The temptation for
sport, and the recollection of his early habits, at length prevailed
over his anxiety in behalf of his friends, and the young officer
inquired of his cockswain:
"Is there any whale-line in the boat, to make fast to that harpoon which
you bear about with you in fair weather or foul?"
"I never trust the boat from the schooner without part of a shot, sir,"
returned the cockswain; "there if something nateral in the sight of a
tub to my old eyes."
Barnstable looked at his watch, and again at the cliffs, when he
exclaimed, in joyous tones:
"Give strong way, my hearties! There seems nothing better to be done;
let us have a stroke of a harpoon at that impudent rascal."
The men shouted spontaneously, and the old cockswain suffered his solemn
visage to relax into a small laugh, while the whale-boat sprang forward
like a courser for the goal. During the few minutes they were pulling
towards their game, long Tom arose from his crouching attitude in the
stern-sheets, and transferred his huge form to the bows of the boat,
where he made such preparations to strike the whale as the occasion
required. The tub, containing about half of a whale-line, was placed at
the feet of Barnstabie, who had been preparing an oar to steer with in
place of the rudder, which was unshipped, in order that, if necessary,
the boat might be whirled round when not advancing.
Their approach was utterly unnoticed by the monster of the deep, who
continued to amuse himself with throwing the water in two circular
spouts high into the air, occasionally flourishing the broad flukes of
his tail with a graceful but terrific force, until the hardy seamen were
within a few hundred feet of him, when he suddenly cast his head
downward and, without an apparent effort, reared his immense body for
many feet above the water, waving his tail violently, and producing a
whizzing noise, that sounded like the rushing of winds.
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