124 FOLLOW THE WHALE 



captain, with the master and contremaitre^ or second officer, stands 

 grimly silent, peering out over the gray sea. Somewhat apart and 

 perched upon the rail sits Martin Cormareche, the Breton, pilot not 

 only of the caravel Snt. Jean de TjUburu, but of the whole fleet of 

 seven vessels. Silence at such a moment is rare indeed, but this is an 

 occasion that no man will ever forget. Each, even the youngest serv- 

 ing boy, knows that he is witnessing something that has never hap- 

 pened before and may never happen again. 



Every now and then each man glances surreptitiously at the cap- 

 tain, hoping for some sign of his inner emotions upon his taut, 

 hatchet-shaped face, but then they, of all men, should know that 

 even in the greatest emergency the thoughts of Frangois Sopite 

 never betray themselves, for is he not Eskualdunak too, and what 

 man of their ancient race would display emotion even when fight- 

 ing? Yet, they would like a sign from him because he has himself 

 explained to them so many times exactly what this experiment may 

 mean to their families, to their town, and perhaps to all their Etat. 

 But Fran9ois Sopite stands silently upon the poop with his hands 

 behind his back peering out from under his curious floppy black hat. 



Meanwhile the shallops slowly converge upon the ocean, but for 

 what reason or exactly how they know where to do this would be 

 incomprehensible except to those men aboard the seven caravels. 

 When they are but a few hundred feet apart, their oars are stilled 

 and they bob up and down on the waves, while from time to time 

 one of them sinks down into the immense unseen trough of the 

 great Atlantic swell. The caravels creak and wallow, keeping their 

 distance, every eye aboard them fixed on that place among the 

 little shallops. 



This great experiment has called for the unstinted cooperation of 

 some four hundred men, and has taken months of wrangling and 

 discussion to prepare. For once all the age-old rights and claims have 

 been waived and it has been agreed that whatever man of whatever 

 ship from whatever port making up the little fleet strikes first and 

 whatever boat draws the kill shall not only renounce any personal 

 claim to the prize but help in every way to bring it to the ship of 

 Captain Fran9ois Sopite, where certain things will be done or at- 

 tempted. If the enterprise is successful, every man will benefit and 

 all know this fact. 



