EDGING SOUTHWARD. 233 



the top of their speed. But being some distance astern 

 of the other boats, one of the fish, in his headlong retreat, 

 rose for a final blow some six or seven fathoms away, 

 passing us in the opposite direction. His appearance 

 was only momentary, yet in that moment Samuela 

 hurled his harpoon into the air, where it described a 

 beautiful parabola, coming down upon the disappearing 

 monster's back just as the sea was closing over it. Oh, 

 it was a splendid dart, worthy of the finest harpooner 

 that ever lived ! There was no time for congratulations, 

 however, for we spun round as on a pivot, and away we 

 went in the wake of that fellow at a great rate. I cast 

 one look astern to see whether the others had struck, but 

 could see nothing of them ; we seemed to have sprung 

 out of their ken in an instant. 



The speed of our friend was marvellous, but I 

 comforted myself with the knowledge that these animals 

 usually run in circles — sometimes, it is true, of enormous 

 diameter, but seldom getting far away from their starting- 

 point. But as the time went on, and we seemed to fly 

 over the waves at undiminished speed, I began to think 

 this whale might be the exception necessary to prove the 

 rule, so I got out the compass and watched his course. 

 Due east, not a degree to north or south of it, straight 

 as a bee to its hive. The ship was now far out of sight 

 astern, but I knew that keen eyes had been watching 

 our movements from the masthead, and that every effort 

 possible would be made to keep the run of us. The 

 speed of our whale was not only great, but unflagging. 

 He was more like a machine than an animal capable of 

 tiring ; and though we did our level best, at the faintest 

 symptom of slackening, to get up closer and lance him, 

 it was for some time impossible. After, at a rough 



