WHALES AND WHALING 



the gun is fired, its explosion being echoed by a second as 

 the bomb bursts, and the whale gives an agonised bellow 

 and disappears, dragging the tow-line after it at electric 

 speed. It should be mentioned that the cachalot can 

 comfortably remain under water for nearly an hour. 

 When he comes up again perhaps he is a quarter of a 

 mile away, blowing and roaring so that we suspect he has 

 not been injured in the vital part. Steam is put on, but 

 not too much ; at any moment the formidable giant is 

 capable of turning and making a dash at its pursuers, and 

 while one half of the skipper's energies are expended in 

 trying to get within range again, the other half are given 

 up to preparing to dodge any sudden turn the whale may 

 be pleased to make. 



But instead of charging he sounds again, perhaps 

 several times ; the boat hesitates and slows down. On his 

 reappearance there are signs that he is weaker ; true, he 

 now begins to try the full length of his tether ; he even 

 starts to tow the boat along at a good rate, but his speed 

 very soon flags. 



" Don't spend another charge on him ; let him tire 

 down," is the skipper's order to the men in the bow ; and, 

 even as he speaks, the rope slacks again, and very slowly 

 the mighty body begins to roll over on to its back. A 

 chorus of cheering rises from the boat, but is speedily 

 changed into a chorus of something else as the whale 

 suddenly disappears from view. The crew look gloomy, 

 and with good reason ; they can cut away that cable as 

 soon as they like, for the whale has sunk and will shortly 

 be the sole property of a colony of fifteen-foot Greenland 



247 



