40 



THAT GREAT LEVIATHAN. 



was mate of the William Botch, and the two had 

 not come face to face for many an eventful year. 



But who knoweth what a day may bring forth ? 



The sun came red and fierce and savage out of 

 the water. The morning mist lifted lazily off the 

 ocean. The long-expected happened. 



Try how I will, I cannot recall in any former or 

 any subsequent experience, whether upon land or 

 sea, such a panic and stampede of emotions as in- 

 stantly followed a ringing cry from the mast-head. 



" There she blows ! " I heard a man shout. 



A haze seemed to rush over my soul. All that 

 happened in the next five minutes is an utter con- 

 fusion of tumultuous and ungovernable impres- 

 sions. " All hands " must have been called, but 

 I could not hear the words. Every man sprang 

 toward his boat — in fact, the movements of the 

 crew were automatic and inerrant — yet I made 

 nothing coherent of their desperate hurry. Almost 

 in an instant the boats were lowered swift away ; 

 but not until three long whale-boats were dashing 

 out after the great leviathan and bent now upon 

 actual chase, did I come to myself far enough to 

 take good account of how this vast concern was 

 being brought to pass. 



I have heard of buck fever. But, lands and 

 seas, it is nothing to whale fever ! 



