180 
CHASE AND CAPTURE 
tance before them, now appeared rather “gallied,” or 
frightened, having probably seen or heard the boats, and 
as he puffed up his spout to a great height, and reared 
his enormous head, he increased his speed, and went 
along quite as fast as the boats,— but for only two or 
three minutes, when he appeared to get perfectly quiet 
again, while the boats gained rapidly upon him, and were 
soon close in his “ wake.” “ Stand up,” cried young 
Clark to the harpooneer, who is also the bow-oarsman, 
while the same order was instantly given by his opponent, 
whose boat was abreast of our mate's, with the rest close 
to their sterns. The orders were instantly obeyed, for 
in a second of time both boatsteerers stood in the bows 
of their respective boats, with their harpoons held above 
their heads ready for the dart ; but they both panted to 
be a few yards nearer to the whale, to do so with success. 
The monster ploughed through the main quickly, but 
the boats gained upon him every moment, when the 
agitation of all parties became intense, and a general cry 
of “dart! dart!” broke from the hindermost boats, who 
each urged their friends, fearful of delay. The uproar 
became excessive, and while the tumult of voices, and 
the working and splashing of the oars, rolled along the 
surface of the deep, both the harpooneers darted their 
weapons together, which, if they had both struck the 
whale, would have originated a contention between them 
regarding their claims. But, as it happened, neither of 
them had that good fortune ; for at the moment of their 
darting the harpoons, the whale descended like a shot, 
and avoided their infliction, leaving nothing but a white- 
