24 THE WHALE HUNTERS 



Fourteen boats had by now entered the fray and a 

 second whale was fighting for its Hfe further along the 

 shore, the rest having taken fright and disappeared; but 

 for Jonathan it was Master Jackson's whale which now 

 became the central figure in the drama that was being 

 enacted within the narrow circle of the telescope's vision. 

 And into the circle now came Master Jackson's boat, and 

 the hunter and the prey were two long dark shapes against 

 a patch of water lashed to white foam by the tail of the 

 stricken Leviathan. 



The boy saw that the Indian harpooner was now at the 

 steering oar and that Master Jackson had taken Chimoo's 

 place in the bows. Boat and whale fused to a single dark 

 shape and he knew that this was the moment when the 

 white hunter was thrusting his long lance deep into that 

 part of the whale which was known as his 'life.' 



Goaded to fury the whale lifted its tail twenty feet into 

 the air and brought it down with such force that the boat 

 was momentarily lost from view in a cloud of spray. 



With a gasp of surprise Jonathan saw that the next 

 spout was not white but blood red and he knew that the 

 whale was vanquished. He lowered the telescope from 

 his eye and for a few moments the thrill of the hunt and 

 his admiration for the skill and bravery of the whalemen 

 gave way to a feeling of pity for the doomed creature. 



Ebenezer took the telescope from him. *They have 

 killed him!' he cried. 'He lies fin out. Well done 

 Master Jackson, well done!' and, taking Jonathan by the 

 hands he made the rickety lookout post fairly shake as 

 he bounced with joy. 



Pity vanished and jubilation flowed into the boy's 

 breast. Few sights stir the heart of man or boy so deeply 

 as that of his brothers responding victoriously to the 

 challenges of nature. 



The low westering sun sent its beams over the sea and 

 touched the sides of the six boats with gold as they 



