Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-01-08

heavier against the vessel. Only
now and then, as they were lifted on
a sea could we catch sight of the
brave little boats. The breeze grew
stronger every minute, and before
the first boat neared the whale, was
whistling through the rigging in a
way that tells of 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 signals. Filled to
the gunwale, the seas lashing over
them every moment, on they went
where only thing so perfect as a
whaleboat could keep afoat. AS the
first boat swung around to run down
to windward on the whale, and the
red sun stood fairly on the black field
-of ocean. -..sss !.
Talk about the bravery of soldiers
In battle, or of men ashore in any
enterprise you please, what is it to
the bravery of such deed as this?
A thousand miles from land, six men
in a twenty-eight-foot shell, coolly
going down in stormy sea to do
battle with the mightiest created ami
NAL 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
hearing distance, and send in their
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 be-
tween vast power and cunning skill.
The black water was churned white
as the fiukes struck out in rage and
agony. The sun disappeared, and
the gale screamed louder in the rig
ging. We could not see the boats
from the ship. The few men on
board clewed up the light sail and
took reef in the topsails. 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
on the ship had to cling to the rail or
the rigging; the terrific strength of
the waves swept the heavy vessel
about like a cork. | saw the cap
tain's face moment as he passed
the binnacle-lamp, and it was abso-
lutely deformed with grief and terror
not for himself, brave old soldier !
but for his boys in the boats.
"Who's at the wheel?" he shout
ed ''send a steady man to the
wheel"
SAY, ay, sir'' answered a deep,
quiet voice; "I've got the wheel"
That was Chips, and / walked aft
to be near him. Just then long
hail came through the darkness, and
we saw flash of boats lantern on
the lee-quarter. In 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 an
swer; "and there are no lanterns on
the boats"
One of the men from the boat re-
lieved 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 fore
castle, looking and listening for the
boats. Suddenly he turned to me,
and said:
"We are going to lose some one
tonight. While / was at the wheel
it seemed as though something whis-
pered in my ear that we were going
to lose one man tonight
l said he was growing as super
stitious as old Kanaka Joe; and he
answered:
81 can't help it. 1t did seem as il
l heard that whisper, and so plair
was it that / nearly dropped the
wheel in terror
Another shout from the sea cut of
further communication, and we soor
had two more boats at the davits
The absent one was Mr.. Joseph's
and we knew that through thick anC
thin he would hold on to the whale
1t was hours before we could fine
him, and when we did he refused t.
cut his line from the carcass. Tn,
captain called to him that we coul(
not hold the whale in such sea, bu
the old whaler shouted back, ''He'
a hundred-an' fifty bareler, and i
yon don't take the line aboard wei
stick to him in the boat p
Soon after, the sea moderating, tn
line was taken aboard, passins
through strong iron brace screwed
on to the starboard rail just forwart
of the gangway amidships, from
, which it was taken back and mad
. fast to the windlass bits, at the foo
of the mainmast. 1t was a new line
of stout MANILA hemp, and it
| strength was put to a fearful test
| A hundred fathoms astern of th