THE WORLD OF ICE. 45

“Steady it is!” answered the man at the wheel.

“Call all hands and get the boats out, Mr. Bolton,”
said the captain.

“ All hands ahoy!” shouted the mate in a tempest-
uous voice, while the men rushed to their respective
stations.

“ Boat-steerers, get your boats ready.”

“ Ay, ay, sir.”

“There go flukes,” cried the look-out, as the whale
dived and tossed its flukes—that is, its tail—in the
air, not more than a mile on the lee-bow ; “she’s head-

 

ing right for the ship.”

“Down with the helm!” roared the captain. “ Mr.
Bolton, brace up the mizzen-top-sail! Hoist and
swing the boats! Lower away!”

In another moment three boats struck the water,
and their respective crews tumbled tumultuously into
them. Fred and Singleton sprang into the stern-
sheets of the captain’s boat just as it pushed off, and,
in less than five minutes, the three boats were bound-
ing over the sea in the direction of the whale like
race-horses. Every man did his best, and the tough
oars bent like hoops as each boat’s crew strove to out-
strip the others.