Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/107

 A CATASTROPHE. 8l in readiness to sheer oflf quickly in the event of the finback making a tum towards the boat " Now, my lads ! " shouted the captain. " Look out ! take a good aim ! no false shots ! Are you readyi Howick?" " Quite ready, captain," answered the boatswain, adding, " but it perplexes me altogether to see the brute so quiet ail of a sudden." " It looks suspîcîous," saîd the captain ; " but never mînd ; go on ! straight ahead ! " Captain Hull was becomîng more excîted ever>'^ moment During the time the boat was approaching, the whale had only tumed round a little in the water without chang- ing îts position. It was evidently still looking for its calf, which was not to be seen by its side. Ail of a sudden it gave a jerk with its tail which carried it some few yards away. The men were ail excited. Was the beast going to escape again ? Was the fatiguîng pursuit ail to come over a second time ? Must not the chase be abandoned ? Would not the prize hâve to be given up ? But no : the whale was not starting on another flîght ; it had merely tumed so as to face the boat, and now rapidly beating the water with its enormous fins, it commenced a frantic dash forwards. " Look out, Howick, she*s coming ! " shouted Captain Hull. The skilful boatswain was ail on the alert ; the boat swerved, as if by instinct, so as to avoid the blow, and as the whale passed furiously by, she received three tremen- dous thrusts from the lances of the captain and the two men, who ail endeavoured to strike at some vital part. There was a sudden pause. The whale spouted up two gigantic columns of blood and water, lashed its tail, and, with bounds and plunges that were terrible to bchold, renewed its angry attack upon the boat None but the most determined of whalemen could fail to lose their head under such an assault. Calm and collected, however, the crew remained. Once agaîn dd WowXck