When I recovered, I was snug in my bunk aboard, but aching in every joint, and as sore as if I had been pounded with a club until I was bruised all over.  During the day Mr. Count was kind enough to pay me a visit.  With his usual luck, he had escaped without the slightest injury; neither was any other member of the boat’s crew the worse for the ducking but myself.  He told me that the whale was one of the largest he had ever seen, and as fat as butter.  The boat was an entire loss, so completely smashed to pieces that nothing of her or her gear had been recovered.  After spending about a quarter of an hour with me, he left me considerably cheered up, promising to look after me in the way of food, and also to send me some books.  He told me that I need not worry myself about my inability to be at work, because the old man was not unfavourably disposed towards me, which piece of news gave me a great deal of comfort.

When my poor, weary shipmates came below from their heavy toil of cutting in, they were almost inclined to be envious of my comfort—­small blame to them—­though I would gladly have taken my place among them again, could I have got rid of my hurts.  But I was condemned to lie there for nearly three weeks before I was able to get about once more.  In my sleep I would undergo the horrible anticipation of sliding down that awful, cavernous mouth over again, often waking with a shriek and drenched with sweat.

While I lay there, three whales were caught, all small cows, and I was informed that the skipper was getting quite disgusted with the luck.  At last I managed to get on deck, quite a different-looking man to when I went below, and feeling about ten years older.  I found the same sullen quiet reigning that I had noticed several times before when we were unfortunate.  I fancied that the skipper looked more morose and savage than ever, though of me, to my great relief, he took not the slightest notice.

The third day after my return to duty we sighted whales again.  We lowered three boats as promptly as usual; but when within about half a mile of the “pod” some slight noise in one of the boats gallied them, and away they went in the wind’s eye, it blowing a stiffish breeze at the time, It was from the first evidently a hopeless task to chase them, but we persevered until recalled to the ship, dead beat with fatigue.  I was not sorry, for my recent adventure seemed to have made quite a coward of me, so much so that an unpleasant gnawing at the pit of my stomach as we neared them almost made me sick.  I earnestly hoped that so inconvenient a feeling would speedily leave me, or I should be but a poor creature in a boat.