from the
schooners, and half that distance from the other boats, neither of which
had as yet fastened to a fish. This latter circumstance was imputed to the
difficulty the different officers had in making their selections, cows, of
the spermaceti breed, when they give suck, being commonly light, and
yielding, comparatively, very small quantities of head-matter and oil. In
selecting the bull, Roswell had shown his judgment, the male animal
commonly returning to its conquerors twice the profit that is derived from
the female.

The whale to which Roswell was fast continued sculling away to windward
for quite two hours, causing the men to entirely lose sight of the other
boats, and bringing the topsails of the schooners themselves down to the
water's edge. Fortunately, it was not yet noon, and there were no
immediate apprehensions from the darkness; nor did the bull appear to be
much alarmed, though the boat was towing so close in his rear. At first,
or before the irons were thrown, the utmost care had been taken not to
make a noise; but the instant the crew were 'fast,' whispers were changed
into loud calls, and orders were passed in shouts, rather than in verbal
commands. The wildest excitement prevailed among the men, strangely
blended with a cool dexterity; but it was very apparent that a high
sporting fever was raging among them. Gardiner himself was much the
coolest man in his own boat, as became his station and very responsible
duties.

Stimson, the oldest and the best seaman in the schooner, he who had
admonished his young commander on the subject of the gratitude due to the
Deity, acted as the master's boat-steerer, having first performed the duty
of harpooner. It was to him that Gardiner now addressed the remarks he
made, after having been fastened to his whale fully two hours.

"This fellow is likely to give us a long drag," said the master, as he
stood balancing himself on the clumsy elects in the bows of the boat,
using his lance as an adept in saltation poises his pole on the wire, the
water curling fairly above the gunwale forward, with the rapid movement of
the boat; "I would haul up alongside, and give him the lance, did I not
distrust them flukes. I believe he knows we are here."

"That he does--that does he, Captain Gar'ner. It's always best to be
moderate and wait your time, sir. There's a jerk about that chap's flukes
that I don't like myself, and it's best to see what he would be at, before
we haul