WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 249 



secured my revolver and told the man on the bridge. I 

 took the wheel, whilst he dashed below and called for help, 

 and there ensued a wild struggle ; Bruin had lost a moment 

 at the last trifle, the silly rope that was slightly elastic giving 

 way to his pulling. Several of the crew turned up and got 

 some thin wood battens, but one after another, as they were 

 hastily banged across the front, he tore them to bits. And 

 he has learned that shoving is also effective, and six men this 

 morning went back at first, to a shove of his two great paws, 

 till they got leverage. " With a long enough lever you can 

 move the world " that is where our men came in. Now he 

 has about eight inches of timber in front of his nose. I will 

 give him two days, not more, to get through that. Gisbert 

 says he is sure to go overboard at once if he comes out. I 



think it is as well to have my pistol beside me at breakfast ; 

 we must at least have a chance of some shooting if it takes 

 charge of the ship and does not go overboard as predicted. 



Gisbert tells at breakfast this touching little tale, possibly 

 a chestnut, above illustrated. " Once upon a time a hunter 

 met a bear and said : ' Here comes my new fur coat,' and the 

 bear said : 4 Here comes my breakfast,' and both were right ! " 

 With such frivolity he soothes our nerves. But the deep, 

 vibrating note of Starboard and the sound of industrious 

 scraping keep one on edge for the rasping tearing that 

 comes when he really sets to work to get out. Some great 

 chains have now been found in the bottom of our little hold, 

 and he is now really being treated as a wild animal ; the 



