THE WORLD OF ICE, 5]

“ Hoist an oar!” eried Amos Parr, as he saw the coil
diminishing. Grim observed the signal of distress,
and encouraged his men to use their utmost exertions.
“ Another oar !—another !” shouted Parr, as the whale
continued its headlong descent,

“Stand by to cut the line,” said Captain Guy with
compressed lips. “No! hold on, hold on!”

At this moment, having drawn down more than a
thousand fathoms of rope, the whale slackened its
speed, and Parr, taking another coil round the logger-
head, held on until the boat was almost dragged under
water. Then the line became loose, and the slack was
hauled in rapidly. Meanwhile Grim’s boat had reached
the spot, and the men now lay on their oars at some
distance ahead, ready to pull the instant the whale
should show itself. Up it came, not twenty yards
ahead. One short, energetic pull, and the second boat
sent a harpoon deep into it, while Grim sprang to the
bow and thrust a lance with deadly force deep into
the carcass. The monster sent up a stream of mingled
blood, oil, and water, and whirled its huge tail so
violently that the sound could be heard a mile off.
Before it dived again, the captain’s boat came up, and
succeeded in making fast another harpoon, while several
additional lance-thrusts were given with effect, and it
seemed as if the battle were about to terminate, when
suddenly the whale struck the sea with a clap like
thunder, and darted away once more like a rocket to
windward, tearing the two boats after it as if they had
been ego-shells,