Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-10-20

ait 10 pc near MIN. Just tnen U
long hail came through the dark
ness, and we saw the flash of boats
lantern on the lee quarter. In, q
minute more line was flung aboard
and we soon had one crew safe OF
deck. 1t was the mates boat.
"Where are the others r. was the
first question.
EAST TO the whale" was the an
swer; "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
forecastle, looking and listening
for the boats. Suddenly he turn
ed to me and said:
"We're going to lose some one
tonight. While was at the wheel
it seemed as if something whisper
ed in my ear that we were going
to lose one man tonight"
l said he was growing as super
stitious as old Kanka Joe; and he
answered:
81 can't help it. 1t did seem
that I 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 soon we 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.
It 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 whaleman shouted
back:
"He's hundred-an-fifty DARRELL
FER; an if you don't take the line
on board we'll stick to him in the
boat -
Soon after, as the gale was mod
Grating, the line was taken in, pass
ing through o strong iron brace,
screwed on to the starboard rail
just forward of the gangway amid
ships, from which it was taken
back and made fast to the windlass
bits at the foot of the mainmast.
1t was a new line, of stout Manila
hemp, and its strength was put to
fearful test. A hundred fathoms
astern of the ship it held that mon
ster carcass; and as the vessel
rolled heavily to the sea, the strain
on the rope was terrific. Standing
forward of it, laid my hand on
the line as the strain came, and felt
it stretch and contract like q rope
Of India-rubber.
Mr.. Joseph's boat came along
side, and the Captain, standing on
the starboard rail, was shouting to
him through trumpet. The line
from the whale, passing from as
tern to the brace forward, and back
to the bits amidships, made an
accute angle, inside of which the
captain was standing. l saw and
noted this as l passed forward, and
noticed also, in the dark, tall
man who seemed to be leaning
against the line. llr
II hope he's forward of it," I
said to myself, as went on with
what l was about.
had not taken six steps from
the, spot when / knew something
strange had occurred. The ship
steadied as if the wind had ceased.
heard no sound greater than the
storm, but instead l seemed to hear
a stiffness. ran amidships and
grasped 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 a gigantic bow, and the
captain who had been standing on
rail, had been struck by the flying
rope and thrown senseless far into
the sea- rala
All this had been seen by the men
in the boat before any one on board
had realized the affair. In less
than minute the cry of "saved p
reached us from Mr.. Joseph; and,
in shorter time than can be imag-
ined by landsman, the boat was
hanging at the davit, and the in