The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-09-23

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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.
It was fearful to think of the four
small boats out in such n sea us was then
running. We on the ship had to cling
to the rail of the rigging; the terrific
strength of the waves swept the heavy
vessel about like cork. saw the cap
tain's face moment as he passed the
pinnacle lamps, and it was absolutely de-
formed with grief and terror-not for
himself, brave old sailor, but for his boys
in the boats
"Who's at the whcel?" he shouted;
"send steady man to the Wheel"
"Av, nv, sir!" answered in the dark
deep quiet voice; "I've 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 quar-
ter 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 Others" was the first
question.
East to the whale" was the answer,
"and there are no lanterns on the boat
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
fol- the boats. Suddenly he turned to
me and said;
"We're going to lose some one to.
night. While | was Mt the wheel, 1t
seemed to me rs if something whispered
in my ear that we're going to lose one
man tonight
/ said he was growing MS superstitious
as old Kanaka Joe, and he answered.:
81 can't help it. 1t did seem that |
heard that Whisper and so plain was it
that l nearly dropped the wheel in
terror"
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 re-
fused to cut his line from the carcass.
The captain cried to him that we could
not hold the whale i'll sucn sea, but
the whaleman cried back
He's q hundrel-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 moderating,
the line was taken in, passing through
strong iron brace screwed on to the star
hoard rail Just forward of the gangway
amidships, from which it was taken back
and made fast to the windlass bits at the
foot of the mainmast.
1t was n new line of stout Manila
hemp, and its strength was put to fear
full test. A hundred fathoms astern of
the ship it held the monsters carcass;
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 MS 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
q trumpet. The line from the whale
passing from astern to the braceforward,
and back to the bits amidships, made an
acute angle, inside Of which the captain
was standing. saw and noticed this as
passed forward, and Noticed, also, in the
dark, tall man who seemed to be lean
ing against the line. 81 hope he is for
fard of it," I said to myself as | went on
with what l was about
had not taken six steps from the spot
when something strange occurred. The
ship steadied, as ii the wind had ceased.
There was no sound greater than the
storm; but, instead, there seemed to fall
suddenly stiffness | ran amidships
and grasped for the line in the dark. 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 cap
tain, who had been standing on the rail,
was struck by the flying rope and thrown
All this had been seen by the men in
the boat before any one on board had
realized the affair. In less than min
ute the cry of "Saved!' 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 beng cared for
in his cabin.
Rum and hard rubbing are the potent
remedies Oh 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 at seeing the
mate and myself standing over HIM with
the rum bottle. But without word he
realized the situation.
"How is the weather" he asked
"The wind has gone down, said Mr.
Joseph. Were under foresail Ilb 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 tnOilSitiu uoii'iS "oh' "i''
an owner"
"Tell Chips to see to that broken
rail, said the captain, closing his eyes
drowsily. =,
CAV, nv, sir" said the old second
mate as he stamped on deck.
| heard him stop at the after-hatch,
where the boat .steerers and the carpenter
lived and call Chips" two or three
times. At last there was an answer IN
another voice-not Chips; then round
of hurried feet on deck, shout down
the forcastle and shout back In answer.
There was no Chips there.
Two minutes after, heavy foot came
aft to the cabin stairs, and Mr.. Joseph,
with white face, entered.
I knew what he had to tell. knew
now-just as if had seen it all-who the
n n n