The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-09-23

| moment as he passed the Dlnnacle-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 wheels" he shouted !;
send steady man to the WHEEL"
cay ay, sir!" answered deep, quiet
voice; GIVE got the wheel"
That was Chips, and l walked aft to be
near him. Just then long hail came
through the darkness and we saw the
flash of boats lantern on the lee-quarter
In minute more line was flung aboard
and we soon had one crew safe on deck.
1t was the mates boat.
Where are the others ~ was the first
question.
| Fast to the whale" was the answer
"and there are no lanterns on the boats
One of the men from the boat relieved
Chips at the wheel, and he went forward
to rig lanterns at the fore and main tops.
When this was done we stood together on
the fore-castle, looking and listening for
the boats. Suddenly he turned to me and
sal'' " ere going to lose some one tonight.
| While was at the wheel it seemed as if
something whispered in my ear that we
were going to lose one man tonight"
l said he was growing as superstitious
as old Kanaka Joe; and he answered:
IL can't help it. 1t did seem that l
heard that whisper, and so plain was it
that l 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 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"
Soon after, as the gale was moderating,
the line was taken in, passing through a
strong iron brace, screwed on to the star
board rail just forward of the gangway
amidships, from which it was taken back
and made fast to the windlass-bitts at the
foot of the mainmast. 1t was new line
of stout Manila hemp, and its strength was
put to Il fearful test. A hundred fathoms
cass; and, as the vessel rolled heavily to
the sea, the strain on the line was terrific
Standing forward of it, l laid my hand on
the line as the strain came, and felt it
stretch and contract like rope of india
rubber.
Mr. Joseph's boat had come alongside,
and the Captain, standing on the star
board rail, was shouting to him through a
trumpet The line from the whale, pass
| ing from astern to the brace forward, and
back to the bits amidships, made an acute
angle, inside which the Captain was
standing l saw and noted this as | passed
forward, and | noticed also in the dark a
tall man, who seemed to be leaning against
the line. 81 hope he's forward of it," l
said to myself, as I went on with what
was about.
l had not taken six steps from the spot
when l knew that something strange had
occurred. The ship steadied, as if the
wind had ceased. heard no sound great
er than the storm; but instead l seemed
to hear stiffness. / ran amidships and
grasped for the line. 1t was gone! A
rush to the rail, and all was clear. The
strain had torn out the brace. The mighty
pull of the whale astern had jerked the
line straight, like the cord of gigantic
bow, and the Captain, who had been
standing on the rail, had been struck by
the flying rope and thrown senseless faI
into the sea.
All this had been seen by the men in
the boat before anyone on board had real
lied the affair. In less than a minute
the cry of "Savedn' reached us from Mr.
Joseph; and, in shorter time than can be
imagined by landsman, the boat was
hanging at the davits and the injured
commander was being cared for in the
cabin.
Hard rubbing and rum are the patent
remedies on a whaler; and by dint of these
the Captain opened his eyes in quarter
of an hour He had been stunned, but
not seriously injured.
He was amazed at first seeing the mate
and myself standing over him with the
rum bottle. But without word he real
lied the situation.
Chow is the weather." he asked.
"The wind has gone down." said Mr.
Joseph. "We're under foresail, jib and
reefed topsails, and running right away
from the whale"
"Gone?" said the old man.
"Gone," answered Mr.. Joseph, ruefully
"Stanchion dragged, and the line parted
and eight thousand dollars went withou
an owner.
"Tell Chips to see to that broken rail,
said the Captain, closing his eyes drowsily
"Ay, ay, sir" said the second-mate as h,
stamped on deck.
heard him stop at the after-hatch
where the boatsteerers and carpenter lived
and call "Chips" two or three times. A
last there was an answer, in another voice
not Chips; then round of hurried
feet on deck, shout down the forecastle
and shout back in answer. There wa!
no Chips there.
Two minutes after heavy foot came
aft to the cabin-stairs, and Mr.. Joseph
with a white faee, entered.
knew what he had to tell. l knew
now-just as if I had seen all-who til,
man was whom had seen leaning agains
the line.
The Captain looked at the second mate
"Chips is gone, sir" said the ole
sailor, with tremor in his rough voice
"Chips was knocked over the by-line, an(
we've gone four knots since it parted
I've put her about, and we're running
down again"
There was dead silence. We all knew
the search was hopeless. No man coult
swim in such sea; and we had a thought
though no one spoke it, that brave, strong
Chips had been killed by the line befor'
ne struck the water.
All night we beat about the place wher'
we thought it had occurred. The wint
and sea fell, and the moon came out il
great beauty to help our sad search
Every man on board staid on deck till tn
sun rose, and then we looked far and vain
ly over the needless swell of the unbrokel
sea- Chips was dead. The rough Portu
guese lads found it hard to believe tina
the kind heart and strong hand of thei