“Mama, mama!” then cried little Jack, “I should like to have the whale, to see how it is made.”

“Ah! you wish to have this whale, my boy?  Ah! why not, my friends?” replied Captain Hull, finally yielding to his secret desire.  “Our additional fishermen are lacking, it is true, but we alone——­”

“Yes! yes!” cried the sailors, with a single voice.

“This will not be the first time that I have followed the trade of harpooner,” added Captain Hull, “and you will see if I still know how to throw the harpoon!”

“Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!” responded the crew.

* * * * *

CHAPTER VII.

PREPARATIONS.

It will be understood that the sight of this prodigious mammifer was necessary to produce such excitement on board the “Pilgrim.”

The whale, which floated in the middle of the red waters, appeared enormous.  To capture it, and thus complete the cargo, that was very tempting.  Could fishermen let such an occasion escape them?

However, Mrs. Weldon believed she ought to ask Captain Hull if it was not dangerous for his men and for him to attack a whale under those circumstances.

“No, Mrs. Weldon,” replied Captain Hull.  “More than once it has been my lot to hunt the whale with a single boat, and I have always finished by taking possession of it.  I repeat it, there is no danger for us, nor, consequently, for yourself.”

Mrs. Weldon, reassured, did not persist.

Captain Hull at once made his preparations for capturing the jubarte.  He knew by experience that the pursuit of that baloenopter was not free from difficulties, and he wished to parry all.

What rendered this capture less easy was that the schooner’s crew could only work by means of a single boat, while the “Pilgrim” possessed a long-boat, placed on its stocks between the mainmast and the mizzen-mast, besides three whale-boats, of which two were suspended on the larboard and starboard pegs, and the third aft, outside the crown-work.

Generally these three whale-boats were employed simultaneously in the pursuit of cetaceans.  But during the fishing season, we know, an additional crew, hired at the stations of New Zealand, came to the assistance of the “Pilgrim’s” sailors.

Now, in the present circumstances, the “Pilgrim” could only furnish the five sailors on board—­that is, enough to arm a single whale-boat.  To utilize the group of Tom and his friends, who had offered themselves at once, was impossible.  In fact, the working of a fishing pirogue requires very well trained seamen.  A false move of the helm, or a false stroke of an oar, would be enough to compromise the safety of the whale-boat during an attack.

On the other hand, Captain Hull did not wish to leave his ship without leaving on board at least one man from the crew, in whom he had confidence.  It was necessary to provide for all eventualities.