Page:Hunting and trapping stories; a book for boys (IA huntingtrappings00pric).pdf/213

 A whale ship that was spending the summer in the Arctic regions had several opportunities of watching the narwhales and grampusses. The narwhal is chiefly famous for the wonderful twisted ivory horn which springs out of its forehead. It is not an aggressive animal, as a rule, for it is seldom known to attack other creatures that live in the sea.

On the other hand, the grampus is a great hungry beast, measuring thirty or forty feet in length; the whole year round it races up and down the cold seas searching for something to eat.

The whale boats always try to harpoon a few narwhales. It is a very exciting chase for the narwhal frequently upsets the boat; but the ivory horns are so valuable that men will run great risks to secure them.

One morning there being no whales in sight and the wind having fallen into a dead calm, a boat put out from one of these whale ships to see what it could find. The sailors began to fish with lines and for an hour or more had good luck when suddenly the fish ceased biting and disappeared.

A few minutes later the bow man whispered, "narwhales." Sure enough, not quarter of a mile away there was a small school of them. The men seized their oars and rowed quietly so as to come up alongside of the herd; but the animals saw the boat coming and dived. After a wait of some minutes the narwhales rose to the surface, and this time allowed the boat to come close to them. The mate stood in the bow, harpoon in hand, and when he was near enough threw it with all his might at the leader. The herd scattered at once, leaving one of their number struggling to rid itself of the cruel barb in its back. The men began to haul in on the line, but at a yell from the mate they ceased. They found themselves surrounded by the narwhales and for an instant feared that the boat was about to be attacked. The narwhales were swimming round and round as if in mortal terror of something.

A few seconds later there was a tremendous splash, and out of the water bounded a pair of grampusses. The first one had already seized a narwhale, which was struggling in its mouth, while the second one made a savage rush at the remainder of the herd. Instantly they scattered, and one of the largest narwhales collided with the boat, its horn ripping the whole side out of it throwing the men head over heels into the water. When they came to the surface they found that the narwhales had fled and the grampusses were pursuing them. The harpooned narwhale had also vanished having been torn to pieces by the hungry marauders.

The sailors clung to the floating oars and wreckage until another boat came from the ship and picked them up.