Every distant spouting whale was run down, only to find that it was a common whale.
At length even Stanhope began to lose courage.
“We ought to get a glimpse of his whaleship soon,” said Frank one day, after weeks of useless quest. “Is it not very strange?”
“Indeed, I think so,” said Stanhope. “Yet I believe the time is near.”
“You have good courage.”
“Which is my good fortune.”
“Indeed, that is so. An ordinary man would have given up the quest long ago.”
“I dare say.”
But one day Barney remarked:
“Sail ho!”