in an oar went up, and the third boat bent on, adding more drogues to
stop his way. They at length appeared to have effect. "There; haul in
the slack," cried old Tom. "He's rising, lads; he's rising!"

The boat-steerer was seen in the last boat busily coiling away the line
in the tub as he hauled it in. When he had got all his line, that
belonging to the next boat was in like manner coiled away; then the
captain's line was hauled in.

Thick bubbles now rose in rapid succession to the surface, followed by a
commotion of the water, and the huge head of the monster rushed suddenly
upward, sending forth a dense spout on high. The captain's boat was now
hauled gently on, the boat-steerer guiding it close up to the fin of the
wounded whale. Again Captain Carr stood up with his long lance in hand,
and plunged it, as few on board could have done, deep into his side. At
the same moment the rest of the boats pulled up on the opposite side,
the harpooner in the leading one striking his harpoon into him. Again
the cry arose of "Stern all--stern all!" It was time, indeed, to get
out of the way, for the whale seemed to feel that he was engaged in his
last struggles for freedom and for life. He threw himself with all his
monstrous bulk completely out of the water, in a vain attempt to get
loose from his foes. Off from him all the boats backed.

He now became the assailant. He rushed at them with his head and lower
jaw let drop, seemingly capable of devouring one of them entire. I
almost thought he would; but he was already fatigued with his wounds and
previous exertions. The line, too, of the mate's boat had many times
encircled his body. Suddenly it parts! The boat of the captain, after
he had darted his lance, was backed in time, and got clear from the
whale's attack, but the first mate was not so fortunate. The whale
seemed to have singled him out as the victim of his revenge. Having in
vain lashed at him with his flukes, he turned towards him with his head,
rushing on with terrific force. He caught the boat as she was
retreating, in an instant capsizing her, and sending all her crew
struggling in the waves. I thought he would immediately have destroyed
them; but he swam on, they happily escaping the blows of his flukes, and
went head out across the ocean, followed by the first boat and the two
others.

Were they going to allow our shipmates to perish unaided? I thought and
fully expected to hear the second