OLDTOMTHEKILLERWHALE

　　Iwas16whenIbeganworkinJune1902atthewhalingstation.Ihadheardofthekillersthateveryyearhelpedthewhalerscatchthehugewhales.Ithought,atthetime,thatthiswasjustastorybutthenwitnesseditwithmyowneyesmanytimes.

　　Ontheafternoon,asIarrivedatthestation,asIwassortingoutmyaccommodation,Iheardahugenoisecomingfromthebay.Werandowntotheshoreintimetoseeanenormousanimalthrowingitselfoutofthewaterandthencrashingdownagain.

　　Itwasblackandwhiteandfish-shaped.ButIknewitwasn'tafish.

　　"That'soldTom,thekiller,"oneofthewhalers,George,calledouttome."He'stellingusthere'sawhaleoutthereforus."

　　Anotherwhaleryelledout,"Rush-oo...rush-oo".Thiswasthecallthatannouncedtherewasabouttobeawhalehunt.

　　"Comeon,Clancy.Totheboat,"Georgesaidasheranaheadofme.IhadalreadyheardthatGeorgedidn'tlikebeingkeptwaiting,soeventhoughIdidn'thavetherightclotheson,Igrabbedmybootsandracedafterhim.

　　Wejumpedintotheboatwiththeotherwhalersandheadedoutintothebay.IlookeddownintothewaterandcouldseeOldTomswimmingbytheboat,showingustheway.Afewminuteslater,therewasnoTom,soGeorgestartedbeatingthewaterwithhisoarandtherewasTom,circlingbacktotheboat,leadingustothehuntagain.

　　Inthedistancewecouldseethatsomethingwashappening.Aswedrewcloser,Icouldseeawhalerbeingattackedbyapackofaboutsixotherkillers.

　　“What’retheydoing?”IaskedGeorge.

　　“Well,they’reworkingasateam—thekillersovertherearethrowingthemselvesontopofthewhale’sblow-holetostopitbreathing.Andthoseothersarestoppingitfleeingouttosea,”Georgetoldme,pointingtowardsthehunt.Andjustatthatmoment,themostextraordinarythinghappened.Thekillersstartedracingbetweenourboatandthewhalejustlikeapackofexciteddogs.

　　Thentheharpoonwasreadyandthemaninthebowoftheboataimeditatthewhale.Heletitgoandtheharpoonhitthespot.Beingbadlywounded,thewhalesoondied.Withinamomentortwo,itsbodywasdraggedbythekillersdownintothedepthsofthesea.Themenstartedturningtheboataroundtogohome.

　　“What’shappened?”Iasked.“Havewelostthewhale?”

　　“Oh,no,”Jackreplied.“We’llreturntomorrowtobringinthebody.Itwon’tfloatuptothesurfaceforaround24hours.”

　　“Inthemeantime,OldTom,andtheothersarehavingagoodfeedonitslipsandtongue,”addedRed,laughing.

　　AlthoughOldTomandtheotherkillerswerefiercehunters,theyneverharmedorattackedpeople.Infact,theyprotectthem.TherewasonedaywhenwewereoutinthebayduringahuntandJameswaswashedoffboat.

　　“Manoverboard!Turntheboataround!”Georgeshouted.

　　Theseawasroughthatdayanditwasdifficulttohandletheboat.ThewaveswerecarryingJamesfurtherandfurtherawayfromus.FromJames’sface,Icouldseehewasterrifiedofbeingabandonedbyus.ThensuddenlyIsawashark.

　　“Look,there’sasharkoutthere,”Iscreamed.

　　“Don’tworry,OldTomwon’tletitnear,”Redreplied.

　　IttookoverhalfanhourtogettheboatbacktoJames,andwhenweapproachedhim,IsawJamesbeingheldupinwaterbyOldTom.Icouldn’tbelievemyeyes.

　　Therewereshoutsof“Welldone,OldTom”and“ThankGod”aswepulledJamesbackintotheboa