The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-07-19
ere she blo-o.wsl The.r-e


the rapid orders that the captain shouted
out. And then again to the lookout,
"Let us know when we he ID for him!'
"Ay, ay, STRIP came down from the
lookout; and the next moment
"Steady: Now we have him, right
ahead. sir! There :bio.o-ws!3 The re
bloc o-ws! Movin' rather lively, sir!" +
s'Steady as you head nowv' shouted
the captaiit to the hian at the wheel:
sect the boats ready, Mr.. Peasel" and
In the same breath he started up the rig
Sng with his glass to get a look at, the
Whale. '. .
The Phoenix was by this time moving
towards the whale at the rate OF about
five knots an hour, ard preparations were
speedily made for lowering the boats.
But the whale having sounded, it was
half All hour before we again heard the
welcome cry from the lookout at the
mast head, There blows"
Long winhed old dog!'' we heard the
captain muttering from his perch on the
fore-yard. 1t was evident that his pa
tience, rs well rs ours, had touched its
lowest ebb, when we again heard the in
spring cry, which, Was followed Bly,
"There he is, sir! four points off the
lee-bow.". =
'Ayl ayl we II be right in his suds the
next time he rises" exclaimed the cap
tain. "Think we've run about far
enough, Mr.. Pease?" g =
IL think so, sir!"
"Haul up the mainsail then, and lay
the main-yards back! Ease down that
helm! Steady now! Let that jib sheet
flow out little. Now hoist and swing!
Are you ready?"
FAY, ay, sir!"
Lower away them"
AL! three boats, the captains and the
first and second mates, splashed on the
water at the same moment. "Out oars,
boys" was the next order, and we shot
forward in q spirited and friendly race
for the monster in the distance.
My shipmate, 'Rier Garvin, and my
self were in the same boat, the FIRST
mates. We were from the same old
had been lads at school together; to-
gether, too, we had come out on this out
first voyage. But while in size and weight
was ''little chap" 'Rier was tall,
bong, ligbt-haired young fellow, lathy
and left-handed,. but muscular, and one
ofthe strongest and most tireless -swim-
mers have eyer known. At this time
he was not far from twenty years old
my senior by just year and a month.
'Rier was strong oarsman, and he
had, when squirt was needed, a knack
of half-rising from the thwart. placing
the palm of his right hand at the end Of
hiA oar-shaft, and thus throwing his
whole weight into his stroke. In hard
tussle he more than made up fov my own
lighter strokes.
AS boys we had both practised great
deal at throwing the harpoon-mostly at
No hoy 1onIyc 70 En1
Ing cruise had always been q pet scheme
with us.
There are certain games and feats to-
which every boys mind naturally in
clines. This of throwing the harpoon
was one at which 'Rier excelled.
In fact, it was quite a sight to see 'Rier
poise his long body for a cast of tho
harpoon. He coul Id throw to remark
able distance. A standard harpoon,
with it's connecting line, is no plaything;
but 'Rier-with plenty of room to swing
was good for a pretty sure rising cast
Of eighty, or even hundred feet.
As the captain had predicted, we
we're right in the whales ''suds," the
next time he rose. The old chap broke
water scarcely two boat-lengths from
the second mates boat. But we, though
fully abreast, were outside Of that boat,
and to Mr.. Parsons boatrsteerer be-
longed the first cast.
boat-steerers, and he was that day to
ma Ike his first cast at a real whale. He
i. rose up, balancing the iron pole in his
2 left hand. "No use," said the mate.
'"rhey have the first lick at him."
Gay, do they" yelled 'Rier. Then
saw him bend to it and that long left
aGEl come back.
1T was quite in defiance Of orders and
custom; but the next instant his har-
pooh described mighty curve in the
air ten feet over the inside boat, and
struck with dull sound clean to the
"bitch" in the as yet undisturbed whale.
'Avast there! What are ye about?'
shouted the second mate; and the next
instant, stung to the quick, the big lev
THAN huxes in the air and down he
went.
"Pull" boys! screamed their boat-steer-
err. "We'n be caught in the blight Of
their Incl" and they had barely time to
shoot clear when our line became iaut
and began to whiz around the logger:
head.
It is amazing to what depth whales
will often go when harpooned. A diver
even in armor, cannot bear the tremen-
hundred and sixty feet. But d whale
will sound to the depth of more than
half mile straight down.
Instances are related by old whale
ufen of whales running out six thousand
feet of line at a single downward plunge
It seems as if the pressure at such an
enormous depth must crush the great
epongy creature like dough beneath the
bakers roller; and why it does not. I
have never heard satisfactorily ex-
planned.
But this, our first whale of the Ph@n-
tx, did not descend to a very great dis
lance before the line suddenly slackened
"He's rising, boys muttered the
mate, and he laid hold Of the lance
SHACK water. Stand by there, to give
him another iron!"
Right ahead of the boats bows great
black shadow presently rose up with a
heavy swash! and the next moment we
we're deluged with spray and water. All
three of the boats were at close hauls.
and three harpoons flew out on the in
slant.
! lForward!Nuick!" shouted Mr.. Pease,
as he stood in the bows, lance in hand
Our boat was almost touching the
monsters black side, when suddenly he
seemed filled with fury, and thrusting
his great cease" half out of the water,
with a single upward ''clack'' of. hia
long jaws, he cruhched our boat midway
It's length! :.
Even We in the stern had barely time
to leap out into the water, where mo.
ment later l found myself whirled and
sucked down into the vortex caused by
the whale, who had again gone down
beneath US.
Half stranded, at last c.me up, tan
gled in our line, and before l could fair
" see, was hauled into the captains
boat, which had cut from the whale and
come to pick us up.
Two of our fellows were there before
me; and a Minute later, Mr.. Pease, the
mate, and one more. were pulled in
"Where's 'Rieri - 40
We looked at the splintered planks
and debris of the broken boat. but Rel
was nowhere to- be- seen; nor had any
5one seen him since the whale crushed
ue, I, ~
"He stood right in the waist, "said the
mate. "He'd no time to jump. He was
right in the swing of the whales jaw"
"Crouched like turnip then!" NUT
tered the old skipper in a low voice,
'""rhe Lord have mercy on himW +
i Meanwhile, the whale-as we heard
from the whifring of the loggerhead ir
the second mates boat-was going down
again. Four or five minutes passed, be.
fore he turned to rise long, indeed,
Il at ] had quite given up eall hope , Of
seeing my shipmate agate, and had ever
u L