eir pluck up,"
he would say, nodding his head decidedly and encouragingly.

The ship was now kept away a point or two, and proceeded under easy
sail. There was something thrilling in the scene, and every heart on
board beat with excitement as the boats went swiftly on, one commanded
by the first officer, the other by Tite. Neither of these two young men
had seen a whale killed; but there were in the boats old whalemen, who
had successfully thrown both harpoon and lance.

The huge monster could now be seen clearly with the naked eye by those
on the ship's deck, sporting lazily on the surface, his bright black
sides now falling, now rising, like the hull of some water-logged ship,
and throwing up thin white volumes of spray, over which the sun's rays
reflected with singular brilliancy. Nearer and nearer the boats
approached the monster, the first officer's boat being a little ahead.
Now the stern boat ceased pulling, and the men laid on their oars. Then
the other slackened her speed, and began pulling with cautious and quiet
stroke. The lookout announced that the head boat had made the whale, and
the men climbed the ship's rigging to witness the struggle. They were
doomed to temporary disappointment, however, for the whale, suddenly
discovering his pursuers, made a vault and a plunge, tossed the sea into
commotion, and disappeared.

"That's what comes of sendin' an amateur after an old whale," said the
captain, thrusting his hands deep into his nether pockets, shrugging his
shoulders, and pacing nervously up and down the deck.

A signal was now made from the ship directing the boats what course to
keep, for experience had taught the old captain what course the whale
would take, and where he would be most likely to appear again. It was
nearly half an hour before the monster lifted his huge, dripping sides
above the surface again, but so near the first officer's boat that a
harpoon was let go. They had fastened to him, and the scene became more
exciting.

"Bad strike," said the captain, shaking his head and stamping his feet.
"That whale's going to die hard." The harpoon, in short, had fallen
weak, had failed to touch a vital part, and had made one of those wounds
which excite a whale to attack his pursuers.

The word "astern" was given as soon as the harpoon was thrown. The
monster threw up a thin wreath of slightly discolored spray, and set off
at a velocity of speed almost incredible. Away he went, the boat
follow