LIBERTY DAY — AND AFTEB. 171 



had happened to his iron, or knowing that we were fast, 

 the other harpooner promptly hurled his second iron, 

 which struck solidly. It was a very pretty tangle, but 

 our position was rather bad. The whale between us 

 was tearing the bowels of the deep up in his rage and 

 fear ; we were struggling frantically to get our sail down ; 

 and at any moment that wretched iron through our 

 upper strake might tear a plank out of us. Our chief, 

 foaming at the mouth with rage and excitement, was 

 screeching inarticulate blasphemy at the other mate, 

 who, not knowing what was the matter, was yelling 

 back all his copious vocabulary of abuse. I felt very 

 glad the whale was between us, or there would surely 

 have been murder done. At last, out drops the iron, 

 leaving a jagged hole you could put your arm through. 

 Wasn't Mr. Count mad ? I really thought he would 

 split with rage, for it was impossible for us to go on 

 with that hole in our bilge. The second mate came 

 alongside and took our line as the whale was just com- 

 mencing to sound, thus setting us free. We made at 

 once for the other ship's ** fast " boat, and the compli- 

 ments that had gone before were just casual conversation 

 to what filled the air with dislocated language now. 

 Presently both the champions cooled down a bit from 

 want of breath, and we got our case stated. It was 

 received with a yell of derision from the other side as a 

 splendid effort of lying on our part ; because the first 

 ship fast claims the whale, and such a prize as this one 

 we were quarrelling about was not to be tamely yielded. 

 However, as reason asserted her sway over Mr. Count, 

 he quieted down, knowing full well that the state of the 

 line belonging to his rival would reveal the truth when 

 the whale rose again. Therefore we returned to the 



