The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-09-07
CHAPTER XVII.
I ENCOUNTER A wHALER.

had been six days and nights at sea, and
the morning of the seventh day had come.
With the exception of one day of strong
southwesterly winds, which ran me some
thing to the northward, the weather had been
fne-bitterly cold, indeed, but bright INC
clear. In this time / had run a distance of
about $50 miles to the east, and with no other
cloths upon the schooner but her spritsail.
On the morning of the seventh day I came
on deck, having slept since 4 o'clock.
On looking over the larkoard bulwark rail.
the first thing 1 saw was a ship about two
miles off. She was on the larboard tack
under courses, topsails and maintopgallant-
sail, heading as if to cross my bows. The
sunshine made her canvas look as white as
snow against the skirts of the body of vapor
that had trailed a little to leeward of her,
n her black hull flashed as though she dis
charged a broadside every time she rose wet
to the northern glory out Of the hollow of the
swell with a curl of silver at her cut water.
My heart came into my throat; I seemed
not to breathe; not to "a saved my life
could l have uttered a cry, so amazed and
transported was l by this unexpected appari-
ton. l stared like one in a dream, and my
head felt as if all the blood in my body had
surged into it. But then, all on a sudden,
there happened a revulsion of feeling. Sup
pose she should prove a privateer-a French
war yeSSel-of a nation hostile to nv ownl
Thought so wrought in me that l trembled
like an idiot in a fright. The telescope was
too weak to resolve her-I could do better
with my eyes; and l stood at the bulwarks
gazing and gazing, as if she were the specter
ship of the Scandinavian legend.
There were flags below, and I could have
hoisted a signal Of distress; but to what pur-
pose2 II the appearance of the schooner did
not sufficiently illustrate her condition, there
was certainly no virtue in the language and
declarations Of bunting to exceed her own
mute assurance. / watched her with a pas
sion of anxiety, never doubling her intention
to speak to meat all events to draw close
and look at me-wholly concerning myself
with her character. The swell made us both
dance, and the blue brows Of the rollers
would often hide her to the height of her
rails; but we were closing each other mid
ding fast-she travelling at seven and I at
four miles in the hour-and presently I could
see that she carried a number of boats.
A whaler, thought l; and after a little I
was sureof it by perceiving the rings over
her topgallant rigging for the lookout to
stand in.
Ou DeInS cOnV1nceu OF bnlS i ran below Tor
a shawlthat was in my cabin, and, jumping
on to the bulwarks, stood Hourishing il for
some minutes to let them know that there
was a man aboard. She luffed to deaden her
way that | might swim close, and as we APP
preached each other I observed a crowd Of
heads forward looking at me, and several
men aft all staring intently.
A man scrambled on 10 the rail, and with
an arm clasping a backstay hailed me:
Schooner ahoyr' he bawled, with a strong
nasal twang in his cry. "What ships thatP'
"The Boca del Dragon I shouted back.
where are you from, and where are you
bound tor
II have been locked up in the ice,n I
cried, land am in want Of help. What ship
are your
"The Susan Tucker, whaler, of New Bed
ford, twenty-seven months out, y he returned.
"Where in creation got you that hookerTo
I'm the only man aboard" I cried, land
have no boat. Send to me, in the name Of
God, and let the master comef'
He waved his hand, bawling: ePut your
helm down-you're forginS aheadr' and so
saying dismounted.
/ Immediately cast the tiner adrift, put IL
hard over, and secured Il, then jumped on to