Work of the Fighting Whales 297 



in the chocks at the same moment to save being 

 run under with a kink. The crew were soon 

 safely housed on the bottom of the upturned 

 boat, or swimming and clinging to the keel. The 

 second mate wanted to cut his line and pick us 

 up, but I foolishly told him to hold on and kill 

 the whale. But I bragged too soon. Just then 

 the whale came on the full breach, and striking 

 the boat he went right through it, knocking men 

 and wreck high in the air. Next its great bulk 

 fell over sideways, right in our midst, and spite- 

 fully cut the corners of her flukes right and left. 

 In the surge and confusion two poor fellows 

 went down; we saw no sign of them afterward, 

 and the water was so dark stained with blood 

 that we could not see into it. 



"As the whale came feeling around with her 

 nose she passed close by me. I was afraid of 

 the flukes and got hold of the warp or something 

 and towed a little way until she slacked speed 

 a little. Then I dove under, so as to clear the 

 flukes, and came up astern of them. I was in 

 good time, for having felt the boat she turned 

 over and threshed it with a number of blows 



