254 TEE CRUISE OF THE " CAOHALOT:* 



which almost overhung us, multiplied indefinitely. A 

 turtle rose ghost-like to the surface at my side, lifting 

 his queer head, and, surveying us with stony gaze, 

 vanished as silently as he came. 



What a sigh ! One looked at the other inquiringly, 

 but the repetition of that long expiration satisfied us all 

 that it was the placid breathing of the party we sought 

 somewhere close at hand. The light grew rapidly 

 better, and we strained our eyes in every direction to 

 discover the whereabouts of our friend, but for some 

 minutes without result. There was a ripple just audible, 

 and away glided the mate's boat right for the near shore. 

 Following him with our eyes, we almost immediately 

 beheld a pale, shadowy column of white, shimmering 

 against the dark mass of the cliff not a quarter of a 

 mile away. Dipping our paddles with the utmost care, 

 we made after the chief, almost holding our breath. 

 His harpooner rose, darted once, twice, then gave a yell 

 of triumph that rang re-echoing all around in a thousand 

 eerie vibrations, startling the drowsy peca in myriads 

 from where they hung in inverted clusters on the trees 

 above. But, for all the notice taken by the whale, she 

 might never have been touched. Close nestled to her 

 side was a youngling of not more, certainly, than five 

 days old, which sent up its baby-spout every now and 

 then about two feet into the air. One long, wing-like 

 fin embraced its small body, holding it close to the 

 massive breast of the tender mother, whose only care 

 seemed to be to protect her young, utterly regardless of 

 her own pain and danger. If sentiment were ever 

 permitted to interfere with such operations as ours, it 

 might well have done so now; for while the calf 

 continually sought to escape from the enfolding fin, 

 making all sorts of puny struggles in the attempt, the 



