220 THE WHALE AND 



Unequal Contest. The Mammoth wins the Day. 



whale, and they were carried, with almost the 

 speed of the wind, about fifteen miles from the 

 ship. Then the whale plunged perpendicularly 

 down into the depths of the ocean. It was not 

 long ere they saw him, fathoms deep in the 

 crystal waters, rushing up, with open jaws, to 

 destroy the boat. By skillfully sheering the 

 boat, the whale missed his aim, and, thrusting 

 his mammoth head some fifteen or twentj^eet 

 into the air, he fell over upon his side, and 

 again disappeared in the fathomless sea. Soon 

 he reappeared in the almost transparent abyss, 

 again rushing upward to attack the boat. Again 

 he was foiled. 



The third time he descended, and as he 

 arose, with invigorated fury, he struck the boat 

 in the center of the keel, threw it some fifteen 

 feet into the air, and, scattering the crew and 

 fragments of the boat over the waves, again 

 plunged into the deep and disappeared. The 

 captain and the crew were now in the water, 

 clinging to the pieces of the demolished boat. 

 They were fifteen miles from the ship, and 

 could not be seen from its deck. The other 

 boats were gone, they knew not where. Ap- 

 parently, every chance of rescue was cut off, 



