Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-01-26
4 BOLD VENTURE.

4 DOLD ' Elm i UnL.
Few were they who, with the barbed
harpoon, could match in skill and dar-
inc a certain dark, handsome young
Scotchman Of the name of Ronald Les
ley. This young harpooner, having
saved little money, went to Captain
Ogilvie, and asked him for the hand
of his daughter Margaret, to whom he
was deeply attached, and who was
willing to be his wife if her father
would give his consent.
NO" was the captains answer.
Il have other views for my child. To
be plain With you, your cargo of the
'needful' is not sufficient for my daugh-
ter, and 50, after this, you and She
had better steer apart"
He laughed good humoredly as he
spoke, but Ronald, knowing he was
not the less in earnest, turned sorrow
fully away. Nor was his grief much
mended when, on the next dav, he
received a note from his sweetheart,
informing him that she had heard of
her fathers decision, and that, though
it had parted them, yet he might be
sure she would never marry anyone
else.
Again and again did the rejected
sutton repeat to himself that word
never" and try to derive consola-
ton from it, but somehow there was
knell-like sound aboutit that smote him
to the heart. He had heard of many
q girl using this word before, and yet,
in time, being forced by a strong
willed father to marry a person she
could not love.
A few days after getting the note,
Ronald saw Dundee fade from his
sight far astern, as the whaler Con
dor, aboard of which he had shipped,
went roaring on her course, with
swelling sails, for wild and distant
chimes. He was very sad, for he had
no chance to even bid his lost love-as
he now deemed her-a last farewell,
her father having taken her with him
to visit some relatives in Edinburgh.
Months rolled on. One day, while
the vessel lay becalmed about seven
miles to the Westward of the Naviga-
tor Islands, Pacific Ocean, with a
drifting fog that partly hid the upper
masts and yards from sight, and gave
to the sun, dimly visible in mid-heav-
ems, the appearance of 4 red-hot bali
of iron going round and round, hol-
low roaring noise was heard ahead of
the ship.
1t was at once known to be the
spouting of a sperm whale, although
the latter could not be seen for the
mist
Four boats were lowered, but the
second mates, in which was Ronald,
was soon out of sight of the others in
the foe.
At length, by the distant shouts of
the second mates crew, and by the
thud of the line, heard for awhile as it
ran round the lOggerhead, they knew
that he had fastened to the whale.
They pulled in search of him, but they
were unable to find him in the thick
mist, and, finally, the noise of an APP
preaching tempest induced them to
return to their ship, which they reached
only q minute before a violent gale
bounced upon the vessel.
Hours after, when its violence sub
sided, they cruised for the lost boat,
without finding any sight of it.
At last couple of broken oars and
the water key which had belonged to
it, being picked up-all that could be
found Of it-seemed to tell the sad
story.
1.-The boat has been steven, and all
the crew lost!" was the general ver-
dict, but the captain continued to
cruise for 4 long time, in the hope of
picking up some drifting castaWay.
He was unsuccessful, and when, six
months later, the Condor" returned
to Dundee, and the dismal story was
told, the effect on Maggie Ogilvic was
very serious. She had loved Ronald
with q true, earnest affection, and had
hoped that in time her father would
change his mind and allow her to wed
with the man of her choice, instead of
trying to persuade her to accept Sandy
FerguSon-a certain well-to-do mate
who wanted her for a wife.
Now, seeing the roses fade from the
cheeks of his pretty daughter, and OBJ
serving that she had dropped more
and more ever since the tidings of her
lovers death, he bethought him that a
sea trip would do her good.
He, therefore, resolved to take her
with him on a whaling voyage, which
he was about to make aboard a vessel
of his own named the Neptune"
with Sandy Ferguson for the first
mate.
The ship soon was ready for sailing,
and In due time she was near one of
the Pacific whaling grounds, not far
from the same latitude in which the
s'Condor" was when Ronald was lost.
She had lately met with some severe
weather, and one of her timbers-a
beam close to the water line-had be-
come loosened, SO that she leaked bad
ly. The carpenter patched this as
well as could be done under the cir
cumstances, but it was evident that
the craft sheald be taken to some port
for proper repairing of the damage.
"Oh, fatherr' said Maggie, who had
by this time become quite pale and