68 A YEAR WITH A WHALER 



formation, we had worked to within a half mile 

 of our whale which was still steaming along at 

 the rate of knots. They say a sperm whale has 

 ears so small they are scarcely detected, but it 

 has a wonderfully keen sense of hearing for all 

 that. Our whale must have heard us or seen us. 

 At any rate it bade us a sudden goodbye and 

 scurried off unceremoniously over the rim of the 

 world. The boats kept on along the course it 

 was heading for over an hour, but the whale never 

 again favored us with so much as a distant spout. 

 Finally signals from the brig's mast-head sum- 

 moned us aboard. 



As the men had had no practice in the boats 

 before, both boats lowered sail and we started to 

 row back to the vessel. We had pulled about 

 a mile when Mendez, who was acting as boat- 

 steerer, said quietly, "Blow! Blackfish dead 

 ahead." 



" Aye, aye," replied Gabriel. " Now stand 

 by, Tomas. I'll jes' lay you aboard one o' dem 

 blackfeesh and we'll teach dese green fellers 

 somethin' 'bout whalin'." 



There were about fifty blackfish in the school. 



