CHARGED BY A WILD SEI WHALE 



ming along just under the surface, not five feet down, 

 aggravatingly close but as well protected by the shal- 

 low water-armor as though it had been of steel. An- 

 dersen was shouting beside me : 



"He won't come, dame, dame. Yes, now, now! 

 Look out! I shoot, I shoot!" 



In the mirror of my camera I could see the enor- 

 mous gray head burst from the water, the blowholes 

 open and send forth a cloud of vapor, and the slim 

 back draw itself upward, the water streaming from 

 the high fin as it cut the surface. Andersen's last 

 words were drowned in the crashing roar of the gun. 

 Before we could see through the veil of smoke we 

 heard the sailors shout, "Shinda!" (dead), and the 

 next instant the black cloud drifted away showing 

 the whale lying on its side motionless. I tried to 

 change the plate in my camera, but before the slide 

 could be drawn and the shutter reset, the animal had 

 sunk. Apparently it had been killed almost instantly, 

 for the rope was taut and hung straight down. 



In a few minutes Andersen gave the word to haul 

 away, and the Engineer started the winch. No sooner 

 had the rattling wheels ground in a few fathoms than 

 we saw the line slack and then slowly rise. Faster 

 and faster it came, the water dripping in little streams 

 from its vibrating surface. 



In a few seconds the whale rose about ninety 

 fathoms ahead and blew, the blood welling in great 

 red clots from his spout holes. He lay motionless 

 for a moment and then swung about and swam directly 

 toward the vessel. At first he came slowly, but his 



