noon
It was a human voice without any manner of doubt . It ceased , and springing to her feet she came out . But there was no human being on the beach , nothing but the bulky forms of the great sea bulls , and quite close to the cave a smaller form , a female that had landed during the night and had just given birth to a baby , a thing like a slug which she was fondling with her flippers . Then in the strengthening light the girl could make out here and there on the beach the forms of other females , and by noon that day there were hundreds and hundreds , and on the next day the beach was one vast nursery . It was the first great act in the life history of these sea people towards which the girl 's heart was going out more and more , and as she sat that day watching the mothers and their babies , and the great old bulls shuffling about like heavy fathers , sometimes she would smile and sometimes , sitting and watching , her mind would wander away lost and trying to grapple with the great mystery of which all this was only a part . They were so human , so warm to the heart , and yet only a few days ago there was nothing here but the rocks and the cold and trackless sea . Then she noticed that to-day the bulls were not sunning themselves lazily , although the sun was out .