50 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



twenty-five feet long — were furiously assailing an 

 old right-sperm, rushing at it, and with their 

 terrible recurved teeth snatching huge lumps of 

 quivering blubber and flesh from its sides, until 

 the water all around was thick with blood. The 

 poor old whale lashed its mighty tail in impotent 

 rage, bringing it down upon the water with smacks 

 that could be heard a mile off. It was rendered 

 helpless by its own bulk, for its nimble adversaries 

 could twist and turn about five times to its once. 

 It tried to dive, but was either too exhausted or 

 too flurried. One of the killers then jumped up 

 and, like a flail, beat upon its back. The poor 

 thing could only moan and spout, until at last, 

 driven to desperation, it reared its great body 

 upright like a pillar, clear out of the sea, and 

 in falling back its 250 tons weight of flesh sent the 

 spray in all directions like the breaking of a cata- 

 ract, while its cowardly enemies, first one and then 

 the other, set to and attacked it again as though 

 by preconcerted arrangement. 



The skipper could stand it no longer. " Back 

 the main yard ! " he shouted, " and get ready 

 forward there with the port signal gun." W'e 

 happened to carry a couple of really smart brass 

 cannon that, strange to say, were always in perfect 

 order. " Load her with one of the new shells from 



