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Chapter 6. At Full Steam

           Thenarwhalseemedmotionless;perhaps,tiredwithitsday’swork,itslept,lettingitselffloatwiththeundulationofthewaves.Nowwasachanceofwhichthecaptainresolvedtotakeadvantage.

           Hegavehisorders.TheAbrahamLincolnkeptuphalfsteam,andadvancedcautiouslysoasnottoawakeitsadversary.Itisnorarethingtomeetinthemiddleoftheoceanwhalessosoundasleepthattheycanbesuccessfullyattacked,andNedLandhadharpoonedmorethanoneduringitssleep.TheCanadianwenttotakehisplaceagainunderthebowsprit.

           Thefrigateapproachednoiselessly,stoppedattwocables’lengthsfromtheanimal,andfollowingitstrack.Noonebreathed;adeepsilencereignedonthebridge.Wewerenotahundredfeetfromtheburningfocus,thelightofwhichincreasedanddazzledoureyes.

           Atthismoment,leaningontheforecastlebulwark,IsawbelowmeNedLandgrapplingthemartingaleinonehand,brandishinghisterribleharpoonintheother,scarcelytwentyfeetfromthemotionlessanimal.Suddenlyhisarmstraightened,andtheharpoonwasthrown;Iheardthesonorousstrokeoftheweapon,whichseemedtohavestruckahardbody.Theelectriclightwentoutsuddenly,andtwoenormouswaterspoutsbrokeoverthebridgeofthefrigate,rushinglikeatorrentfromstemtostern,overthrowingmen,andbreakingthelashingsofthespars.Afearfulshockfollowed,and,thrownovertherailwithouthavingtimetostopmyself,Ifellintothesea.

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