THE GIANTS OF LABRADOR. 153 



started in chase of the monster, who, directly he 

 saw his enemies, turned tail and fled in the most 

 cowardly manner. 



It was a heautiful sight, and from the shrouds of 

 the Jackson I could see every incident in the 

 combat. 



One of the whale-boats got ahead of the rest, 

 and the captain who steered it encouraged the har- 

 pooner by words and gestures. Presently the 

 implement of death was brandished aloft by the 

 executioner of the Jackson ; it whistled through the 

 air and entered the side of the monster. 



Immediately the whale was struck, he began 

 lashing about fearfully with his tail, flapping his 

 fins Avith rage. If one of these blows had struck 

 the boat, it must have crushed it as if it had been of 

 pasteboard. But instead of attacking, the monster 

 evidently only thought of flight, dragging after him 

 the victorious whale-boat by the harpoon which was 

 fast in his body, and which was fastened by the line 

 through a ring in the boat. Presently the whale 

 dived, and when it came up again the sea was 

 reddened with his blood. The struggle lasted for 

 three quarters of an hour, and at last he rose to the 

 surface to draw his last breath, and lay there in the 

 agonies of death. 



A few minutes afterwards, the captain steered the 

 boat alongside the whale, and finished him by plung- 

 ing a long hand-spear, as sharp as a razor, into the 



