222 FOLLOW THE WHALE 



work serving rigging, sailmaking, splicing lines, assembling staves for 

 the cooper, or doing anything of which they were capable to make 

 up the deficiencies in essential equipment. His new smithy gave him 

 a feeling of renewed confidence and of great things to come. And 

 come they did within a very few days. 



As the ship rounded a barren headland, the captain's eyes fell upon 

 an unknown coast of apparently endless extent — dry, sear, and 

 golden yellow. At first it looked as straight and dull as a man-made 

 wall, but closer inspection through a spyglass disclosed a number of 

 inlets cutting into the tall face of the land at almost regular intervals. 

 In one of these a great commotion was proceeding. At first the cap- 

 tain thought this was a rip caused by some mighty river debouching 

 into the sea; then he thought there might be some major native naval 

 engagement in progress; but as the absurdity of both ideas dawned 

 upon him, he slowly lowered the glass and, turning, bUnked at his 

 first mate. Then he reacted like a released spring and began yell- 

 ing. 



His outburst brought all heads around, and although the captain 

 only spluttered and roared and said nothing coherent, every man 

 knew just what was afoot. Without another word the entire crew 

 leaped to prearranged stations, every man grabbing up whatever he 

 needed in the mad rush as he went. In no time at all the boats were 

 swung outboard and their crews took their places in each. The helms- 

 man reacted without command and canvas flapped aloft for only a 

 few moments before the fair breeze took hold, the deck literally rose 

 beneath their feet, and the Shannon started in a rush towards the 

 foaming inlet. 



While yet a mile from the entrance all aboard could see a seething 

 mass of vast shapes cavorting in the shoreward rollers: whales in 

 such quantity and of such size as no man in the company had ever 

 before seen. And they were the right whales, disporting themselves 

 in a crazy sea dance designed both to rid themselves of parasites and, 

 in the case of the males, to impress the females. They were so utterly 

 engaged in their own monstrous behavior that they did not even 

 notice the great bulk of the Shannon as she slipped towards them. 

 Nor did they pay the slightest attention when five small, white boats 

 began to bounce over the waves among them, and they failed to reg- 

 ister any signal of danger when Colin Collins's keen, barbed harpoons 



