Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1876-04-15
A True Story Of Peril,

DRUID, we lOWeTeu one aICernOOn IN
chase of q school of "siXty barrel
bulls" on what was known to the ini-
tiated as the middle Ground, "between
Australia and New Zealand. We made
fast to one of the whales, a lively fell
low, who ran us some thing of dance
before we succeeded in giving him his
death wound.
But, all this time, our steed had
been running us to leeward, and mean
while the captain had struck another,
and the ship kept her luff, so as tc
support the windward boats. The
second mate also kept near the cap
tain, and when our whale went in his
"furry," which was not until nearly
sundown, we could make out from the
maneuvres of the ship that the boats
were to windward of her. At such q
distance from us, they were invisible,
owing to our low position on the sur
face Of the sea; but those on board
the Druid, one of whom remained
constantly at the masthead, had the
run of us all, at least so long as day
light continued.
The sun was just dipping, when
we got hole cut in our whales nib
end, and strap rove for towing. A
dark cloud-bank was settling down in
the weather horizon, out Of which q
a strong wind might be expected at
short notice. An attempt, with sin
gle boat, to tow the whale to wind
ward, would be sheer folly; there was
nothing for us to do but to either give
up our prize or to wait the movements
of the ship. We saw her stand on I'M
til hull down, then tack, and soon af-
ter laul the courses up, and swing
the head-yards aback, u signal that
she was about taking the captain s
whale alongside. Some hands were
aloft at the same time, securing the
light sails, and the topsails were al
lowed to run down on the cap.
The mate locke! anyipusly at the
ship, and ut the threatening aspect of
the weathrr; tnen a5 tho siaty-bggr2I
bull, the prize We had fought 50 uaul
to win, and seemed uu3b.a, fyrat ne.
to make up his mind what course to
pursue.
"What do you think of it, H~nrs?"
said he, at last, to his boatsteeHer
with the manner Of one who wishes
to divide his responsibilities wilh
counsellors.
Beers was veteran whaler of Afri-
can descent and bottle-green COM
plexion, old enough to have been the
father Of his superior officer.
well, dino sir, it looks kind O.
jubrious to hang on here. The ship
won't run off the wind, till she gets
that whale fluked; and 1 don't know
as she will then. And there'l be
q change Of weather within an hour"
"And it'll be dark in less than an
hour" added the mate. eff there
was a prospect for fair weather, I
wouldn't care for the darkness, be-
cause we could keep the run of each
others lights, but as it isl think we'd
better waif the whale, and get to the
ship while we have daylight"
A hole was cut in the body of the
whale, and the "waif," "a flag at
tached to a slender spruce staff-in-
serted; our line was cast off from the
towing strap, and the order given to
pull ahead, the boats head being laid
to windward, on a bee-line for the
ship. then some four miles off.
II don't know what the old man
will think of our judgment, in leaving
the whale, muttered the mate, using
the word "our" as salvo, like most
people under similar circumstances !;
though he had acted for himself, eX-
cept so far as his Judgment had
been fortified by the hints Of old
Beers.
We were all glad enough, it must be
confessed, to abandon the whale and
consult our own safety. 1t was very
early in the voyage, and no similar
emergency had before occurred. We
had seen just enough of the captain to
feel that he was driver, where the
interest of the voyage was concerned.
Consequently the mate, a very young
officer, felt keen responsibility, and
an equally keen anxiety to learn how
his course would be judged.
1t was quite dark when we pulled
up under the lee of the Druid within
hail but the black squall still hung,
threatening, in the sky, and there had
been as yet no actual change in the
weather. The ship had her helm
ur, and was just in the act of paying
OF, while the signal-lantern was
sWaying and nickering at the mizzen
jtr...,.
"G0a- ahoy!" roaTed the captain,
SHARPLY, as soon as he perceived our
approach. "Who is there, Mr.. An.
urews:"
GAY, ay, sir''
"Wnere's s your whale?"
"'rwo points forward of your lee
beam-Iuu. miles oif!'
What in the - did you leave him
for?"
The mate made no reply to the ques-
ton, until the boat was secured along
side by her warp, and he had jumped
in on the quarter deck. The shil
continued swinging off until her head
was pointed in the right direction, but
with her topsails on the cap, and one
whale fiuked, towing alongside, hel
progress was not very rapid.
"We didn't think it prudent to lie
by" said Mr.. Andrews, in his apollo
getic tone, 'as the ship was so fal
from us and every appearance o.
stormy weather."
"We didn't think, sir!" retorteG
! Captain Gibbs. "Who's aUe? 1 want