290 The Story of the New England Whalers 



lessness, which were rapidly succeeded by facial 

 contortions indicative of the most intense physical 

 suffering. The whale closed its mouth upon the 

 victim's waist, and disappeared beneath the 

 boiling waters, carrying with it the wretched 

 sufferer, whose life blood tinged the foam-crested 

 waves. 



"Two other men, the bow oarsman and the 

 midship oarsman, were never seen again. No 

 one knows whether they were killed outright or 

 drowned. The remaining three, all more or less 

 cut or bruised, though not seriously, were fished 

 up from the floating debris, the officer, Mr. Ash- 

 ford, being hauled up by the hair of his head 

 in a fainting condition. Not a word was uttered 

 except by Mr. Braxton, who said in a low, soft 

 tone of voice: 



"'Come, boys, let's head her for the ship." 5 

 Some of the stories of the fighting whales in- 

 dicate that when an old sperm had been attacked 

 and had escaped serious injury he was always 

 ready thereafter to force the fighting at sight 

 of a whale boat. For example, consider the story 

 of the Barclay, Captain William Barney, Jr., 



