Fearful of alarming them without striking any, they remained a while motionless.

At last one rose near Carr's boat, and he approached and, fatally for himself, harpooned it.

When he struck, the fish was approaching the boat; and, passing very rapidly, jerked the line out of its place over the stern and threw it upon the gunwale.

Its pressure in this unfavorable position so careened the boat that the side was pulled under water and it began to fill.

In this emergency Carr, who was a brave, active man, seized the line, and endeavored to release the boat by restoring it to its place; but by some circumstance which was never accounted for, a turn of the line flew over his arm, dragged him overboard in an instant, and drew him under the water, never more to rise.