80 THEWHALEHUNTERS 



*No, no!' cried Jonathan leaping to his feet, horrified 

 at what was about to happen. 



But now Joseph was thrusting himself between the two 

 men and down the companionway came Mr. Macy and 

 several men who had heard the sound of Chimoo's angry 

 voice. They pulled the struggling Indian away from 

 Sykes. 



'What in the name of St. Christopher is going on down 

 here?' roared Macy; but before anyone could make a 

 reply there came from above a call from the lookout. 



'Town ho! She blows again. She blo-o-o-o-ows!' 



'On deck with the lot of you!' roared Macy. 'We'll 

 sort out this affair when we've dealt with those whales.' 



With the dazed Sykes bringing up the rear everyone 

 climbed to the upper deck where men were already clam- 

 bering over the side into the whaleboats. Away to star- 

 board Greenland whales were sending up their white 

 fountains. Even the sober-minded captain was elated at 

 the sight of so many whales. 



'Oh, for a ship ten times the size of this cockle-shell!' he 

 cried. 'I would fill her holds with blubber and all our 

 pockets with gold. Away with thee, men, and catch me 

 just one and we'll barely have room for that. Move thy 

 sluggish body, Sykes, and take thy place in the boat or I 

 will send that boy in thy stead. Move, I say. Move 

 man, move!' 



As Jonathan watched the boats depart his mind raced 

 with wild conjectures of what would happen now that his 

 secret was out. He shivered in the biting wind which 

 had sprung up during the past few hours. Looking 

 upwards he watched grey clouds racing low and eastwards 

 for the Greenland shore. Ice was bumping the ship's 

 hull as she cruised under shortened sail in the rising sea. 

 Away to windward the ice floes stretched as far as the eye 

 could see. 



He watched the boats pick their way to the nearest 



