124 OFF CAPE COD. 



rate. It soon becomes plain that the 

 whale is not going to die so easily. We 

 attempt to get another shot, but find it 

 even more difficult than before. It is im- 

 possible to tell what direction the whale is 

 going to take. Now he appears on our 

 port and now on our starboard bow, and 

 we are unable to get anywhere near him. 

 Finally the captain, fuming and swearing, 

 and declaring that even now we shall lose 

 the whale, rope and all, calls down the man 

 at the masthead, whom he takes severely 

 to task for his inability to follow the whale 

 under water, mounts aloft himself, and in 

 stentorian tones shouts out his orders to 

 the man at the wheel. Double caution is 

 now necessary to prevent the rope getting 

 foul of our rudder, which untoward ac- 

 cident would very speedily put an end to 

 the chase. Every time the whale rises to 

 spout the waves are crimson with his 

 blood for many feet around, and the blood 

 is plainly seen pouring out of the holes 

 in his sides, made by the lances. Once 

 he comes up to spout directly under the 



