ready on deck
pulling on its ducks and buckling its belts.

"Thar she breaches, thar she blows!" again came from the crow's-nest in
the voice of a Stentor.

"Well done, Dick Barnes, you're the first to raise the oil," remarked
one of the men, implying by the remark that the said Dick was fortunate
enough to be the first to sight a whale.

"Where away now?" roared the captain, who was in a state of intense
excitement.

"A mile an' a half to leeward, sir."

"Clear away the boats," shouted the captain.

"Masthead, ahoy! D'ye see that whale now?"

"Ay, ay, sir. Thar she blows!"

"Bear a hand, my hearties," cried the captain, as the men sprang to the
boats which were swinging at the davits. "Get your tubs in! Clear your
falls! Look alive, lads! Stand-by to lower! All ready?"

"All ready, sir."

"Thar she blows!" came again from the masthead with redoubled energy.
"Sperm-whales, sir; there's a school of 'em."

"A _school_ of them!" whispered Ailie, who had left her post at the
mizzen-shrouds, and now stood by her father's side, looking on at the
sudden hubbub in unspeakable amazement. "Do whales go to school?" she
said, laughing.

"Out of the road, Ailie, my pet," cried her father hastily. "You'll get
knocked over. Lower away, lads, lower away!"

Down went the starboard, larboard, and waist-boats as if the falls had
been cut, and almost before you could wink the men literally tumbled
over the side into them, took their places, and seized their oars.

"Here, Glynn, come with me, and I'll show you a thing or two," said the
captain. "Jump in, lad; look sharp."

Glynn instantly followed his commander into the starboard boat, and took
the aft oar. Tim Rokens, being the harpooner of that boat, sat at the
bow oar with his harpoons and lances beside him, and the whale-line
coiled in a tub in the boat's head. The captain steered.

And now commenced a race that taxed the boats' crews to the utmost; for
it is always a matter keenly contested by the different crews, who shall
fix the first harpoon in the whale. The larboard boat was steered by
Mr Millons, the first mate; the waist-boat by Mr Markham, the second
mate--the latter an active man of about five-and-twenty, whose size and
physical strength were herculean, and whose disposition was somewhat
morose and gloomy.

"Now, lads, give way! That's it! that's the way. Bend your backs, now!
_do_ bend your backs," cried the captain, as the three boats s