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Sending two thick spouts of frothy water out of his blow-holes forty feet into the air with tremendous noise, he fell flat upon the sea with a clap like thunder, tossed his flukes, or tail, high into the air, and disappeared. I was so amazed at this sight that I could not speak. I could only stare at the place where the huge monster had gone down. "Stand by to lower," shouted the captain.
Then, all suddenly reversed themselves, and, elevating their broad flukes in the air, commenced to beat them slowly and rhythmically upon the water, like so many machines. Being almost a perfect calm, every movement of the great mammals could be plainly seen; some of them even passed so near to us that we could see how the lower jaw hung down, while the animal was swimming in a normal position.
"He pays reg'lar," was the rejoinder. "But come, it's getting dreadful late, you had better be turning flukes it's a nice bed: Sal and me slept in that ere bed the night we were spliced. There's plenty of room for two to kick about in that bed; it's an almighty big bed that. Why, afore we give it up, Sal used to put our Sam and little Johnny in the foot of it.
As for the ends of the flukes, have them soused, cook. There, now ye may go." But Fleece had hardly got three paces off, when he was recalled. "Cook, give me cutlets for supper to-morrow night in the mid-watch. D'ye hear? away you sail, then. Halloa! stop! make a bow before you go. Avast heaving again! Whale-balls for breakfast don't forget." "Wish, by gor! whale eat him, 'stead of him eat whale.
The whale rose at no great distance from where it had gone down, and somewhat nearer the ship. The boats were quickly up to it, and before it had done spouting, two harpoons, with a deadly force, were shot into its side. The boats backed off speedily to return to strike into it a number of lances. The whale, feeling a sudden pain, lifted up its flukes and disappeared.
A very few minutes sufficed to bring the parties quite in a line with the flukes, Gardiner's boat coming up on the larboard or left-hand side of the animal, where its iron was fast, and Daggett's on the opposite, its line leading out of the jaws of the fish in that direction.
Then the town itself is full of hints and flavors of the sea. The gables and roofs of the houses facing eastward are covered with red rust, like the flukes of old anchors; a salty smell pervades the air, and dense gray fogs, the very breath of Ocean, periodically creep up into the quiet streets and envelop everything.
Moran took the wheel and Wilbur went forward to cast off the line by which the schooner had been tied up to one of the whale's flukes. "Cut it!" cried the girl. "Don't stop to cast off." There was a hail from the beach-combers; the port sweeps dipped and the junk bore up nearer. "Hurry!" shouted Moran, "don't mind them. Are we clear for'ard what's the trouble? Something's holding her."
All I can remember about flukes is that they're hard to eradicate." "Particularly H. hominis." "You can tell me about it later. Right now Mr. Alexander's over at Old your house. Probably he's looking for you." "Where's Jordan?" "He went up to Station Fourteen. We'll see him tomorrow." "I'll say good night then," Kennon said. "I'm glad you're here. It's a load off my shoulders. See you tomorrow."
We should get but little change out of one of those creatures if we interfered with it. Much more likely to have the boat capsized or sent by its flukes to the bottom." The doctor had now again recourse to his still to obtain a supply of water. One of the casks was always left full, in case of emergency, should bad weather come on, and it be impossible to keep the stove alight.
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