aged monster;
a few back-strokes of the oars took them out of the sea of foam left
behind.

The masterly manner in which this was done called forth shouts of
admiration from the entire fleet, and it greatly surprised Leo himself,
for it was the first time he had attempted to use the harpoon.

"It _must_ have been chance," he muttered to himself as he again lay on
his oars awaiting the whale's reappearance, "a sort of happy accident.
I feel convinced I could not do it so well a second time."

The fish took a longer dive on this occasion, and when he retained to
the surface for another breath of air, was at a considerable distance
from all parts of the fleet. The instant he was seen, however, every
paddle flashed into the sea, and the kayaks darted away in pursuit.
They soon came up with their victim, and another spear, with its
accompanying sealskin buoy, was fixed in its side. Down it went a third
time, and reappeared in quite an opposite direction from that in which
it had been looked for.

This uncertainty in the movements of the whale was a matter of small
moment to the occupiers of the light kayaks, but it told rather heavily
on Leo in his clumsier boat. He therefore resolved to paddle gently
about, take things easy, watch the progress of the chase, and trust to
the chapter of accidents giving him another chance.

"You see, Oblooria," he said in the Eskimo tongue, which he was picking
up rapidly, "it's of no use my pulling wildly about in all directions,
blowing myself for nothing; so we'll just hang off-and-on here and watch
them."

As this remark called for no direct reply, Oblooria merely smiled--
indeed she more than smiled--but said nothing. It is just possible that
Leo's rendering of the phrase "off-and-on" into Eskimo may have sounded
ridiculous.

However this may be, the two sat there for some time, absorbed and
silent spectators of the chase.

"How long will they take to kill it?" asked Leo when he saw Grabantak
thrust somewhere about the thirty-fifth spear into the victim.

"All day," answered Oblooria.

"All day!" repeated Leo in surprise.

"If they could lance him far in," said the girl, "he would die soon, but
his flesh is thick and his life is deep down."

Leo relapsed into silence. The idea of remaining a mere spectator all
day was distasteful to his active mind and body. He had almost made up
his mind to ask one of the natives to lend him a kayak and change
places, when a puff o