RACE AND RACE HORSE 227 



ously throughout its length and rolling slightly 

 from side to side. 



Louis chopped two little ledges in the whale's 

 flesh with the deftness of an old hand, and plant- 

 ing his feet in these, began raining blows with 

 his axe on the neck. He was getting on fa- 

 mously, and the crew, hanging over the bul- 

 warks, was watching with admiring eyes. Sud- 

 denly the whale gave an unexpectedly violent 

 roll — our Arctic Ocean race horse was proving 

 a bronco even in death — and Louis's big foot 

 slipped off into the water. He lost his balance, 

 pitched forward, and sprawled face downward 

 on the whale, his axe sailing away and plunking 

 into the sea. He clutched frantically at the 

 whale, but every grip slipped loose and, inch by 

 inch, with eyeballs popping out of his head, he 

 slid o& into the sea and with a yell went under. 



Everybody laughed. The captain held his 

 sides and the officers on the cutting stage almost 

 fell off in the violence of their mirth. Louis 

 came up spluttering and splashing. He was an 

 expert swimmer, as expert as the Kanakas 

 among whom he had lived for years, and he 



