WHALER'S JOURNAL. 127 



on the surface of the water again, which he did 

 the moment after. 



" Here she is !" cried the mate ; " and not 

 over ten rods from the boat. Now, my dear 

 fellows, lay back hard ! Spring hard, I tell 

 you ! There she blows ! Only give way, my 

 boys, and she is ours !" The boat bounded 

 forward like a thing of life. "Spring like 

 tigers !" said the mate, his voice sinking almost 

 to a whisper. I looked over my shoulder to see 

 what kind of a chance I was about to have, at 

 the same time pulling at my own oar with all 

 my might. We were going on her starboard 

 quarter; just the chance I liked to fasten to a 

 whale. 



" Stand up !" shouted the mate ; and in a 

 moment I was on my feet, and in the next 

 moment I had two harpoons to the hitches 

 into her. " Stern ! stern all !" sung out the 

 mate, as he saw the irons in the whale. " Come 

 here, my boy !" said he to me. We shifted 

 ends ; he to the head, and I to the stern of the 

 boat. The whale started off like lightning. 



" Hold on, line !" said the mate ; and away 



