Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-06-06

but for all that the skipper was immedi
ately informed of the circumstance, an
speedily joined them. Il was certain
something was floating on the water there
whatever it might be, but it lay to wind
ward. They must have drifted past it il
the night. and the second harpooner va
ordered off with boat to discover Wha
it was. Even if it were not the missing
boat-and it did not at all look like it
it might possibly be dead whale, and
would not only repay the trouble of look,
ing after it, but would surely putthem on
the trail of the missing men, as the FISH,
if struck, would at any rate have one oi
the ships harpoons or irons in it.
For nearly half an hour they pulled,
following the signals on board, without
distinguishing anything in their track, un-
til the harpooner who stood in the bows
suddenly fancied he noticed dark object
right in front, and only just above the
water. Before long be shouted, half tur-
ming to his men. and pointing in front:
"Pull away, my lads, pull away. By
heavens it's man on raft, or boat, or
something Of that sort. Pull away, for 1
fancy we are only just in time
Then uttering loud " Halloa - he
tried to arouse a responsive echo, but no
sound answered him, and the boat boun-
ed on its course toward the extraordinary
object.
"A man man p the men in the boat
cried, and the boats header, who was al
so standing up, shouted, "By heavens, If
that is not Patrick 90
" Patrick it is, replied the harpooner,
,'but where are the others %
But every other question died away in
renewed exclamationS of surprise, when
they came nearer, and not only recogni-
the fourth harpooner, the young 1rishman,
in the shipwrecked man, but also found
that lie was kneeling on a dead sperm
whale, which lay with its burden few
inches above the waters edge. His left
hand was twisted tightly in the lire Of the
harpoon, which alone kept him on his
slippery post, and with the other hand he
held the shaft. which he had cut away
froa the har2oon, SO tightly grasped, that
the would not even let 60 when the boat
shot up 20 him and every arm was stretch
ed out 10 help him in.
The poor fellow looked deadly pale,
and could not utter p single word-h5
eye WAS wildly fixed or his messmates as
ii he did not rccognize them he merely
rose mechanically 10 step into the boat,
but tainted away as soon as he felt the
firm p!anks under him. He lad lived
through fearful night and we must re-
turn 10 the period when be Quilted the
others with bis boat, in order to chase
the whale on his own account.
Pat, as he thought, very cleVerly steer
el away from the tract: Of the other three
boats, and followed Il sin ge sperm, which
WAS lazily brcasting the waves al some
distance from the res: 0! the shoal. They
rowed Justify on at about five hundred
yards in the rear OF the sperm, and gained
upon it rapidly, for the fish was. as yet,
Ignorant Of the danger that threatened
it. At the same time, the sperm swerved
more and more from It's former course
and went westward with the wind and
current. Patrick now set his sail, in or
der to get nearer to The fsh without any
unnecessary noise. Tic whale, however,
appeared to have scented the approach OF
danger, for it started Of at the top Of its
speed, SO that the boat even with the IA
vocabIe breeze. could gain 5ut l.ttle upon
it. Suddenly, just as they had got, with
great labor, within casting distance, the
sperm dived, and the boat shot over the
spot where the waves were still bubbling
over the sinking monster. ''SaiI in p the
harpooner quickly shouted-Jut the boat
glided on q llllle distance from the
mn etus it had received, and the boat
Steercr sto1d with upIiited lance, anxious.
ly awaiting The signal to cast. While tie
sail tapped wildly in the wind, and the
harpooner held the sheets firmly in his
hand, that they might rot lose moment
in pursuit, the rowers looked dowr into
the clear water beneath, with the hope
OF seeing the ish, and SO discovering the
direction it wGs about 10 swi i'm in.
"There's something swimming, said
one OF the hands in half>5uppressed and
anxious tone Of voice "i.'s coming ur
straight from below"
" Hush ]" said the harpooner-"gent.
iy--gently-or you'll startle bins
where 20
There he comes-there he comes !!
three or four shouted simultaneously, ant
grasped instinctively at their oars.
" Blackjack for your lives T. tht
harpoOner cried at this moment, who va
well aware Of the peri! to which they wer,
exposed if the colossus. in rising. meTeI,
grazed their boat. Almost at the SAM
instant the oars fell into the water, enc
The boat had scarcely shot its own lengtl
back when the gigantic rounded head Q
a powerful sperm fish. with its wide jaw
half open, rose to the surface, and thel
bounded forwards, as if to escape tn
strange object whose presence he was no5
aware of. In the bow of the boat, an,
close above the mountains OF blubber
which actually rose under his very feet
stood the boat-steerer with uplif:ed lance
bu: his arm trem0led, and. still With
reach Of The fearful foe, who could crus