The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-10-06

The sun was low and large and red,
and the whole western sea and sky were
magnificent in crimson and gold and
black. The picture was one of the finest
ever saw. The rising sea was jet
black, except where it was bloody; a
broad road of crimson shimmered from
the ship to the sun; the long body of the
whale, even blacker than the sea, ws
plainly seen in the ruddy glare; and life
was added to the immense scene by the
four white specks-the whaleboats-
closing to point rs they drew near the
motionless monster.
It was not until the boats had left the
ship that we realized how threatening
was the weather. Every moment the
seas came wilder aud heavier against the
vessel. Only now and again, as they
were lifted on sea, could we catch sight
of the brave little boats. The breeze grew
stronger at every moment, and, before
the first boat neared the whale, was
whistling through the rigging in the
wild way that tells of a coming gale.
The captain regretted the lowering of
the boats, and soon signaled them to re-
turn. But the men were excited, and
refused TO see the signal. Filled to the
gunwale, the seas lashing over them
every moment, on they went where only
a thing so nearly perfect as a whaleboat
could keep afloat. AS the first boat
swung round to run down to leeward of
the whale, the red sun stood fairly on
the 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 brav-
cry of such a deed as thisP A thousand
miles from land, six men in a little
twenty-eight foot shell coolly going
down in a stormy sea to do battle with
the mightiest created 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 fght-the
sea, the gale and the whale.
We saw the harpooner of each boat
stand up as they came within heaving
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 keen 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
| could no longer see the boats from the
ship. The few men on board clewed up
| the light sail and took reef in the top
sails, and by this time the night was
dark as pitch, and the gale had whipped
and howled itself into hurricane.
1t was fearful to think of the four
small boats out in such sea as was
| then running. We on the ship had to
cling to the rail of the rigging; the ter
rihc strength of the waves swept the
| heavy vessel about like cork. | saw
hO a. sE.1o tna 1ay,f hn a
the binnacle lamps, and It was abso-
lutely deformed with grief and terror -
not for himself, brave old sailor, but for
his boys in the boats.
| "Who's at the wheelp" he shouted.
"Send steady man to the wheel.
SAY, ay, STRIP answered in the dark
a deep, quiet voice; "Ive got the
wheel"
That was Chips, and 1 walked aft to
be near him. just then a long hal!
came through the darkness, and we saw
the flash of boats lantern on the lee
| quarter. In a minute more a 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,
| u.
One OF the men from' the boat relieved
Chips at the wheel, and he went for
ward 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 turned to me and said:
"We're going to lose some one to-
night. While l was at the wheel il
seemed to me as if something whispered
in my ear that we're going to lose one
man tonight"
said that he was growing as super
stitious as old Kanaka Joe, and he an
swered:
Il can't help it. It did seem that
heard that whisper, and so plain was il
that l nearly dropped the wheel in ter.
ror"
Another shout from the sea cut of
further talk, and we soon had two NOR,
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 founC
him, and when we did he refused to Gu
his line from the carcass. The captain
cried to him that we could not hold thu
whale in such sea, but the whalemaI
cried back:
He's a hundred-an' fifty barreler
and if you don't take the line aboard
J We'll stick to him in the boat!"
Soon after, as the gale was moderat
, ing, the line was taken in, passin
through a strong iron brace screwed ol
to the starboard Tall just forward of tn
, gangway amidships, from which it wa
taken back and made fast to the wind
; lass bits at the foot of the mainmast,
1t was a new line of stout manil
! hemp, and its strength was put to
fearful test. A hundred iathoms aster
of the ship it held the monsters carcass
: and as the vessel rolled heavily to tn
sea the strain on the line was terrific
Standing toward of it L laid my han
ON the line as the strain came, and
felt it stretch and contract like a rope {
2 india rubber.
9 Mr.. Joseph's boat had come alongside
and the captain, standing on the sta,
9 board rail, was shouting to him throug
| k,aUn.. nE Nt,, Al. -