218 WHALING 



sounded. For an hour longer the ship lay becalmed; then, a 

 mile away, the whale rose again. 



''All hands lay aft!" 



It was the mate who spoke. His sharp voice startled them. 

 As they gathered in the waist, he watched their faces closely. 



"You all know when the captain is ashore I command the 

 ship and answer for what is done aboard. We are out here for 

 'ile, ' and want to fill up and make a straight wake for Buzzard's 

 Bay with a full hold. Not a horse-piece has come over the gang- 

 way for six weeks, and I, for one, am tired of such soperin* luck. 

 That old bull off the beam there will stow down one hundred 

 barrels easy; and with a good boat's crew to back me, I believe 

 we'll have him alongside in two hours. Now, if there are enough 

 good men among you, game to man my boat and lay me on that 

 hump, then stand out here and let me see your cutwaters. I 

 won't come back without a dead whale or a stove boat. I don't 

 want a hand but what will jump at the chance to go with me. 

 I never was gallied by a whale yet, and won't be by this, if 

 you'll pull me on to that fellow. There's five thousand dollars 

 laying out there under that chap's black skin. I only want 

 enough of you to man my boat, and we won't come back without 

 blubber. Every man who goes must volunteer. I won't urge 

 any of you. Now, then, those of you who'll get me on that 

 whale can lay over to windward, and the rest of you stay where 

 you are." 



For a moment no one spoke. The cooper, who had been in a 

 boat stove by Paita Tom, stepped forward, but thought better 

 of his impulse, and stepped back again. It was a young fellow 

 from Martha's Vineyard who cried, ''Here goes for luck!" and 

 walked across the deck. A Kanaka boat-steerer followed him; 

 then another man, and another, and another, until not one was 

 left at the lee rail. 



"Well," said Mr. Malloy, "I'm sorry you can't all go." 



He chose four men and his own boat-steerer, spoke a moment 

 with the second mate, and ordered the crew to breakout an empty 

 ten-barrel cask. 



From the mate's boat they removed, at his direction, all 



