CROSS COUNTRY WHALING 133 



on the forecastle head. He had been filled with 

 great joy, seized with anxiety or shaken with 

 anger as the hunt passed from one phase to an- 

 other. He shouted his emotions aloud though 

 there was never a chance for the men in the boats 

 to hear him. 



" Good boy, Long John," he had cried when 

 the boatsteerer drove his harpoon home. 



" That's our fish," he had chortled as the 

 wounded leviathan leaped high against the sky 

 and spouted blood over the ice. 



Now when it seemed possible that the mate 

 >vould be forced to cut loose from the whale to 

 save his boat from destruction, the captain 

 danced about on his crutches in wild excitement. 



Don't cut that line! Don't cut that line! " 

 he yelled. 



Mr. Winchester realized as well as the cap- 

 tain that there was something like $10,000 on 

 the other end of the rope, and he had no idea of 

 cutting loose. Towed by the whale the boat 

 drove toward the ice. The mate worked hard 

 with his steering oar to avoid striking the block. 

 It was impossible. The bow smashed into one 



