All this was a new revelation to many
boys, whose sole ideas of birds had been sparrows, thrushes, perhaps,
and ducks at so much a couple, and a duck-pond.
In our enumeration, however, of fish and fowl we had almost forgotten "a
portent of the wave," which was a nine hours' wonder with us. A stray
seal, revisiting the familiar shore, and unaware of the change which had
transformed his quiet haunts was encountered by one of our party as he
cruised round Borth Head in his fishing-boat. We are glad to record that
the _rencontre_ ended without bloodshed. It was a sportsman and a
naturalist who had crossed the poor seal's path; but he remembered that
he, too, was a stranger in the land, and he could not lift rifle against
the
Sea-worn face, sad as mortality,
which leaned from the ledge of rock to look at him. So the monster
passed on his way unharmed.
We have detailed at length enough of the diversions and interests which
lay close at our own doors. But these delights pale by the side of those
red-letter days when we went far afield to keep a holiday among the
mountains.
Pages:
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70