lone one on the deck of the “outward bound.”  Could the boy have had old Nep for a companion in his midnight watchings, he would have served to while away the time, but that pleasure was not allowed him, for Captain Jostler had threatened to throw the dog overboard, if he came in contact with him in any of his walks; consequently Harry had doomed him to a life in the hold, seldom venturing to visit him, except to carry the food which he had saved from his own short allowance; and he often wondered how the poor fellow could keep alive on such short rations, not knowing of the purloined bits which were bestowed upon him from Sampson’s commodious jacket-sleeve.

“There she blows! there she blows!” hailed the look-out from the mast-head, as a school of whales hove in sight, about three miles astern, one afternoon, when they had been four months on the whaling grounds.  It was the first discovery that had been made, they having been thus far unsuccessful.  All hands were immediately called up; every man was at his post, making ready for the coming scene of action; not as a man-of-war, in the charging of cannon, the priming of musketry, and the brandishing of swords, a battle between man and man, but the boats were lowered, the harpoons were got out, and everything was made ready for an encounter with the monster of the ocean.  Now was the time when the captain would exhibit his skill as a whaler; all depends on his management as to their success; he must be cool, and collected, working systematically; for not only does it require great skill and caution in the capturing of the whale, but there are many dangers attendant upon the encounter.

“There she blows!” No sooner did Captain Jostler hear the report, than it seemed as if he would go beside himself; every man was ready to do his duty, and had they possessed the right kind of commander, might have done well; but where there is no head, nothing is accomplished.  Everything was confusion; the captain, springing into the first boat, bade his men follow, leaving, beside Harry, but two worthless fellows, who hardly knew a skysail from a jib-sheet, in charge of the ship.  Harry kept his eye upon the boats for hours; he perceived they were evidently having a hard time of it.  Running aft to get a glass, as they distanced him, he discovered a fog had sprang up, and was shutting in heavily on all sides; he returned to mark the boats; they were nowhere to be seen; he had lost them entirely; nothing was to be seen on all sides but thick fog banks!  What was to be done? where they were, how far from the boats, and in what direction, they knew not.  The boy was aware that they were all ignorant of the management of the ship, and what was worse, should the least breeze spring up, they would be borne,—­they knew not whither.  A couple of hours passed, and the fog did not lift.  Night was coming on, and from the increased darkness, together with a low, rumbling noise of the sea, it was evident a storm was brewing.