hem out in the
way you see the men doing now, and tow them to the nearest 'trying out'
factory. These places have conveniences that would be impossible on
shipboard, they get a better quality of oil, and they use up all the
animal, getting oil out of the meat as well as the blubber. Then the
flesh is dried and sold for fertilizer just as the bones are. The fins
and tail are shipped to Japan for table delicacies. Even the water in
which the blubber has been tried out makes good glue. So, you see, it
pays to tow a whale to the factory. And besides, the smell of trying out
on one of the old whalers was horrible beyond description."

During this explanation the huge carcass of the whale had been distended
to almost twice its natural size, and now it floated high out of the
water. The steel tube was pulled out and a buoy with a flag was
attached to the whale, which was then set adrift to be picked up and
towed to the factory later.

[Illustration: FINBACK WHALE SOUNDING.]

[Illustration: LANCING FINBACK: GIVING THE DEATH-BLOW.]

[Illustration: PUMPING CARCASS WITH AIR SO THAT IT WILL FLOAT.]

[Illustration: DEAD FINBACK SET ADRIFT WITH BUOY AND FLAG.

_All Photos by permission of Mr. Roy C. Andrews._]

Almost immediately the "tink-tink" of the bell of the signaler to the
engine-room told that the ship was headed after another whale. The sea
was rising and the wind was beginning to whistle through the rigging.
Colin felt well satisfied that the canvas was stowed and that he would
not have to go aloft during the night. The evening light, however, was
still good enough for a shot, and Hank, at the bow, was swinging the
heavy gun from side to side on its stand to assure himself that it was
in good condition.

Owing to the approaching darkness, there was no time to wait for an
exact shot, and Hank fired at the big finback on the first opportunity.
The ship was rolling and pitching, however, and the harpoon, instead of
striking the big whale, went clear over her and into the water beyond,
crashing into the side of a little calf whale not more than sixteen feet
long, the weapon going almost through him.

Apparently unconscious of what had happened to her baby, the mother
whale sounded and sounded deep, not coming up for nearly twenty
minutes. When she rose, she was at least a quarter of a mile away, and
Colin, who was standing by Hank in the bow, wondered why the ship did
not go in pursuit.

"Why don't we chase her up?"