236 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:' 



that, in the nature of things, it could not have been very 

 long. 



When I returned to a consciousness of external 

 things, I was for some time perfectly still, looking at the 

 sky, totally unable to realize what had happened or 

 where I was. Presently the smiling, pleasant face of 

 Samuela bent over me. Meeting my gratified look of 

 recognition, he set up a perfect yell of delight. *' So 

 glad, so glad you blonga life ! No go Davy Jonesy dis 

 time, hay ? " I put my hand out to help myself to a 

 sitting posture, and touched blubber. That startled me 

 so that I sprung up as if shot. Then I took in the situa- 

 tion at a glance. There were all my poor fellows with 

 me, stranded upon the top of our late antagonist, but no 

 sign of the boat to be seen. Bewildered at the state of 

 affairs, I looked appealingly from one to the other for an 

 explanation. I got it from Abner, who said, laconically, 

 " When yew fired thet ole gun, I guess it mus' have bin 

 loaded fer bear, fer ye jest tumbled clar head over heels 

 backwards outen the boat. Et that very same moment 

 I susj)icion the bomb busted in his belly, fer he went 

 clean rampageous loony. He rolled right over an' over 

 to'rds us, n* befo' we c'd rightly see wat wuz comin', we 

 cu'dnt see anythin' 'tall ; we wuz all grabbin' at nothin', 

 some'rs underneath the whale. When I come to the top, 

 I lit eout fer the fust thing I c'd see to lay holt of, which 

 wuz old squarhead himself, deader 'n pork. I guess thet 

 ar bomb o' yourn kinder upset his commissary depart- 

 ment. Anyway, I climed up onto him, 'n bime-by the 

 rest ov us histed themselves alongside ov me. Sam 

 Weller here; he cum last, towin' you 'long with him. I 

 don'no whar he foun' ye, but ye was very near a goner, 

 'n's full o' pickle as ye c'd hold." I turned a grateful eye 



