look over the water at the
strange object which had come into those seas. Then suddenly it tossed
its tail high into the air and sank out of sight.

"It's a right-whale!" cried Captain Hubbell. "There's whales in this
sea! Let's get through this buoy business and go cruisin' after 'em."

There was a great deal of excited talk about the appearance of the
whale, but this was not allowed to interfere with the business in hand.
A chain, not very heavy but of enormous strength, and of sufficient
length to reach the bottom and give plenty of play, was attached to an
anchor of a peculiar kind. It was very large and heavy, made of iron,
and shaped something like a cuttlefish, with many arms which would cling
to the bottom if any force were exerted to move the anchor. The other
end of the chain was attached to the lower part of the buoy, and with
powerful cranes the anchor was hoisted on deck, and when everything had
been made ready the buoy, which had had the proper date cut upon it, was
lowered into the water. Then the great anchor was dropped into the sea,
as nearly as possible over the pole.

The sudden rush downward of the anchor and the chain caused the buoy to
dip into the sea as if it were about to sink out of sight, but in a few
moments it rose again, and the great sphere, half-way out of the water,
floated proudly upon the surface of the polar sea.

Then came a great cheer, and Mrs. Block--who, having been assured that
the whale had entirely disappeared, had come on deck--turned to her
husband and remarked: "Now, Sammy, is there any earthly reason why we
should not turn right around and go straight home? The pole's found, and
the place is marked, and what more is there for us to do?"

But before her husband could answer her, Captain Hubbell lifted up his
voice, which was full of spirit and enthusiasm.

"Messmates!" he cried, "we have touched at the pole, and we have
anchored the buoy, and now let us go whalin'. It's thirty years since
I saw one of them fish, and I never expected in all my born days I'd go
a-whalin'."

The rest of the company on the Dipsey took no very great interest in the
whaling cruise, but, on consultation with Mr. Clewe and Mrs. Raleigh at
Sardis, it was decided that they ought by no means to leave the polar
sea until they had explored it as thoroughly as circumstances would
allow. Consequently the next day the Dipsey sailed away from the
pole, leaving the buoy brightly floating on a gently