tickled his backbone!" cried- the skipper; 

 but for me, at least, one problem was solved 

 effectually. The whale has feelings, no doubt 

 about that; and for the rest of the trip the 

 rifle was kept in the cabin and we began to 

 watch the huge creatures with a less barbaric 

 interest. 



Another day, towards twilight, while the 

 schooner loafed along in no hurry whatever 

 to reach an anchorage, I was standing at the 

 bow watching the shoals of fish and the cir- 

 cling gulls, when a whale broke water and 

 lay resting on the sea. Close about him were 

 some black rocks, breaking the surface as 

 the tide fell ; and as Leviathan scratched him- 

 self leisurely, like a huge sea-pig, against the 

 rough surfaces to rid his skin of the clinging 

 barnacles, or lay quiet with his black hump 

 above the water-line, he might easily have 

 been mistaken for one of the rocks, about 

 which the tide was swirling and ebbing. A 

 big herring gull, heavy and sleepy with too 

 much feeding, came flapping along. As he 

 saw the inviting rock he set his broad wings 

 and dropped his heavy feet to alight. The 



283 



Outofffie 



~>~. 



