We had not to wait long.

The sudden stoppage and slacking off of all the lines showed that the whale was coming up.

All at once I saw a dark object rising directly under the captain's boat.

Before I could make out what it was, almost before I could think, the boat flew up into the air, as if a powder magazine had exploded beneath it.

The whale had come up, and hit it with his head right on the keel, so that it was knocked into pieces, and the men, oars, harpoons, lances, and tackle shot up in confusion into the air.
Immediately after that the whale went into his flurry, but we paid no attention to him, in our anxiety to pick up our companions.