His CAPTORS. 147 



Harpoons in. Stern all ! Takes to Sounding. 



boys, and she is ours !" The boat bounded 

 forward like a thing of life. " Spring like ti- 

 gers !" said the mate, his voice sinking almost 

 to a whisper. I looked over my shoulder to see 

 what kind of a chance I was about to have, at 

 the same time pulling at my own oar with all 

 my might. We were going on her starboard 

 quarter ; just the chance I liked to fasten to a 

 whale. 



" Stand up !" shouted the mate ; and in a 

 moment I was on my feet, and in the next mo- 

 ment I had two harpoons to the hitches into 

 her. " Stern ! stern all !" sung out the mate, 

 as he saw the irons in the whale. " Come here, 

 my boy !" said he to me. We shifted ends ; 

 he to the head, and I to the stern of the boat. 

 The whale started off like lightning. 



"Hold on, line!" said the mate; and away 

 we shot after her, like an arrow from the bow. 

 The mate by this time had his lance ready. 

 " Haul me on to that whale !" he shouted ; and 

 all hands turned to hauling line, while I coil- 

 ed it away in the stern-sheets. We had got 

 nearly up to the whale when she took to sound- 

 ing, taking the line right up and down from the 

 head of the boat. I had two turns of the line 



