Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-11-10

thus engaged air began to be felt, COM
ing from the north.
It seemed a favorable omen. We sci
the sail to take advantage of it, and ouT
boat gathering headway was soon cIeav-
ing the sea to the southwark.
''NO use Of tagging ourselves at the
oars" remarked Mr.. Ransom; we are
likely to be running away from the ship
towards one. If the breeze continues
to freshen from this quarter, which !
think it soon will, the fog must lift"
His prediction was correct; within an
hour the mist became thinned, then rose
up like a scroll, and rolled away before
the breeze that had freshed and was now
blowing upon us, raw and chill as it
came from the colder latitudes.
With a thrill of gratitude we saw the
fog disappear, aud then rising erect and
standing with neck outstretched, we
strained our eyes to sweep the horizon
around us. Nothing in sight.
'Look sharp" was the order given.
There was no need to give it. Every
man was looking sharp, as if for very
IifeE
No other words were spoken; we gaz-
ed into each others faces and the bar
ometers of our hopes fell rapidly down,
down to the lowest gradation on the
scale. We were alone on the expanse
of ocean, and the wind was increasing,
as we all knew too well, to a gale.
"Areef in the sail, Easton,' command
ed our officer. Let us take turns at the
steering oar. We must run for it. The
Fox Islands are ahead of us at any rate
DIr. Ransom tried tosay this cheerfully.
The very effort showed how faint was
this last forIorn hope, and how slight
was the prospect of our reaching land in
safety.
With all our sail reefed down to a rag,
we rolled off before the fast following
sea; while all angry sky lowered above
US, and the norther' blew cold and mer-
ciIessly upon our backs.
The horizon now kept clear: uthom
after hour passed by, and no sail or any
other object broke the level line separat-
ing sea from sky.
Easton stood upon the clumsy sheet,
steadying himself by the warp in his
hand thus commanding thc largest pos
sible range.
'T'm afeerd," he soIiloquizcd loud
enough to be heard, that we must be to
the southland of all the ships. We've
run all Of fifty miles since this morning,
and should be well of the cruising
ground by this time. See! yonder's
something floating of the port bow
he suddenly exclaimed. Luf Il little
Mr.. Ransom! Luff quick You see it
sir? ItIooks like a drug"
At this he sprang nimbly down, anC
bent his body over the bows. The boat;
course was quickly altered, and in {
moment after he and the bowman were
Jointly endeavoring to lift something
into the boat, which sure enough was {
drug
To the surprise Of both their efforts
met with an unexpected resistance.
'"There's a line fast to that-a sunkc1
whale1 shouted Ransom, letting fly the
sheet, so that the boats head flew rap.
idly up into the winds eye. Under rur
the line and bring into the shocks. Roll
up that sail, you 1IanoeI? Quick! the
wind is plying on fast and heavily, but
if we can hold fast to this line, it may
be our salvation.
In a few minutes we had gathered in
the line, and were riding short up and
down-anchored, as it were, to the sunk
en- whale.
We now 'vecrcd and hauled to ease
the strain; while another line was bent
as low down as possible, for a prevent
err Then every precaution was taken
against its chatting.
''It's safer to ride here head 10 sea,
than to undertake to run on through the
night" suggested the young officer
It's going to be blow, and Wen have
it mountain high before morning. Ex-
anime the drug, Easton, and see If
there's any ship mark on it,.
''There is sir" replied Easton, turn
ing it over, and showing some letters
burnt deeply into the side of the wood.
They were, "Pio LC ROucn.u
Plus the Nith'-French Whaler, -
muttered the second mate. 'T knew
she was on this ground somewhere"
On saying this, hepulIed out 4 Goldfish
line, which happened to have been left
under the stern sheets after being used
two or three days before-for Bristol
Bay affords 4 fishing ground as mex
haustibIe as the banks of Newfound-
land.
Throwing the lead overheard, he let
the line run to the bottom.
"FOrty-seven fathoms," he said look
ing at his marks. GA good depth for
goldfish. Not so deep but that the whale
might be saved, if a ship had good hold
Of him in moderate weather. Well, we
must lay by him tonight, and trust to
Providence for safety.
We made our supper, if such it could
be called, on hard-tack and water;
while the gale piped on harder and har-
Ter, and our situation grew every hour
more unsafe. The angry swell, raised
by the blowing over Il shallow sea, toss
ed our little craft about like an egg
she'll, now and then coming in over the
BOWS, so as to keep us baIing for dear
life. While the icy blast, coming direct
rom the polar sea, and striking against
our drenched bodies, chilled us to the
very marrow.
But we hung on our strange anchor
lge, as an ark ofsafety; while the shades
of night came down and closed over us
igain, with no abatement of the storm,
md no object in sight save the wild sea
aging angrily around us.
In vain we gazed dimly through the
'pray at each successive rise Of our boat
Ipon the crest of the sweeping wave
The apathy of despair had settled down
lpon us rs the darkness upon thc deep
All at once we were reused to fresh
iGc by an exclamation from Eastou-
"Our lines Stacked up" said he, 'uud
we are drifting to the lcewmdl The
i'm c's parted, else we've drawn the
IRON
"God help us if We bayc," answered