Perilous Situation. 223 



pulled up — all was breathless excitement, everyone 

 watching- the result. Tom had a splendid chance, 

 right over the fish, which we already regarded as 

 our own. He fired, but, sad to relate, missed. 

 The captain hailed from the nest to put in his hand 

 harpoon ; he stuck it in, but, fortunately as it 

 turned out, had not time to bury it deep in the 

 whale's blubber. Down went the fish with fearful 

 rapidity, the lines fouled, and in another moment 

 the boat would have been taken down. "Jump 

 overboard for your lives ! " shouted the captain 

 from the crow's nest. At that instant the harpoon 

 drew, and they were safe; but our fish was lost. 

 Poor Tom ! we were all more sorry for his misfor- 

 tune in missing than for the actual loss of the whale. 

 But we had no time to lament our ill-luck, for more 

 fish were seen, and in less than half an hour we had 

 the pleasure of hearing " a fall " cried, and of know- 

 ing that Jemmy Grey was fast. Seeing that it was a 

 heavy fish, and likely to give trouble, Chester and 

 I volunteered to go away in the dingy with the 

 rocket-gun to kill it, an offer which was gladly 

 accepted ; Chester took the gun and I the steer 

 oar, the doctor (Graham) and an old fireman, com- 

 monly called old Harry, forming our crew. We 

 pulled close alongside the monster, which had by 

 this time got three harpoons in its body. This 

 seemed to make it wild; Chester fired. I swept 

 the boat round, but the dingy, rather an unmanage- 



