第58章 LIBERTY DAY--AND AFTER(5)

At last， disgusted apparently with the hopeless turn affairs had taken， the NARRAGANSETT's boats drew off， and returned on board their ship.Two of our boats had by this time accumulated a mountainous coil of line each， with which we returned to our own vessel， leaving the skipper to visit the present holder of the whale， the skipper of the JOHN HAMPDEN.

What arrangements they made， or how they settled the NARRAGANSETT's claim between them， I never knew， but I dare say there was a costly law-suit about it in New Bedford years after.

This was not very encouraging for a start， nor did the next meek see us do any better.Several times we saw other ships with whales alongside， but we got no show at all.Now， I had hoped a great deal from our cruise on these grounds， because I had heard whispers of a visit to the icy Sea of Okhotsk， and the prospect was to me a horrible one.I never did take any stock in Arctic work.But if we made a good season on the Japan grounds， we should not go north， but gradually work down the Pacific again， on the other side， cruising as we went.

Day after day went by without any fresh capture or even sight of fish， until I began to believe that the stories I had heard of the wonderful fecundity of the Coast of Japan waters were fables without foundation， in fact.Had I known what sort of fishing our next bout would be， I should not have been so eager to sight whales again.If this be not a platitude of the worst kind， Idon't know the meaning of the word； but， after all， platitudes have their uses， especially when you want to state a fact baldly.

第一章WHICH COMES UNCOMFORTABLY NEAR BEING THE LASTAll unversed as I am in the finer shades of literary craftsmanship， there is great uncertainty in my mind whether it is good or bad "art" to anticipate your next chapter by foreshadowing its contents； but whether good or bad art， the remembrance of my miseries on the eventful occasion I wish to describe was so strong upon me as I wrote the last few lines of the previous chapter that I just had to let those few words leak out.

Through all the vicissitudes of this strange voyage I had hitherto felt pretty safe， and as the last thing a man anticipates (if his digestion is all right) is the possibility of coming to grief himself while fully prepared to see everybody else go under， so I had got to think that whoever got killed Iwas not to be--a very pleasing sentiment， and one that carries a man far， enabling him to face dangers with a light heart which otherwise would make a nerveless animal of him.

In this optimistic mood， then， I gaily flung myself into my place in the mate's boat one morning， as we were departing in chase of a magnificent cachalot that had been raised just after breakfast.

There were no other vessels in sight--much to our satisfaction --the wind was light， with a cloudless sky， and the whale was dead to leeward of us.We sped along at a good rate towards our prospective victim， who was， in his leisurely enjoyment of life， calmly lolling on the surface， occasionally lifting his enormous tail out of water and letting it fall flat upon the surface with a boom audible for miles.

We were as usual， first boat； but， much to the mate's annoyance， when we were a short half-mile from the whale， our main-sheet parted.It became immediately necessary to roll the sail up， lest its flapping should alarm the watchful monster， and this delayed us sufficiently to allow the other boats to shoot ahead of us.Thus the second mate got fast some seconds before we arrived on the scene， seeing which we furled sail unshipped the mast， and went in on him with the oars only.At first the proceedings were quite of the usual character， our chief wielding his lance in most brilliant fashion， while not being fast to the animal allowed us much greater freedom in our evolutions； but that fatal habit of the mate's--of allowing his boat to take care of herself so long as he was getting in some good home-thrusts --once more asserted itself.Although the whale was exceedingly vigorous， churning the sea into yeasty foam over an enormous area， there we wallowed close to him， right in the middle of the turmoil， actually courting disaster.

He had just settled down for a moment， when， glancing over the gunwale， I saw his tail， like a vast shadow， sweeping away from us towards the second mate， who was laying off the other side of him.Before I had time to think， the mighty mass of gristle leapt into the sunshine， curved back from us like a huge bow.

Then with a roar it came at us， released from its tension of Heaven knows how many tons.Full on the broadside it struck us， sending every soul but me flying out of the wreckage as if fired from catapults.I did not go because my foot was jammed somehow in the well of the boat， but the wrench nearly pulled my thigh-bone out of its socket.I had hardly released my foot， when， towering above me， came the colossal head of the great creature， as he ploughed through the bundle of debris that had just been a boat.There was an appalling roar of water in my ears， and darkness that might be felt all around.Yet， in the midst of it all， one thought predominated as clearly as if I had been turning it over in my mind in the quiet of my bunk aboard--"What if he should swallow me？" Nor to this day can I understand how Iescaped the portals of his gullet， which of course gaped wide as a church door.But the agony of holding my breath soon overpowered every other feeling and thought， till just as something was going to snap inside my head I rose to the surface.

I was surrounded by a welter of bloody froth， which made it impossible for me to see； but oh， the air was sweet！

I struck out blindly， instinctively， although I could feel so strong an eddy that voluntary progress was out of the question.