ull we refreshed
ourselves by munching some biscuits and drinking a part of the contents
of our water breaker. The whale remained down a much longer time than
we had expected, and when it came up appeared far away to the eastward,
or much closer to the shore. Again we bent to our oars, eager to get
fast before it should once more sound. It was as much as we should do
to reach it in time; if we were too late we should scarcely have another
chance before dark. Already the sun was hidden by a dark bank of clouds
rising above the horizon, and the wind was blowing strong from the
westward, but pulling directly before it we did not feel its force,
though it was evident that the sea was gradually getting up. I could
see both the ships at some distance apart, but none of the boats were
visible to us sitting down. I ought to have told Medley, who, having
his eye on the whale ahead, did not remark the change in the weather.
"If we kill the whale we shall be able to lie made fast under its lee,
even should it come on to blow, till the `Eagle' can come and pick us
up," I thought. The whale, after remaining so long under water, took a
proportionate time to spout on the surface. We were close to it.
Medley, making a sign to the bow oarsman to take his place, stepped
forward and stood up harpoon in hand. We ceased pulling--the next
instant a loud thud showed us that the weapon had struck deep into the
monster's side. He followed up the blow by plunging in three lances,
and was about to hurl a fourth when he shouted out "Back off all!" while
he allowed the line to run rapidly out of the tub over the bollard. We
backed our oars with all our might, knowing that our lives might depend
on our getting clear of the monster before it commenced the fearful
struggles it was probably about to make. Instead of sounding, however,
or lashing the water with its flukes, it darted off along the surface at
a rapid rate towards the land. Already a considerable portion of the
line had run out when Medley secured it round the bollard, and away we
flew, towed by the whale, at a furious rate through the water. The
second line was secured to the end of the first, in case the whale
should suddenly sound; but this it seemed to have no intention of doing.
On and on we were dragged farther and farther from the ships, but we
had no thoughts of cutting loose from the whale after all our exertions,
and we hoped that, in its endeavours to escape, it woul