146 A Disappointment. 



would both see and hear the approach of their 

 enemies. I was up in the crow's nest with the 

 captain (rather close quarters for two), watching 

 the movements of the boats, and we could plainly 

 perceive — and my companion took no pains to 

 conceal his vexation — their utter failure to make a 

 capture. At length, after three hours' hard and 

 untiring chasing, our energetic and hard-working 

 mate succeeded in getting fast, and about an hour 

 afterwards we heard the report of a gun from the 

 direction which two of our boats had taken to the 

 northward, and we plainly heard the faint cry of " A 

 fall ! " as it was wafted across the water. We on 

 board instantly repeated the cry, shouting, "A fall ! 

 a fall ! " But the skipper, with a most woe-begone 

 expression of countenance, informed us curtly that 

 it was no fall, that the fellow had missed. And so 

 it proved. Poor Tom Manson, in his excitement 

 and eagerness to strike an enormous whale, imagin- 

 ing he would not get another chance, had attempted 

 a long shot and had failed. The poor fellow's feel- 

 iug3 may be easily imagined. 



As all the fish had apparently been frightened 

 away, it was deemed expedient to steam up to- 

 wards the mate, whose fish had sunk to the bottom 

 after being killed. The lines were brought to the 

 steam winch, and we soon hove him up alongside. 



He proved to be a fine whale, and he had also 

 shown himself to be a very troublesome customer, 



