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

/
black, except where it was bloody;
broad road of crimson shimmered from
the ship to the sun; the long body of the
whale, even blacker than the sea, W ls
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.
1t 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 a 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 ,afioat. 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
| 1dlh tUUub blO UIdN0Ey vi bOlul0IS III
battle, or of men ashore in any enter
prise you please; what is it to the brav-
cry of such deed as thisp A thousand
miles from land, six men in little
twenty-eight foot shell coolly going
| down in stormy sea to do battle with
| the mightiest created animall 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 a case as this,
has three mighty enemies to fight-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 fignt
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 a 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 a cork. l saw
the captains face moment as he passed
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 hail
came through the darkness. and we saw
the flash of boats lantern on the lee
quarter. In a minute more line was
flung aboard, and we soon had one
crew safe on deck. 1t was the mates
boat.
"Where are the othersP" was the first
question.
Fast to the whale" was the answer,
land there are no lanterns on the boat"
One OF the men 'front.' 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 it
seemed to me as if something whispered
in my ear that we're going to lose one
man tonight"
l said that he was growing as super
stitious as old Kanaka Joe, and he an
swered:
Il can't help it. 1t did seem that l
heard that whisper, and so plain was it
that nearly dropped the wheel in ter
ror."
Another shout from the sea cut of
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 we could not hold the
whale in such sea, but the whaleman
cried back:
He's a hundred-an' fifty barreler,
and if you don't take the line aboard,
} we'll stick to him in the boat!'
Soon after, as the gale was moderat-
! ing, the line was taken in, passing
through a strong iron brace screwed or
to the starboard Fall just forward of the
( 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 manili
: hemp, and its strength was put to !
fearful test. A hundred fathoms asterI
of the ship it held the monsters carcass
2 and as the vessel rolled heavily to til,
sea the strain on the line was terrific
Standing toward of it L laid my hant
on the line as the strain came, and
felt it stretch and contract like rope 0
9 india rubber.
e Mr.. Joseph's boat had come alongside
and the captain, standing on the star
Q board rail, was shouting to him through
a trumpet. The line from the whal
r passing from astern to the brace forward
3 and back TO the bits amidships, made al
acute angle, inside of which the cap
d tain was standing. l saw and notices
| A in lori fan j,