and the
ship cannot pass, and then at nights it begins to freeze again, and you
have to hurry back for fear of being frozen up."

"What's the matter?" cried Steve, for the Norseman suddenly raised his
spy-glass and directed it eastward, where the sea looked to be one
dazzling sheen of damasked silver.

There was no answer for some moments, and then the man turned to the
glass.

"Look yonder," he said, "about a couple of points away to the south of
the ship's jib-boom."

Steve seized the glass, and gazed through it, carefully sweeping the sea
far and wide.

"Can you make it out?"

"No."

"Try a little more to the south."

"Can't see anything. Yes, I can; a ship's boat bottom upward miles
away. It must be a big boat. Why, it's a small ship capsized."

"Watch it," said Johannes quietly.

"Yes, I've got it right now. You can see the copper of the bottom
shining in the sun, and--oh, she's sunk! she's gone down quickly, head
first, and--why, it was a whale!"

"Hah! you were a long time getting to it, sir. Yes, a whale, a right
whale, and a big one, too."

"Well, quick!" cried Steve excitedly. "Why don't you hail the deck, and
tell them? We must have that."

"How, sir? with a hook and line?"

"Nonsense! Do you think I don't know? Have out the boats and harpoon
it, the same as you did the white whale."

The Norseman laughed softly.

"No, no," he said quietly; "you can't kill right whales like that, sir.
You want proper boats with crews, and harpoons with long lines suitable
for the work. Why, that fish would run away with all our lines in a
minute at the first wounding. We must be satisfied with looking at it.
Has it come up again?"

"Oh yes, and I can see it swimming about and playing in the water."

"Nice little thing to play, sir. That must be seventy feet long."

"But are you sure that we could not tire it out?"

"Quite, sir. I once went for a voyage, and pretty well know what
whale-fishing is. Hail the deck now and tell the captain; there he is.
He's using his glass; I fancy he has made it out."

At that moment the captain looked upward.

"Who's aloft there?" he cried.

"I am, sir--Johannes!"

"There's something out in the sunshine on the starboard bow; try if you
can make it out."

"We have, sir!" cried Steve; "it's a large whale."

"Hullo! you there?"

"Yes, sir. Are you going to try for it?"

"Hah! I can't quite make it out from here. Eh? Try for it? No, my
lad