The whale to which Roswell was fast continued sculling away to windward for quite two hours, causing the men to entirely lose sight of the other boats, and bringing the topsails of the schooners themselves down to the water’s edge.  Fortunately, it was not yet noon, and there were no immediate apprehensions from the darkness; nor did the bull appear to be much alarmed, though the boat was towing so close in his rear.  At first, or before the irons were thrown, the utmost care had been taken not to make a noise; but the instant the crew were ‘fast,’ whispers were changed into loud calls, and orders were passed in shouts, rather than in verbal commands.  The wildest excitement prevailed among the men, strangely blended with a cool dexterity; but it was very apparent that a high sporting fever was raging among them.  Gardiner himself was much the coolest man in his own boat, as became his station and very responsible duties.

Stimson, the oldest and the best seaman in the schooner, he who had admonished his young commander on the subject of the gratitude due to the Deity, acted as the master’s boat-steerer, having first performed the duty of harpooner.  It was to him that Gardiner now addressed the remarks he made, after having been fastened to his whale fully two hours.

“This fellow is likely to give us a long drag,” said the master, as he stood balancing himself on the clumsy elects in the bows of the boat, using his lance as an adept in saltation poises his pole on the wire, the water curling fairly above the gunwale forward, with the rapid movement of the boat; “I would haul up alongside, and give him the lance, did I not distrust them flukes.  I believe he knows we are here.”

“That he does—­that does he, Captain Gar’ner.  It’s always best to be moderate and wait your time, sir.  There’s a jerk about that chap’s flukes that I don’t like myself, and it’s best to see what he would be at, before we haul up any nearer.  Don’t you see, sir, that every minute or two he strikes down, instead of sculling off handsomely and with a wide sweep, as becomes a whale?”

“That is just the motion I distrust, Stephen, and I shall wait a bit to see what he would be at.  I hope those ship-keepers will be busy, and work the schooners well up to windward before it gets to be dark.  Our man is asleep half his time, and is apt to let the vessel fall off a point or two.”

“Mr. Hazard gave him caution to keep a bright look out, sir, and I think he’ll be apt to—­look out, sir!—­Look out!”

This warning was well-timed; for, just at that instant the whale ceased sculling, and lifting its enormous tail high in the air, it struck five or six blows on the surface of the water, that made a noise which might have been heard half a league, besides filling the atmosphere immediately around him with spray.  As the tail first appeared in the air, line was permitted to run out of the boat, increasing the distance between