h as much agility as he had ever displayed.

"Where away--where away?" he asked.

The men pointed to windward, and to our surprise the captain turned his
eyes in the same direction.

"Lower three boats," he shouted. "I'll go in one of them."

Presently I saw a low, bush-like spout of white mist rise from the
surface of the sea, not two miles off.

"There she spouts! There she spouts!" shouted the captain, showing that
he saw too.

With wonderful rapidity, as everything was prepared, the boats were
lowered. The doctor had come on deck.

"Where are you going, Captain Hawkins?" he asked, in an astonished tone.

"In chase of those whales out there," answered the captain; "for,
doctor, I can see them as well as you do."

Of this there could be no doubt. Several at that instant appeared at
various distances.

The excitement of the moment had given the required stimulus to the
captain's nerves, and he was restored to sight.

I remembered the fruitless chase off Cape Horn, when the captain and
those with him so nearly lost their lives, but this promised to be
successful. The captain's boat took the lead. His aim was to get up to
one of the monsters of the deep just as it returned to the surface for
breathing, as it would be some time before it could go down again, and
before that interval many a harpoon and lance might be plunged into its
body.

The captain soon took the lead; the men pulled as if their lives
depended on it. Before they were half a mile away a whale rose just
ahead of the captain's boat. Springing into the bows, he stood, harpoon
in hand, ready to strike.

Presently he was close up to the monster; the weapon flew from his
grasp, followed by three lances hurled in rapid succession. The whale,
feeling the pain, darted off. Another boat came up, and a second
harpoon was made fast, while several more lances were plunged into its
side.

Presently its enormous flukes rose in the air.

"He has sounded! He has sounded!" cried those on board.

The whale had dived, and the lines coiled away in the tubs ran rapidly
out. The monster, however, had not finished its breathing, and soon
after a second line had been secured to the first it came again to the
surface. The boats pulled rapidly towards it, and the harpooners plied
it with their lances. Presently we saw them pull away as if for their
lives. The whale rose nearly out of the water, and began turning round
and lashing the surface wit