78 DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN. considérable depth^ would bave to be joined end toend^one after another. " Are you ready, my lads ? " saîd he, hardly above a whisper. "Ay, ay, sir," replîed Howîck, speaking as gently as bis master, and giving a firmer grîp to the rudder-oar that he held in bis hands. " Then, alongside at once," was tbe captaîn's order, wbîch was promptly obeyed, so that in a few minutes the boat was only about ten feet from the body of the whale. The animal did not move. Was it asleep ? In that case there was hope that the very first stroke might be fatal. But it was hardly likely. Captaîn Hull felt only too sure that there was some différent cause to be assigned for its remainîng so still and stationary ; and the rapid glances of the boatswain showed that he entertained the same suspicion. But it was no time for spéculation ; the moment for action had arrived, and no attempt was made on either hand to exchange ideas upon the subject. Captain Hull seized his weapon tightly by the shaft, and having poised it several times in the air, in order to make more sure of his aim, he gathered ail his strength and hurled it against the side of the finback. " Backwater ! " he shouted. The sailors pushed back with ail their might, and the boat in an instant was beyond the range of the créature s tail. And now the immoveableness of the animal was at once accounted for. " See ; there*s a youngster ! " exclaimcd Howick. And he was not mistaken. Startlcd by the blow of the harpoon the monster had heeled over on to its side, and the movement rcvealed a young whale which the mother had been disturbed in the act of suckling. It was a discovery which madc Captain Hull aware that the capture of the whale would be attended with double difficulty ; he knew that she would défend " her lîttle one " (if such a term can be applied to a créature that was at least twenty feet long) m'th the most determined fury ; yet having made what he
