78 A YEAR WITH A WHALER 



harpoon and another, drmng them home up to 

 the wooden hafts with all the strength of his 

 lithe arms. 



The sharp bite of the iron in its vitals stirred 

 the titanic mass of flesh and blood from perfect 

 stillness into a frenzy of sudden movement that 

 churned the water of the sea into white froth. 

 The great head went under, the giant back curved 

 down like the whirling surface of some mighty 

 fly-wheel, the vast flukes, like some black demon's 

 arm, shot into the air. Left and right and left 

 again, the great tail thrashed, smiting the sea 

 M'ith thwacks which could have been heard for 

 miles. It struck the boat glancingh^ with its bare 

 tip, yet the blow stove a great hole in the bottom 

 timbers, hfted the wreck high in air, and sent the 

 sailors sprawling mto the sea. Then the whale 

 sped away with the speed of a limited express. 

 It had not been vitally wounded. Over the dis- 

 tant horizon, it passed out of sight, blowing up> 

 against the sky fountains of clear water unmixed 

 with blood. 



The other boat hurried to the rescue and the 

 crew; gathered up the half -drowned sailors 



