Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-11-09

subservient to her commands. Her ton
que was his scourge, the door crack his
pillory; and hungry stomach has pen
ance.
i When power meets no check, it is al
wavs sure to become absolute The
scepire was fairly rested FROM Biddy's
hand he grew more servi.e every day;
until at length his wife resolved to put
in execution project which she had long
nourished in her soft bosom. She pack
ed him off to sea. la vain he remon-
strated; in vain he fell OF his knees and
implored her to spare his Iife-assuring
her that he should not survive the first
month of the cruise. She was calIous to
his miseries. and Immediately went to a
ship owners office and procured him a
berth. He was gone from home three
years. and in that time he learned to
scrape topmast and perform the usual
drugery on board whale ship.
When he returned to his loving wife.
cheered by the prospect of spending his
future dups in peaceful security beneath
his homely donicile, the worthy dame
thus accosted him: $50 Nicodemus you
have got home. have heard arrange
story; they say you are afraid Of whale.
A pretty fellow. you to bring disgrace u
pom your family! | heard of your arri-
val at Old Town, and Immediately spoke
for newberh for you. The ship will
sail in a fortnight, and you may prepare
yourself for another voyage!'
Thus had his wife kept him moving for
the last fifteen years. AS fast as he re-
turned, he was shipped off again-and if
he showed the least repugnance at hay
ing his nose thus continually kept to the
srindstone, the crack Of the door was always
ready to receive it; and when thus pressa
ed by argument, great revolution was
sure TO take place in bis ideas. He cried
out 'peccovit' aud promised implicit ODE
dience. This was the man who acted
the shipkeeper on the present occasion
in the place of Ben.
Ben presented himself to Mr.. Swain,
and the latter cheerfulIy consented to
receive him into his boat in the place of
Biddey, who was never known to be very
fierce after whale AS Mr.. Swain
put off from the ship. he started upon
seeing Hussey already half way to the
whale. heavng on the after oar, and vo-
ciferating like a mailman.
Hussey urged on his oarsmen with
/ quick and sudden shouts, and acted in
every instance, SO different from his usu-
al manner, that his boats crew looked at
him with undissuised astonislment.-
Hussey had always appeared eager when
III pursuit OF whales; but at this tins
there was reckiessness and frenzy in
his manner for which they could not ac-
count. He ran the boat directly on the
whale before he spike to Coffin, and
when he did speak, he cried in loud
and harsh voice, Come aft here, you COT.
fin; sliver you! come aft But Coffin
did not move quick enough for him; and
! sprlnging into the head he caught up the
boat and after throwing him
headlong into the stern, seized the irons
and buried them up to the sockets in the
body OF the whale. The wounded ami
NAL gave one bound, and completely
cleared the wave, falling back with a
tremendous splash into the boiling sea
he then ran short distance to windward
and hove to, but used his jaws and flukes
in such tarritic manner, and continued
the exerton so long, That the boat could
no: approach him. At length, he lay
still upon the water. as if exhausted and
worn out by the violence of his motions.
BY this time Swain had come up, and
the star-board boat was not far behind.
The two officers commenced the onset
but before they got within dart of the
fish, he began to run again; he drew
Hussey's boat about two miles, directly
windward, and then hove to, and com
menced thrashng the waves with his
tlukes, and swapping his jaws with incon'
celvable fury. The three boats kept a
respectable distance, until he got quiet
again.
No sooner had he relaxed his exertion
than MIR. Hussey carried his boat up to
him, and darted his lance. He writhed
a little and sunk slowly under water but
emerged directly under SWANS boa
with expanded jaws. In moment the
!, boat was observed to be in the mouth o
the whale. his lower jaw towering over
one side, and his junk standing agains
the other.
Take care Mr.. SWAMI cried the cap
tain-but in vain. One loud crash, ant
one Scream of agony announced the ca
tastrophe. The whale sunk, and blood
human blood, crimsoled the wave!
First, Starbuck was seen bdffeting the
red billow. and struggling amid the pie
ces of the broken boat; then the bowman
came up, gasping for breath: aud after
the lapse of a few moments. Mr.. Swain
shot out of the water several feet, ant
then lay motionless on the water. the
blood oozng from his temples. The re-
main6er of the boats crew were nevel
seen more.
Hussev and the captain fastened t.
: the relief of the three survivors; but sud
; denly the whale presented himself be
t tween the boat and the sufferers. 'Pul
J Al 4.