П’ятнадцятирічний капітан

           "Infact,Dick,"repliedCaptainHull,"thereisnolongeranydoubtpossible!Itisajubartewhichfloatsonthesurfaceoftheseredwaters."

           "That’sfine,"criedlittleJack.

           "Yes,myboy!andwhenwethinkthatthegreatbeastisthere,inprocessofbreakfasting,andlittlesuspectingthatthewhalersarewatchingit."

           "Iwoulddaretoaffirmthatitisajubarteofgreatsize,"observed

           DickSand.

           "Truly,"repliedCaptainHull,whowasgraduallybecomingmoreexcited.

           "Ithinkitisatleastseventyfeetlong!"

           "Good!"addedtheboatswain."Halfadozenwhalesofthatsizewouldsufficetofillashipaslargeasours!"

           "Yes,thatwouldbesufficient,"repliedCaptainHull,whomountedonthebowsprittoseebetter.

           "Andwiththisone,"addedtheboatswain,"weshouldtakeonboardinafewhoursthehalfofthetwohundredbarrelsofoilwhichwelack."

           "Yes!—truly—yes!"murmuredCaptainHull.

           "Thatistrue,"continuedDickSand;"butitissometimesahardmattertoattackthoseenormousjubartes!"

           "Veryhard,veryhard!"returnedCaptainHull."Thosebaloenoptershaveformidabletails,whichmustnotbeapproachedwithoutdistrust.Thestrongestpiroguewouldnotresistawell-givenblow.But,then,theprofitisworththetrouble!"

           "Bah!"saidoneofthesailors,"afinejubarteisallthesameafinecapture!"

           "Andprofitable!"repliedanother.

           "Itwouldbeapitynottosalutethisoneontheway!"

           Itwasevidentthatthesebravesailorsweregrowingexcitedinlookingatthewhale