1 68 THE WHALE HUNTERS 



inspectors on each factory ship. It was woe betide any 

 gunner who left his number on a whale below the mini- 

 mum length or one that he had killed before he realised 

 that it was with young. 



'I can tell you, Hans, I did some swearing at first, but 

 I realise now that if it had not been for all these restrictions 

 there would not be many whales left in the Antarctic for 

 your father.' 



Hans looked up at his grandfather. 'Nor for me 

 either, when I go whaling,' he said. 'Father will be home 

 again in a few months. I wonder what sort of season he 

 will have had.' 



Carl Olafsen had signed as a harpooner to a British 

 expedition and had sailed from Tonsberg last October as 

 the brown autumn leaves were falling. 



