When the bomb had been filled with powder and the fuse string adjusted, the Engineer started the winch and the line was reeled slowly in. The animal resisted in a half-hearted way at first, but soon gave up and was drawn close to the ship. I stood just back of the harpoon platform, with camera focused, waiting to see Sorenson whirl the gun about for the second shot, but instead of doing so he called for the lance and made ready to kill the whale from the bow.
Leaning far out over the side, the Gunner watched his opportunity and plunged the slender rod of steel deep into the lungs, stabbing again and again with all his strength. The animal gave a hoarse, coughing blow and tried to dive, the blood welling in great red bubbles from his spout holes. It was a pitiful sight as the poor brute fought gamely for life with the odds all against him, and I turned away with a sigh of relief when he rolled over and sank to the bottom.
While the whale was being lifted to the surface and inflated, I breakfasted with the Captain in the little galley, doing justice to Billy’s excellent porridge and coffee. In half an hour we went to the bridge to relieve the mate, and found the vessel headed to the eastward where a number of spouts were just visible far over toward the shore. With the glasses we could see that they were finbacks, and the thin columns of vapor shooting up every few seconds indicated that the animals must be feeding.
The success of the morning and the prospects of a good day’s hunting had put every man on board in the best of humor. Captain Grahame paced back and forth beside me, telling of his experiences while cruising in Australian waters and describing wild nights at sea as only a deep-water sailor can, meanwhile watching the whales ahead.
In half an hour we were near them, and the vessel was swung toward two finbacks which were separated from the rest of the school and were swimming side by side. As they dived we could see that one was very small, a calf; the larger was probably its mother.
The engines were at dead slow and the little steamer slipped quietly through the water in a long circle about the “slick” where the whales went down. In a low voice Captain Grahame called to the Gunner, telling him to shoot the big one first, and at almost the same instant I saw the telltale patch of smooth water just in front of the bow.
“Sorenson hesitated, swung the gun a little to one side and fired. The great cloud of smoke blown backward in our faces shut out the water ahead, but in a few moments it lifted and I was surprised to see the whale lying on its side at the surface, apparently dead.”
Bringing in a finback. The harpoon rope is being cut from the iron in the whale.