The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-09-24
3.

| OA u A1L Os
breeze grew stronger every minute, and
before the first boat neared the whale
was whistiing through the rigging in the
wild way that tells of coming gale
The captain regretted the lowering Of
the boats, and coon signalled them to re-
turn. But the men were excited, and re-
fused to see the signals Filled to the
gunwale, the seas lashing over them ev-
cry moment, on they went where only a
thing so nearly perfect as a whale boat
could keep afoat. As the first boat
SWING round to run down to windward
on the whale the red sun stood fairly on
a black field of ocean.
Talk about the bravery of soldiers in
battle, or of men ashore in any enter
prise you please, what is it to the brave
ry of such deed as this A thousand
miles from land, six men in twenty six
foot shell, cody going down in stormy
sea to do battle with the mightest Great
ed animal 1t is the extreme of human
GOODNESS and courage, because it is the
extreme of danger. The soldier faces
one peril-the bullet. The whaleman,
in such case as this, has three mighty
enemies to ight-the sea the gale, and
the whale.
We saw the harpooner Of each boat
stand up as they came within hearing
distance and send in his two irons. All
the boats were fast before the monster
seemed to feel the first blow. Then
came the fight-the cruel and unnatural
fight between vast power and cunning
skill The black water was churned
white as the fukes struck out in rage
and agony. The sun disappeared; and
the gale screamed wilder in the rigging.
We eonld no longer see the boats from
the ship. The few men on board clew-
ed up the light sails and took a reef in
the topsails, and by this time the night
was as dark as pitch and the gale had
whipped and howled itself into a hurri-
cane.
1t was fearful to think of the four
small boats in such a sea as was then
running We on the ship had to cling
to the rail or the rigging; the terrific
strength of the waves swept the heavy
vessel about like cork. ] saw the
captains face a moment as he passed
the binnacle-lamp, and it was absolutely
deformed with grief and terror-not for
himself, brave old sailor but for his
boys in the boats.
"Who's at the wheel ?" he shouted;
''send steady man to the wheel"
cay, ay, sir" answered deep quiet
voice; "I've got the wheel"
That was Chips, and 7 walked aft to
be near him. Just then long hail came
through the darkness, and we saw the
fash of a boats lantern on the lee-quar-
ter. In minute more line was flung
aboard, and we soon had one crew safe
on deck It was the mates boat.
"Where are the others ?'' was the first
question.
east to the whale" was the ans
wer; and there are no lanterns on the
boats"
One of the men from the boat reliev-
ed Chips at the wheel, and he went for
ward to rig lanterns at the fore and main
tops When this was done we stood to-
ge ther on the fore-castle looking and
listening for the boats. Suddenly he
turned to me and said
"We are going to lose some one to-
seemed as if something whispered in
L.y ear that we we're going to lose one
man to night"
] said he was growing as suspersti-
tious as old Kanaka Joe; and he ans
wered:
"I can't help it. 1t did seem that I
heard that whisper, and so plain that ]
nearly dropped the wheel in terror"
Another shout from the sea cut off
further talk, and we soon had two more
boats at the davits. The absent one was
Mr.. Joseph's; and we knew that through
thick and thin he would hold on to the
whale. 1t was hours before we found
him; and when we did he refused to cut
his line from the carcass. The captain
cried to him that he could not hold the
whale in such a sea. But the old whale
man shouted back "He's hundred
an-ifty barreler; and if you don't take
the line aboard we'll stick to him in the
boat p
Soon after, as the gale was moderating
the line was taken in, passing through
strong iron brace, screwed on to the
starboard rail amidships, from which it
was taken back and made fast to the
windlass-bitts at the foot of the main
mast. 1t was a new line, of stout
Manila hemp, and its strength was put
to a fearful test. A hundred fathoms
astern of the ship it held the monster
carcass; and, as the vessel rolled heavily
to the sea, the strain on the line wds
terrific. Standing forward of it, laid
my hand on the line as the strain came,
and / felt it stretch and contract like a
rope of India ubber.
Mr.. Joseph's boat came alongside, and
the captain, standing on the star-board
rail, was shouting to him through a
trumpet. The line from the whale, pas
sing from astern to the brace forward,
and back to the bits amidships, made
an acute angle, inside which the captain
was standing. / saw and noted that as
passed forward, and l noticed also in
the dark, tall man, who seemed to be
leaning against the line. 81 hope he's
forward of it," l said to myself as went
on with what / was about.
! had not taken six steps from the
| spot when knew that something strange
had occurred. The ship steadied, as if
the wind had ceased. ! heard no sound
greater than the storm; but, instead,
seemed to hear a stiffness. / ran amid
ships and grasped for the line. 1t was
gone A rush to the rail, and all was