1.As the schooner came to anchor，Rae saw before him a little town clinging to the side of a mountain thatrose up precipitouslybehind it，with its summit lostin the mist.Here several hundred Aleutianhunters ofthe sea-otter lived with their families.Rae found the Aleuts not at all an ill-looking people.Most of themwere short and squatof figure，with broad faces，highcheek-bones，flat noses，and small black eyes.
2.Baranov went to make arrangements for sharing in a sea-otter hunt with Kahgoon，the chief hunter in the village；and when this had been done，Rae was anxious to learn as much as he could about the strange animal whose skin is more precious to the fur-dealer than any other.When at its best，a perfect sea-otter skin will bring a hundred pounds at any of the centres of the fur-trade.
3.Sometimes these creatures are killed by clubbing ；but it is only in the midst of a wild storm，when thebillows are breaking in thunder upon the beach，and the air is thick with flying spray，that even a native can approach near enough to kill them in this way.The animal spends very little time on land；in fact it comes ashore only in severe storms，to get a rest from the tumbling of the billows.So，in the midst of the tempest，the Aleuts will launch their “bidarkies”or skin-covered canoes，and scud like an arrow before thegale towards some tiny islet where the otter may befound sleeping.This，how ever，is no undertaking for white men；only natives could dare such dangers，and Rae felt no desire to engage in a hunt of this kind.
4.Shooting in the surf is another way of hunting the sea-otter.Rae and Baranov tried this method one day in the midst of a raging gale；but the wind and spraydashing in their faces prevented them from takingaccurateaim，and after wasting much powder theygave it up in disgust，although the natives，with much inferior weapons，were able to secure several good skins.
5.The two lads were therefore all the more eager to try their luck in the great “spearing surround”for which Kahgoon arranged，as soon as the water became sufficiently calm for this purpose.The party started soon after dawn in twenty bidarkies，each having two occupants，and one larger boat which held Rae and Baranov and the four natives who were to paddle it.
6.When the hunting-ground was reached，the fleet spread out into a long single line，an interval of a hundred feet or so being between the boats.Thus arranged，they paddled softly and slowly over the rolling water in perfect silence.It seemed an age to the eager boys before the “view-halloo”was raised by old Kahgoon.His keen eye detected the nose of an otter lifted for a moment above the waves，and he held up his paddle as a signal.The creature had taken the alarm，and had shot away down into the depths of the sea with the speed of a salmon.Brat，as Kahgoon wellknew，he must soon reappear to breathe.
7.Kahgoon stopped his canoe where the otter had disappeared，and held up his paddle in the air，while the other boats rapidly formed round him in a circleof about half a mile in diameter，so that when theotter rose again some one would be sure to see him.After about fifteen minutes he rose breathless，so near the big boat that both Rae and Baranov saw him at the same moment.There was no longer any need for silence，so with shouts of “There he is！I see him！”they urged their boat towards the spot，and raised their paddles for another circle to form.
8.In this way the hunted animal was forced to dive again and again without being allowed time for a full breath.The chase continued for over an hour.Each disappearance of the otter was shorter than the preceding one，and the fatal circle drew ever closer about him.
9.At length，exhausted by his tremendous exertions，and so breathless as to be unable to dive any longer，the animal floated helplessly on the water，and a well-aimed throw of Kahgoon’s spear put an end to the struggle.The chase was over and the prize was won.All rejoicedwith the veteranhunter over his success，each hopingthat he might himself be the lucky one next time.
After the hunters had rested for a little while and had a chat together，the boats lined out again and moved over the water in search of another victim.
