Like its relative the leviathan, of fifty or sixty feet in length, which boasts of a mouth big enough to hold a jollyboat and crew, who would doubtless find their quarters exceedingly uncomfortable on account of the forest of whalebone hanging down from the roof, the white whale cannot keep under water long without coming up to breathe; but the one Johannes had so cleverly struck nearly carried out the whole of the line, which Steve watched darting out ring by ring over the bows, till, in spite of the riskiness of the proceeding, the second Norseman seized the end which lay outside the tub, and gave it a hitch round a block in the bows left for the purpose. "Be ready for a ride, Steve," said the captain, "if he does not pull us under before they can cut the rope; in that case be ready for a swim." "The first for preference," thought Steve; but neither event occurred, for the rope suddenly ceased running, and as Johannes armed himself with one of the great lances which lay along the thwarts, his companion rapidly hauled in the slack line and laid it in rings once more. Practice had made the man wonderfully perfect in this duty, and fathom after fathom was laid in, while the whale remained under so long that the captain shouted to Johannes: "Has the harpoon come out?" "I don't know yet, sir; I'm afraid so," was the reply. "These fish are so tender; they are often lost in this way." And all the time the second man kept on hauling in the line, and the others lay on their oars, for the rope came up straight out of the deep water. "Yes, sir, he has gone, I fear," said Johannes. "No!" cried the other, for the slack line suddenly tightened and was jerked out of his hand; then the water parted about a dozen yards from the boat, the head of the whale appeared, and then the whole of the creature, as it rose higher, curved right over, and descended head first again, its tail giving a peculiar wave in the air before it disappeared, while all had a glimpse of the harpoon shaft, which directly after was seen floating on the surface of the water. "Gone this time!" cried Steve in disappointed tones. "Yes, he has gone almost straight down." "And we have lost him?" "I hope not, sir," said Johannes, leaning over the side, as the boat glided on, and picking up the long shaft of the harpoon. "And you've lost the head of the harpoon, too." "Oh no, that's fast to the line," replied the man; "the shaft is meant to come out, so that it shall not be broken." "I did not understand that," muttered the boy, as the line that had been recovered now began to run out again as rapidly as before, hissing over the gunwale, and judging from the speed looking as if the last ring would soon be out and the whale dragging at the boat. The captain was evidently of the same opinion, for he spoke to Johannes, who was standing like a statue with his lance ready. "Will he snap the line, do you think?"