ctor, but fortunately he did
not. Tim Rokens received his blunt nose on the point of his lance, and
drove him back with mingled fury and terror. Another advance was made,
and a successful lance-thrust delivered.

"That's into his life," cried the captain.

"So it is," replied Rokens.

And so it was. A vital part had been struck. For some minutes the huge
leviathan lashed and rolled and tossed in the trembling waves in his
agony, while he spouted up gallons of blood with every throe; then he
rolled over on his back, and lay extended a lifeless mass upon the
waters.

"Now, lads; three cheers for our first whale. Hip! hip! hip!--"

The cheer that followed was given with all the energy and gusto inspired
by a first victory, and it was repeated again and again, and over again,
before the men felt themselves sufficiently relieved to commence the
somewhat severe and tedious labour of towing the carcase to the ship.

It was a hard pull, for the whale had led them a long chase, and as the
calm continued, those left aboard could not approach to meet the boats.
The exhausted men were cheered, however, on getting aboard late that
night, to find that the other boats had been equally successful, each of
them having captured a sperm-whale.

CHAPTER SIX.

DISAGREEABLE CHANGES--SAGACIOUS CONVERSATIONS, AND A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.

A striking and by no means a pleasant change took place in the general
appearance of the _Red Eric_ immediately after the successful chase
detailed in the last chapter.

Before the arrival of the whales the decks had been beautifully clean
and white, for Captain Dunning was proud of his ship, and fond of
cleanliness and order. A few hours after the said arrival the decks
were smeared with grease, oil, and blood, and everything from stem to
stern became from that day filthy and dirty.

This was a sad change to poor Ailie, who had not imagined it possible
that so sudden and disagreeable an alteration could take place. But
there was no help for it; the duties of the fishery in which they were
engaged required that the whales should not only be caught, but cut up,
boiled down to oil, and stowed away in the hold in casks.

If the scene was changed for the worse a few hours after the cutting-up
operations were begun, it became infinitely more so when the _try-works_
were set going, and the melting-fires were lighted, and huge volumes of
smoke begrimed the masts, and sails, and rigging. It was