mind, and the whole fleet of boats stood by 

 and cursed impotently while the hopes of 

 a dozen families went whirling blindly out 

 to sea on the flukes of a bewildered rorqual. 

 But all these stages were passed; and our 

 interest was purely human as we stood now 

 in a close group at the weather rail of the 

 schooner, scholar and fisherman alike, to 

 learn what hidden grief or pain had added a 

 new voice to the world of waters. 



The whale rolled up again, nearer this 

 time. There was a wriggle and flash beside 

 him; a long snaky body leaped clear of the 

 water, doubling itself like a steel spring, and 

 struck down a terrific blow at the whale's 

 head. "Thresher!" cried the skipper excit- 

 edly. The creature leaped and struck again, 

 and a heavy thud rolled over the ocean, like 

 the blow of a giant flail. Before I could see 

 plainly all that happened something struck 

 the whale from below, and he rolled under 

 in a smother of foam, while the ocean itself 

 seemed to bellow forth its rage and pain. 

 But whether the strange sound were indeed 



293 



Outofffte 



