were a set of men in such a desperate hurry. Had the
ship been sinking, or even about to blow up, we could scarcely have made
more haste.

The falls were let go, and the boats in the water, as the watch below
rushed on deck. Many of the people were dressed only in their drawers,
stockings, and shirts, while the rest of their clothes were in their
hands, fastened together by a lanyard; but without stopping to put them
on, they tumbled into the boats, and seized their oars ready to shove
off. Among them, pale with terror, appeared poor Tom Stokes and another
youngster in their shirts. They hurried distractedly from boat to boat.
At each they were saluted by, "We don't want you here, lads. Off with
you--this isn't your boat."

I belonged to the after or smallest boat, which was most quickly manned,
and most easily shoved off; so that I was already at a distance when he
ran aft and saw me going. "O Peter, Peter!" he exclaimed in a tone to
excite our commiseration, though I am sorry to say it only caused loud
shouts of laughter, "you who have gone through so many dangers with me,
to desert me at last in a sinking ship!"

Poor fellow, aroused out of a deep sleep by the unusual sounds, he not
unnaturally thought the ship was going down. I heard the gruff voice of
the cooper's mate scolding him; but what he said I don't know. The
scolding must have brought him and the other back to their senses; and
they of course went below to get their clothes, and to return to assist
in working the ship. On such occasions, when all the boats are away,
the ship is frequently left with only the master, one or two seamen, and
the rest landsmen on board.

The moment the fast-boat displayed her jack, up went the jack on board
the ship at the mizzen-peak, to show that assistance was coming. Away
pulled the five boats as fast as we could lay back to our oars. The
whale had dived to an immense depth, and the second boat had fastened
her line to that of the first, and had consequently now become the
fast-boat; but her progress was not so rapid but that we had every
prospect of overtaking her. To retard the progress of the whale, and to
weary it as much as possible, the line had been passed round the
"bollard," a piece of timber near the stern of the boat. We knew that
the first boat wanted more line by seeing an oar elevated, and then a
second, when the second boat pulled rapidly up to her. The language of
signs for such work is ve