Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-02-09

Zadlk, following him, sprung like a
deer into the starboard boat.
CLOVER away p' growled the Captain
BUZZ! buz! buz-z-zl sounded the
falls, and swash went the four boats,
almost simultaneously into the water.
The merry dogs bundled into them,
and away they flew, the Captains taking
the lead
"Snap your oars, We grifins Make
the fire fly, my bull dogs! Long and
strong's the word Break your backs
every mothers son of ye!" gritted the
old fellow through his teeth.
In similar manner the other officers
encouraged their crews, until they had
proceeded about four miles, when orders
were siven to stop pulling.
"None of your daredevil pranks,
Tom, if you get alongside whale" said
the skipper to his son-a lad of fifteen,
| who belonged t. the after r-thwart in the
first mates boat. 1855.
Tom-tbe ships favorite--smiled and
shook bis curly head. At the same mo-
went the water broke into whirlpool a
few fathoms astern.
There was hurried whispering; then
the boats were forced round as very
small whae-a calf-rose to the surface.
We perceived at once that the creature
bad been struck by some other crew for
the shank of an iron protruded from its
body. 1t seemed very weak and in much
pain, moving slowly and now and then
reeling sideways with a sudden plunge.
1t swan in a circle as if bewildered,
and the noise of its spouting somehow
reminded me of the wailing of child.
paddle ahead p was the order for
every man believed that the mother of
the calf-the COW whale-was not far
off
The first mate was soon within dart
ing distance. ..-...
"Give it to him !" he shrieked, and
whiz whiz went the harpooners irons
one after the other, into the animals
body. For a few moments the little
whale, as if half stupefed, remained
nearly motionless; then, preaching, it
came down, writhing and whirling its
fukes in great agony, after which it
sounded. 1t was too weak to drag the
boat very fast or very far; it soon rose
about fifty yards ahead.
"Haul line !" ordered the mate, now
in the boats bow, lance in hand.
As he spoke the water on one side of
the calf suddenly parted with aroar like
a cataract, and an enormous leviathan-
the COW whale-boomed up from the
surface, beating the sea with her fukes
and spouting thunder.
Round and round her offspring she
swan, but soon paused, as if half paral-
yzed with astonishment and grief at the
situation of the sufferer A moment she
remained thus, then moved ahead slowly
and gently, occasionally turning, as if to
entice the little creature to follow In
fact the calf endeavored to do so, but
was too badly crippled to swim it made
a few feeble plunges toward its parent,
and then began to writhe and wheel in
great agony. Perceiving that it was now
in its furry, the mate stopped hauling
line, and remained watching the animal
until its blood dred spout no longer rose,
and it rolled over quite dead.
Now the behavior of its mother was
pitiful to witness. She seemed unwilling
to believe that her young one was really
dead. Round it she slowly swan, spout
ing with noise something between
shrek and gasp Then she moved
ahead as before, and like one half
crazed, seemed not yet to have abandon
cd the hope of being followed by her
offspring.
Meanwhile her enemies were rapidly
but stealthily advancing. Soon the Cap
tain who was foremost was near enough
to dart.
"Let her have it p' he growled. Ia
dix raised his harpoon at the same mo-
meut the COW gently rubbed its great
head against the little whale, as if to as
certain the reason why it would not fol-
low her.
zadik lowered the point of his weap-
on; his wild eyes softened.
''That whales just like a human
mother, Captain, and l haven t the heart
to strike it!'' he said.
"Dog!' hissed Boom, "what ails ye?
Dart DART | tell YEP
AS he spoke sudden change came
over the whale, which now, half turning
saw the boat. Wrathful and wild for
revenge, she preached, the whole length
of her enormous body out of water;
then falling back with the din of hun
dred thunder bolts, she made straight
for the boat, her bristling jaw wide open
her broad fukes beating the sea !!
"Starn ! starn !'' gritted old Boom,
and every man of his crew except Zadik
turned pale.
The harpooner had changed with the
leviathan. The flush of fight was now
on his cheek, and there was fire in bis
eye. His dark brow was wrinkled the
ends of his straight black bair bristled
like spear points. He motioued to the
Captain to keep off a little, and, being
obeyed, sent both irons whizzing into
the side of the monsters hump.
Maddened with pain, fercer than ev-
er, the whale made swift dash toward
the boat, which she must have grappled
had not the Captain, by dextrous
movement, whirled the light vessel to
one side Tins baffled. the monster