134 A YEAR WITH A WHALER 



end of the ice cake, was lifted out of the water 

 and dragged across to slip back into the sea. A 

 hole was stove in the starboard bow through 

 which the water rushed. The crew thereafter 

 was kept busy bailing. 



It was evident from the fountains of blood 

 that the whale was desperately wounded, but its 

 vitality was marvelous and it seemed it might 

 escape. When Mr. Landers saw the mate's line 

 being played out so rapidly he should have hur- 

 ried to the mate's boat and bent the line from his 

 own tub to the end of the mate's line. As an 

 old whaleman Mr. Landers knew what to do in 

 this crisis, but in such ice and in such high seas 

 he preferred not to take a chance. He was a 

 cautious soul, so he held his boat aloof. The 

 mate waved to him frantically. Long John and 

 Gabriel wigwagged frenzied messages with wav- 

 ing arms. 



As for Captain Shorey on his crutches on the 

 forecastle head, when it seemed certain that the 

 whale would run away with all the mate's line 

 and escape, he apparently suffered temporary 

 aberration. He damned old man Landers in 



