Besides all these, we encountered Killers and Thrashers, by far the
most spirited and "spunky" of the finny tribes. Though little larger
than a porpoise, a band of them think nothing of assailing leviathan
himself. They bait the monster, as dogs a bull. The Killers seizing
the Right whale by his immense, sulky lower lip, and the Thrashers
fastening on to his back, and beating him with their sinewy tails.
Often they come off conquerors, worrying the enemy to death. Though,
sooth to say, if leviathan gets but one sweep al them with his terrible
tail, they go flying into the air, as if tossed from Taurus' horn.

This sight we beheld. Had old Wouvermans, who once painted a bull
bait, been along with us, a rare chance, that, for his pencil. And
Gudin or Isabey might have thrown the blue rolling sea into the
picture. Lastly, one of Claude's setting summer suns would have
glorified the whole. Oh, believe me, God's creatures fighting, fin
for fin, a thousand miles from land, and with the round horizon for
an arena; is no ignoble subject for a masterpiece.

Such are a few of the sights of the great South Sea. But there is no
telling all. The Pacific is populous as China.



CHAPTER XIV
Jarl's Misgivings


About this time an event took place. My good Viking opened his mouth,
and spoke. The prodigy occurred, as, jacknife in hand, he was bending