Happily, there were two boats disengaged, so that they were able very promptly to rescue the sufferers from their perilous position in the boiling vortex of foam by which they were surrounded.  Meanwhile, the remaining boat had an easy task.  The shot delivered by the captain had taken deadly effect, the bomb having entered the creature’s side low down, directly abaft the pectoral fin.  It must have exploded within the cavity of the bowels, from its position, causing such extensive injuries as to make even that vast animal’s death but a matter of a few moments.  Therefore, we did not run any unnecessary risks, but hauled off to a safe distance and quietly watched the death-throes.  They were so brief, that in less than ten minutes from the time of the accident we were busy securing the line through the flukes of our prize.

The vessel was an unusually long time working up to us, so slow, in fact, that Mr Count remarked, critically, “Shouldn’t wonder if th’ ole man ain’t hurt; they’re taking things so all-fired easy.”  By the time she had reached us, we had a good few visitors around us from the fishing fleet, who caused us no little anxiety, The Chinese have no prejudices; they would just as soon steal a whale as a herring, if the conveyance could be effected without, more trouble or risk to their own yellow skins.  If it involved the killing of a few foreign devils—­well, so much to the good.  The ship, however, arrived before the fishermen had decided upon any active steps, and we got our catch alongside without any delay.  The truth of Mr. Count’s forecast was verified to the hilt, for we found that the captain was so badly bruised about the body that he was unable to move, while one of the hands, a Portuguese, was injured internally, and seemed very bad indeed.  Had any one told us that morning that we should be sorry to see Captain Slocum with sore bones, we should have scoffed at the notion, and some of us would probably have said that we should like to have the opportunity of making him smart.  But under the present circumstances, with some hundreds of perfectly ruthless wretches hovering around us, looking with longing eyes at the treasure we had alongside, we could not help remembering the courage and resource so often shown by the skipper, and wished with all our hearts that we could have the benefit of them now.  As soon as dinner was over, we all “turned to” with a will to get the whale cut in.  None of us required to be told that to lay all night with that whale alongside would be extremely unhealthy for us, great doubt existing as to whether any of us would see morning dawn again.  There was, too, just a possibility that when the carcass, stripped of its blubber, was cut adrift, those ravenous crowds would fasten upon it, and let us go in peace.