MY FIRST WHALE HUNT 



the ship's nose he shouted, "If we don't get a shot 

 soon we'll have to leave them." 



At that time we were heading for the whales, which 

 were spouting only a short distance away. One of 

 them had left the others and seemed to be feeding. 

 He was swimming at the surface, sometimes under 

 for a second or two, but never far down. The ship 

 slid nearer and nearer with engines at dead slow until 

 the huge body disappeared not thirty fathoms away. 



"In a minute he'll come again," shouted Balcom, 

 feet braced and bending low over the gun. 



I was clinging to a rope just behind him, trying to 

 focus the camera, but the flying spray made it well- 

 nigh impossible. Suddenly I saw the Captain's mus- 

 cles -tighten, the tip of the harpoon drop an inch 

 or two, and caught a glimpse of a phantom shape 

 rushing upward. 



Almost on the instant a blinding cloud of vapor 

 shot into our very faces, followed by the deafening 

 roar of the gun. I saw the black flukes whirl up- 

 ward and fall in one tremendous, smashing blow upon 

 the water; then the giant figure quivered an instant, 

 straightened out, and slowly sank. For a moment 

 not a sound was heard on the vessel save the steady 

 "flop, flop, flop" of the line on the deck as the dead 

 weight of forty tons dragged it from the winch. 



Balcom leaned over the side and saw the rope 

 hanging rigidly from the ship's bow. "I must have 

 caught him in the heart," he said, "and killed him in- 

 stantly." 



As the Captain straightened up he shouted to the 



