[Fighting the Whales by R. M. Ballantyne]@TWC D-Link book
Fighting the Whales

CHAPTER III
8/11

The harpoon had not been well fixed; it had lost its hold, and the fish was now free! "Gone!" exclaimed the captain with a groan.
I remember even yet the feeling of awful disappointment that came over me when I understood that we had lost the fish after all our trouble! I could almost have wept with bitter vexation.

As for my comrades, they sat staring at each other for some moments quite speechless.
Before we could recover from the state into which this misfortune had thrown us, one of the men suddenly shouted, "Hallo! there's the mate's boat in distress." We turned at once, and, truly, there was no doubt of the truth of this, for, about half a mile off, we beheld our first mate's boat tearing over the sea like a small steamer.

It was fast to a fish, and two oars were set up on end to attract our attention.
When a whale is struck, it sometimes happens that the whole of the line in a boat is run out.

When this is about to occur, it becomes necessary to hold on as much as can be done without running the boat under the water, and an oar is set up on end to show that assistance is required, either from the ship or from the other boats.

As the line grows less and less, another and another oar is hoisted to show that help must be sent quickly.


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