The first thing he did was to assure himself that the fishing was good, and then he swam along the beaches and counted up the delightful low sandy islands half hidden in the beautiful rolling fog.  Away to the northward, out to sea, ran a line of bars and shoals and rocks that would never let a ship come within six miles of the beach, and between the islands and the mainland was a stretch of deep water that ran up to the perpendicular cliffs, and somewhere below the cliffs was the mouth of the tunnel.

“It’s Novastoshnah over again, but ten times better,” said Kotick.  “Sea Cow must be wiser than I thought.  Men can’t come down the cliffs, even if there were any men; and the shoals to seaward would knock a ship to splinters.  If any place in the sea is safe, this is it.”

He began to think of the seal he had left behind him, but though he was in a hurry to go back to Novastoshnah, he thoroughly explored the new country, so that he would be able to answer all questions.

Then he dived and made sure of the mouth of the tunnel, and raced through to the southward.  No one but a sea cow or a seal would have dreamed of there being such a place, and when he looked back at the cliffs even Kotick could hardly believe that he had been under them.

He was six days going home, though he was not swimming slowly; and when he hauled out just above Sea Lion’s Neck the first person he met was the seal who had been waiting for him, and she saw by the look in his eyes that he had found his island at last.

But the holluschickie and Sea Catch, his father, and all the other seals laughed at him when he told them what he had discovered, and a young seal about his own age said, “This is all very well, Kotick, but you can’t come from no one knows where and order us off like this.  Remember we’ve been fighting for our nurseries, and that’s a thing you never did.  You preferred prowling about in the sea.”

The other seals laughed at this, and the young seal began twisting his head from side to side.  He had just married that year, and was making a great fuss about it.

“I’ve no nursery to fight for,” said Kotick.  “I only want to show you all a place where you will be safe.  What’s the use of fighting?”

“Oh, if you’re trying to back out, of course I’ve no more to say,” said the young seal with an ugly chuckle.

“Will you come with me if I win?” said Kotick.  And a green light came into his eye, for he was very angry at having to fight at all.

“Very good,” said the young seal carelessly.  “If you win, I’ll come.”

He had no time to change his mind, for Kotick’s head was out and his teeth sunk in the blubber of the young seal’s neck.  Then he threw himself back on his haunches and hauled his enemy down the beach, shook him, and knocked him over.  Then Kotick roared to the seals:  “I’ve done my best for you these five seasons past.  I’ve found you the island where you’ll be safe, but unless your heads are dragged off your silly necks you won’t believe.  I’m going to teach you now.  Look out for yourselves!”