Finback Whale being struck with the Harpoon; the instant of discharge.
A remarkable photograph, scores of plates having been used in the effort to catch the exact moment. Note the wadding in the air, the smoke, the head of the harpoon, and the slick on the water as the whale sounded.
Photograph by permission of Mr. Roy C. Andrews.
"Fifty fathom!" cried Scotty, as the line flew out.
"Sixty!" he called a moment later, and then, immediately after,
"Seventy—and holding!"
As the pressure of the brake on the line tightened, the boat began to tear through the water, still requiring the paying out of the rope. For an instant it slackened and the winch reeled in a little line. There was a sudden jerk and then the line fell slack. Working like demons, the men made the winch handles fairly fly as the line came in, and within another minute the whale spouted, blowing strongly and sounding again. He sulked at the bottom for over twenty minutes, coming up suddenly quite near the boat. Scotty had lost no time, and not more than thirty-five fathom of line was out when the monster rose.
"He's a big un, Hank!" called Scotty. "Want the other line?"
"Got it!" was the brief reply, and Colin saw that the harpoon-gun had been reloaded.
"Sounding again!" called Scotty as the rope fell slack.