away
at the flesh with the greatest impudence, even among the men's long
knives. One at last got between David's legs, which so tried his
patience, that he took it up and flung it from him with a hearty shake,
abusing it for running the risk of being hurt; just as a cab-driver does
a child for getting into the road, without the slightest idea of
injuring it. But the Molly would not take the hint, and with the
greatest coolness returned to its repast, thinking, probably, that it
had as much right to its share as we had to ours.

The Mollies do not evince an amiable disposition towards each other; and
as the "krang" (such is the name given to the refuse parts of the whale)
is cut off, they were to be seen sitting on the water by thousands
tearing at the floating pieces, and when one morsel seemed more tempting
than another, driving their weaker brethren away from it, and fighting
over it as if the sea was not covered with other bits equally good. All
the time the noise they made "poultering" down in the water, and
quacking or cackling--I do not know which to call it--was most
deafening.

My good friend Andrew pointed them out to me. He never lost an
opportunity of giving me a useful lesson. "There," he said, "that's the
way of the world. We are never content with what we have got, but must
fight to gain something else. Now take my advice, Peter. Do your duty
as a man; and when you light upon a piece of krang, stick to it, and be
thankful that you've found it." I have never since been in a noisy,
quarrelsome crowd, that I did not think of the Mollies and the krang.

I must not forget the green-eyed monster which had so startled me. The
surgeon had got a hook ready, covered by a piece of blubber; and letting
it fall quietly over the stern before its nose, the bait was instantly
gorged. To hook a fish of ten feet long, and to get him on board, are
two different things; and our good _medico_ was very nearly drawn
overboard in a vain attempt to do the latter without assistance, which,
just then, all hands on board were too much engaged to afford. The line
was very strong, or the shark would have broken it, as now, finding
himself hooked, he had sense enough to struggle violently in order to
get free.

I must confess that, when I came on deck after the krang had been cast
adrift, I was not sorry to see my friend in that condition. After some
trouble we got the bight of a rope over his head, and another round hi