WHALE HUNTING WITH GUN AND CAMERA 



Twice a shot seemed imminent but each time the 

 animal refused to take the last short dive which would 

 have brought it within range. At 9 o'clock Captain 

 Olsen ran to the cabin for a cup of coffee and to 

 change his wet clothes, for he had neglected to put 

 on oilskins before going on deck. He had only been 

 below ten minutes when the whale appeared not far 

 away and Olsen hurried forward, pulling on his coat 

 as he ran. Again the whale rose, about thirty fathoms 

 from the ship and just out of range. 



Olsen called to me : 



"Get ready; he'll come close next time." 



Suddenly a cloud of white vapor shot into our very 

 faces and a great dripping body rounded out under 

 the ship's bow. The click of the camera was followed 

 by the deafening roar of the gun; then there was a 

 moment's stillness as the giant figure quivered, 

 straightened out, righted itself, and with a crashing 

 blow of the flukes swung about and dashed away, tear- 

 ing through the water partly on the surface, partly 

 below it. 



The cry of "Banzai!" which rose from the sailors 

 was drowned in the shrieking of the winch and the 

 pounding of the line on the deck as fathom after 

 fathom was dragged over the iron wheels. 



Through the cloud of smoke I could see the Engi- 

 neer putting all his strength upon the brake and heard 

 him shout for water to wet the burning wood. One 

 hundred, two hundred, three hundred fathoms were 

 dragged out when suddenly the rush ceased and the 

 ship lay still, quietly rolling in the swell. The whale 



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