146 THE WHALE HUNTERS 



the whales had not been 'galHed' by the casual manner in 

 which they had sounded. 'They have gone down to 

 feed/ he thought, 'and it will be at least a half-hour before 

 they rise again — if Hodge and Jacobs do not scare them.' 

 The other boats could go paddling over the whales if 

 they wanted but he was not going to risk 'galleying' them. 

 If they did take fright and flee, however, he knew from 

 long experience that it would be in the direction from 

 which the wind had last come. So he would move to the 

 south-eastward and be ready to intercept them. 



He pulled the steering oar towards him a little and the 

 boat's head swung to larboard. 'Slowly, now, men. Softly,' 

 he whispered and the paddles merely kissed the water. 



He saw that Hamm was following his example but that 

 Hodge and Jacobs were still forging ahead on the same 

 course. 



'Easy all,' and he brought his boat to a stop. Standing 

 now upon the stern platform he waited. 



Thirty minutes, thirty-five, and then in the same 

 position as before the first hump broke the surface and a 

 white spout shot into the air. 



'They are still quiet, men,' whispered Thomas, as he 

 saw more whales rising. 'Give way with the paddles.' 



With Hamm close astern and Hodge and Jacobs about 

 two miles away beyond the school he closed to make his 

 attack. 



'Stand up, Jamie,' he ordered and the harpooner 

 shipped his paddle and stood ready. 



Then in one of the four boats someone whose nerves 

 were not perhaps so steady as usual must have touched 

 the hull with his paddle ; for, led by a huge hundred barrel 

 bull, the whole school suddenly set off along the surface at 

 about ten knots, which was three times their normal cruis- 

 ing speed. Their direction, as Thomas had expected, 

 was to the south-eastward and they were coming straight 

 towards his boat and Hamm's. 



