Part 3 (1/2)

”I certainly did, Captain Murchison,” the boy answered

”All right, tell me about it some time Hank, you're on board just in the nick of tie of the gun and repaired it while you were a yourselves out there Get in lively, now, there's work to do”

The men scrambled on board rapidly, and the boat was up in the davits in less than a minute, while the yards were braced round, and under sail and steaht, Hank,” said the captain; ”hu ones”

”If they'll bunch up like that, sir,” the gunner said, ”we ood trip out of it yet”

”I hope so,” the skipper answered, and turning on his heel, he went to the poop Thither Colin followed him and told him all the story of the whale The captain, as an old friend of Colin's father when they both lived in a lureatly taken aback when he found how dangerous the boat-trip had been, but he did not want to spoil the boy's vivid memories of the exciteo out as gunner next ti to try anything, Captain Murchison,” he replied, ”but I'm content to let Hank look after that end”

”Hank's an unusual man,” the captain said quietly ”I rather doubt if any other ray whale

I'd rather have hiunner, of course, he's a sort of petty officer”

The canvas began to shake as the boat turned on its course after the whales, catching the skipper's eye, and he roared out orders to shorten sail

”Clew up fore and ans'ls,” he shouted; ”take in the tops'ls

Colin, you go and furl the fore to'gans'l, and if the askets round the ans'l as well”

”Aye, aye, sir,” the boy answered readily, for he enjoyed being aloft, and he claallant yard and furled the sail, taking a pride in having it lie smooth and round on the top of the yard

”What's the difference between a 'finback' and a 'humpback,' Hank?”

asked the boy, after the canvas had been stowed, the vessel under auxiliary steah to keep up with the cetaceans, ”are they 'right' whales?”

”Neither of 'eht whale, the bowhead and the black, and both have fine whalebone, an' that, as you know, is a sort of strainer in the mouth that takes the place of teeth Humpbacks an' finbacks are taken for oil, an' they look quite different A humpback is more in bulk an' has only a short fin on the back, it's a clumsy beast an' throws the flukes of the tail out of the water in soundin' Now, a finback is builtfin on the back--that's where it gets its na sulphurbottoest ani!”

”Where does the sperot teeth, like the gray whale,” was the reply, ”but you never find it in cold water Sperain But those two over there--the ones we're after, are finbacks You can tell by the spout, by the fin, by not seein' the flukes of the tail, an' by the way they play around, slappin' each other in fun”

Three hours were spent in the fruitless chase after this little group of whales Then Hank, who had been standing in the bow beside the gun, watching every naled with his hand for ”full speed astern,” by thisthe shi+p squarely, as a whale--a ht under the vessel's bow The reversed screws took the craft astern so as to show the broad back about twenty-five feet away, and Hank fired

The crashi+ng roar of the harpoon-gun was followed by a swirl as the whale sounded for a long dive, but a moment later there came a dull, muffled report from the water, the explosive head of the harpoon, known as the 'bo burst For a minute or two there was no sound but the swish of the line and the clank of the big winch as it ran out, while the animal sank to the botto the line tauten and hang down straight, called back:

”We can haul in, sir; I got hiht”

Compared to the excitement of the chase in the open boat this seemed very tame to Colin, and he said so to the captain, when he went aft, while the stearadually drew up the finback whose end had come so suddenly

”My boy,” was the reply, ”I' for my health Other people have a share in this, besides myself and the crew, and what they're after is whales--not sport The business isn't what it was; in the old days whale-oil orth a great deal and whaling was a good business

Then came the discovery of petroleu the crude product so that it took the place of whale-oil in every way and at a cheaper price”

”But I thought whalebone hat you were after!” said Colin in surprise

”It was for a tiave out But within the last ten years there have been so one down There's a lot of whalebone stored in New Bedford warehouses that can't be sold except at a loss”

”Well, if the oil is replaced and whalebone has no value, what is to be got out of whaling now, then?” the boy queried