Page:Songs, Legends, and Ballads.djvu/279

But even the strength of an Amber Whale must break before human will.
By little and little his power had failed as he spouted his blood away,
Till at midnight the rising moon shone down on the great fish as he lay
Just moving his flukes; but at length he stopped, and raising his square, black head
As high as the topmast cross-trees, swung round and fell over—dead!

"And then rose a shout of triumph,—a shout that was more like a curse
Than an honest cheer; but, shipmates, the thought in our hearts was worse.
And 'twas punished with bitter suffering. We claimed the whale as our own.
And said that the crew should have no share of the wealth that was ours alone.
We said to each other: We want their help till we get the whale aboard,
So we'll let 'em think that they'll have a share till we get the Amber stored,