BLUBBER AND SONG 199 



tion as the whales, the three vessels waited until 

 they could work closer. Each captain in the 

 meanwhile kept a watchful eye on the others. 

 None of them proposed to let his rivals get the 

 start. The Reindeer was to windward of us, 

 the Helen Marr on our lee. 



When the ships had reached within a mile of 

 the whales Captain Shorey sent our boats down. 

 Instantly the other skippers did the same. Soon 

 thirteen whale boats were speeding on the chase. 



Fine sailing weather it was, with a fresh breeze 

 ruffling the surface of a gently heaving sea. 

 With all sails set and keeping well apart, the 

 boats heeled over, their crews sitting lined up 

 along the weather gunwales. There seemed no 

 chance of any clash or misunderstanding. There 

 were plenty of whales, and with any luck there 

 would be glory enough and profit enough for all. 



Like a line of skirmishers deployed against an 

 enemy, the boats stole silently toward the whales. 

 We soon saw the great animals were busy feed- 

 ing. A few inches below the surface the sea 

 was filled with " whale food," a round, diapha- 

 nous, disk-like jellyfish about the size of a silver 



