ltaneously went the
four boats. Out we shot from the ship, all on our mettle; for was not
the skipper's eye upon us from his lofty eyrie, as well as the crew of
the other ship, now not more than a mile away! We seemed a terrible time
getting the sails up, but the officers dared not risk our willingness to
pull while they could be independent of us.

By the time we were fairly off, the other ship's boats were coming like
the wind, so that eight boats were now converging upon the unconscious
monster. We fairly flew over the short, choppy sea, getting drenched
with the flying spray, but looking out far more keenly at the other
boats than at the whale. Up we came to him, Mr. Count's boat to the
left, the other mate's boat to the right. Almost at the same moment the
irons flew from the hands of the rival harpooners; but while ours was
buried to the hitches in the whale's side, the other man's just ploughed
up the skin on the animal's back, as it passed over him and pierced our
boat close behind the harpooner's leg. Not seeing what had happened to
his iron, or knowing that we were fast, the other harpooner promptly
hurled his second iron, which struck solidly. It was a very pretty
tangle, but our position was rather bad. The whale between us was
tearing the bowels of the deep up in his rage and fear; we were
struggling frantically to get our sail down; and at any moment that
wretched iron through our upper strake might tear a plank out of us.
Our chief, foaming at the mouth with rage and excitement, was screeching
inarticulate blasphemy at the other mate, who, not knowing what was the
matter, was yelling back all his copious vocabulary of abuse. I felt
very glad the whale was between us, or there would surely have been
murder done. At last, out drops the iron, leaving a jagged hole you
could put your arm through. Wasn't Mr. Count mad? I really thought he
would split with rage, for it was impossible for us to go on with that
hole in our bilge. The second mate came alongside and took our line as
the whale was just commencing to sound, thus setting us free. We made at
once for the other ship's "fast" boat, and the compliments that had
gone before were just casual conversation to what filled the air with
dislocated language now. Presently both the champions cooled down a bit
from want of breath, and we got our case stated. It was received with
a yell of derision from the other side as a splendid effort of lying on
our part; becau