WHALE HUNTING WITH GUN AND CAMERA 



the rusty barrel of the gun at a swirling patch of 

 water, only to drop the muzzle as a brown back ap- 

 peared at the surface. The old whales seemed to 

 know that danger lay in the silent gray object which 

 had appeared so suddenly near them, and with the 

 nicest accuracy gauged the shooting distance, keeping 

 just within the safety zone. 



We floated along on the current, passing most of 

 the school, and headed for a little group of white 

 animals which were feeding a short distance away 

 from the others. They did not seem to be disturbed 

 as w r e neared them, and we hardly dared to breathe 

 when a big white fellow r slipped under only a hun- 

 dred feet away, headed directly for us. 



Up he came with a rush and down again, so close 

 that we could see the water run in little ripples off his 

 snow-white back. My fingers trembled on the trigger 

 of the gun but he was still coming toward us and 

 in a few seconds the telltale patch of green water 

 began to smooth out right ahead. I fired at the 

 instant there was a glint of the snowy head over the 

 long brown gun barrel. 



The shock of the heavy charge whirled me half 

 around in the canoe and there was barely time to 

 snatch the harpoon before we w 7 ere at the spot where 

 the porpoise was thrashing about on the surface of 

 the water. At a side thrust from the iron the whale 

 threw itself high into the air, falling back in a cloud 

 of spray. A mad rush to one side and again the 

 ghostly form shot from the water, the white body 

 writhing as it fell back. 



274 



