leeing monsters; but at last, to our great joy,
they broke water from sounding right among us. It was a considerable
surprise, but we were all ready, and before they had spouted twice,
three boats were fast, only myself keeping out, in accordance with my
instructions. Samuela was almost distraught with rage and grief at the
condition of things. I quite pitied him, although I was anything but
pleased myself. However, when I ranged up alongside the mate's fish, to
render what assistance was needed, he shouted to me, "We's all right;
go'n git fas', if yew kin." That was enough, and away we flew after a
retreating spout to leeward. Before we got there, though, there was an
upheaval in the water just ahead, and up came a back like a keelless
ship bottom up. Out came the head belonging to it, and a spout like
an explosion burst forth, denoting the presence of an enormous
bull-cachalot. Close by his side was a cow of about one-third his size,
the favoured sultana of his harem, I suppose. Prudence whispered,
"Go for the cow;" ambition hissed, "All or none--the bull, the bull."
Fortunately emergencies of this kind leave one but a second or two to
decide, as a rule; in this case, as it happened, I was spared even
that mental conflict, for as we ran up between the two vast creatures,
Samuela, never even looking at the cow, hurled his harpoon, with all
the energy that he had been bursting with so long, at the mighty bull.
I watched its flight--saw it enter the black mass and disappear to the
shaft, and almost immediately came the second iron, within a foot of the
first, burying itself in the same solid fashion.

"Starn--starn all!" I shouted; and we backed slowly away, considerably
hampered by the persistent attentions of the cow, who hung round
us closely. The temptation to lance her was certainly great, but I
remembered the fate that had overtaken the skipper on the first occasion
we struck whales, and did not meddle with her ladyship. Our prey was not
apparently disposed to kick up much fuss at first, so, anxious to settle
matters, I changed ends with Samuela, and pulled in on the whale. A
good, steady lance-thrust--the first I had ever delivered--was obtained,
sending a thrill of triumph through my whole body. The recipient,
thoroughly roused by this, started off at a great lick, accompanied,
somewhat to my surprise, by the cow. Thenceforward for another hour,
in spite of all our efforts, we could not get within striking distanc