The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries | Page 9

We catch the whales, blow them out in the
way you see the men doing now, and tow them to the nearest 'trying
out' factory. These places have conveniences that would be impossible
on shipboard, they get a better quality of oil, and they use up all the
animal, getting oil out of the meat as well as the blubber. Then the flesh
is dried and sold for fertilizer just as the bones are. The fins and tail are
shipped to Japan for table delicacies. Even the water in which the
blubber has been tried out makes good glue. So, you see, it pays to tow
a whale to the factory. And besides, the smell of trying out on one of
the old whalers was horrible beyond description."
During this explanation the huge carcass of the whale had been
distended to almost twice its natural size, and now it floated high out of
the water. The steel tube was pulled out and a buoy with a flag was
attached to the whale, which was then set adrift to be picked up and
towed to the factory later.
[Illustration: FINBACK WHALE SOUNDING.]
[Illustration: LANCING FINBACK: GIVING THE DEATH-BLOW.]
[Illustration: PUMPING CARCASS WITH AIR SO THAT IT WILL
FLOAT.]
[Illustration: DEAD FINBACK SET ADRIFT WITH BUOY AND
FLAG.
All Photos by permission of Mr. Roy C. Andrews.]
Almost immediately the "tink-tink" of the bell of the signaler to the
engine-room told that the ship was headed after another whale. The sea
was rising and the wind was beginning to whistle through the rigging.
Colin felt well satisfied that the canvas was stowed and that he would
not have to go aloft during the night. The evening light, however, was
still good enough for a shot, and Hank, at the bow, was swinging the

heavy gun from side to side on its stand to assure himself that it was in
good condition.
Owing to the approaching darkness, there was no time to wait for an
exact shot, and Hank fired at the big finback on the first opportunity.
The ship was rolling and pitching, however, and the harpoon, instead of
striking the big whale, went clear over her and into the water beyond,
crashing into the side of a little calf whale not more than sixteen feet
long, the weapon going almost through him.
Apparently unconscious of what had happened to her baby, the mother
whale sounded and sounded deep, not coming up for nearly twenty
minutes. When she rose, she was at least a quarter of a mile away, and
Colin, who was standing by Hank in the bow, wondered why the ship
did not go in pursuit.
"Why don't we chase her up?" he asked.
"She'll come lookin' for her calf," the old whaler answered, "an' as long
as we stay near that she'll come up to us. Lots of whalers shoot the
calves a-purpose, makin' it easier to get the old whales, but I don't hold
with that. I've never done it. Shootin' this one was just an accident, but
as long as the little chap is dead anyhow, we might as well make use of
him."
Just as the old whaler had predicted, in less than five minutes the
mother whale spouted, coming in the direction of the vessel. In less
than five minutes more she spouted again, just a little distance from the
calf. Not understanding what had happened, she swam around as
though to persuade the little one to follow her, and as she circled round
the calf she came within range of the harpoon-gun. It was far too dark
to see clearly, but Hank chanced a shot. The sudden roar startled Colin.
"Did you get her?" he asked anxiously.
"I hit her, all right," the gunner answered with a dissatisfied air, "but
not just where I wanted."

The boy thought it wonderful that he should have been able to hit the
monster at all, so small a portion of the body was exposed and so
heavily was the Gull pitching. The whale, instead of sounding directly,
dived at a sharp angle and the line ran out like lightning.
"What's that, Hank?" asked Colin in a startled voice, pointing over to
the water just below the little calf, which had been hauled in by hand
alongside the ship.
"Killers, by all that's holy!" ejaculated the whaler. "They'll get every
blessed whale we've landed to-day. Did you ever see such luck!"
"What are they after?" asked Colin, "the calf whale?"
"Yes, or any other of 'em. See, the mother has smelt 'em and knows
they mean harm for the baby."
It was growing dark and Colin leaned over the rail to see. Suddenly up
from the deep, with a rush as of a pack of maddened hounds, ten or a