stunned, began fluttering about, and sticking their beaks into the bodies of their captors, who, climbing down the steep rocks, were but ill able to defend themselves. In spite of this, they succeeded in reaching the cove in safety, where their appearance, as they expected, created no little astonishment. Mrs Rumbelow, with some of her companions, quickly relieved them of their burdens, and instantly began plucking out the feathers of the birds, while the doctor and Willy again hastened off to continue their rambles. After making their way over the hill, they came, as they neared the beach, upon a large family of seals basking on a small strip of sand in a little cove below them. The doctor was delighted at the sight. "Now, Willy," he exclaimed, "we must have some more of these phocae." The doctor in his eagerness was hurrying on, rifle in hand, when his foot slipped, and he went sliding down a steep rock. The rifle exploded, the bullet passing very near Willy's head. Willy cried out, dreading that the doctor would be killed. Still he continued his downward course, Willy making his way by a more circuitous path as rapidly as he could towards him. At length the doctor reached the bottom of the cliff, where he lay without moving. Willy hurried towards him, expecting to find every bone in his body broken. Happily, the sand was soft where he had fallen. "Help me up, Dicey," he said, in a faint voice. "Where is my rifle; we must do battle with the seals notwithstanding."