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


NONSENSE" cried the captain.
.'What good can it do YOU? Why not
encourage Sandy?"
But Maggie shrank back. looking
much distressed; observing which, her
father continued:
You shall have your wish. | will
put the ship in the same latitude where
the Condor was at the time YOU
speak of. -
This was finally done, and the young
girl, leaning over the rail and looking
out upon the heaving waters, darkened
: with clouds that foretoid a coming
tempest, sadly thought of her lost
, lover, who had met his fate somewhere
near that very place.
There was at this time a pretty
heavy sea. and as she rolled and
plunged, the Neptune" which was
an old vessel, creaked dismally in eV-
cry timber.
All at once, from the man at the
masthead, came the well known cry
There she blows!"
And although the water was rough
for a lowering, the captain insisted on
having the boats down. All hands
were therefore called, and when the
ship was within league of the whale,
whose spout was seen ahead, about
four miles from one of the Navigator
Islands, every boat-there were four
aboard this craft-was lowered.
As the boats were headed for the
whale, a canoe, which had put off from
the island, was observed approaching,
and it was soon near enough for the
| - h. &c IL
single occupant.
He was a tall, dark bearded Young
man, with bright fiery eyes, and long
black hair falling to his broad shout
ders. OF powerful yet agile build, he
wore the usual garb of native, con-
sistng of q mantle and sort of q
tunic of cotton cloth, the latter reach
ing a little below his knees Unable
to decide whether he was one of the
native islanders or missionary, the
captain would have hailed him, had it
not been for the whale, which now
was within darling range. 1t was a
large bull, with an enormous hump,
and four vicious looking white spots,
whch-sO all the sailors said-denoted
an ugly customer, cleaning like the
eyes of demons just abaft its spout
hole.
Dart" cried Captain Ogilvie to his
harpooner.
But, rs the latter lifted his weapon,
a rough sea hurled the boat directly
on top of the whale, and the man hes
itated.
Give it to him, tell you" roared
the plucky skipper, and the iron was
driven to the socket into the monsters
flank
"Starn, boys, starn" shouted Ogil-
vie
With q sidelong sweep of his head
the whale opened his great jaw, into
which a sea dashed with hollow,
gurgling roar, while his small eyes
seemed to turn red with fury. Then
up went his back, crushing the boat
and turning it broadsde on between
two lofty waves, one of which crashing
over it, rolled it bottom upward, spill
ing out men, line, tubs and all.
Down went the whale, and the swim
mers narrowly escaped the line as it
ran Kissing through the foaming wa
tiers, ere they were picked up by the
second mates boat.
Wen pay him for that-aye, boys,
vie, as he shook the water from his
saturated locks.
When next the monster came up,
the third mate succeeded in getting
fast to him, but the towed boat was
nearly swamped by the lofty surges
AT last, when the whale again reap
peared, and the craft was hauled up
toward him, the heavy seas hindered
its being we'll maneuvred, and as the
officer piled his lance, the boat was
hurled under his sweeping tlukeS,
which came down upon it with a
crash, splintering it to fragments, its
occupants only saving themselves by
jumping overheard, to be afterwards
picked up by Ferguson.
Two boats had now been lost, and
soon third-that of the second mate
was rendered useless. This boat
had been made fast just after the third
officers was steven, and Ogilvie HIM
self, who was in it, as already stated,
piled the lance He was doing excel
lent work, wien sea rolling against
the boat, and thus impeding the men
in their efforts to stern or back away
from the whale, the latter, dashing at
the craft with open jaws, caught the
bow and partly crushed it with his
teeth, ere the old skipper, full of venge-
full ire, drove his lance into an old har-
poon wound, which he saw bullying
from the side of the monsters hump.
This caused the whale to sheer off,
and, all at once it was seen to make
for the ship!
The latter now clay to" to leeward
of him, not ten fathoms off, having
having been brought up to this place
by the ship-keepers, numbering but
five men. all the others being in the
boats. As the course of the whale was
toward the weakest part of the craft
the spot where the loose timber had
been patched and as she could not
be luffed up any further, while to face
off would only hasten the threatened
calamity, the startled seamen realized
the vessels danger at 4 glance.
Maggie, who stood by the rail, and
saw the whale coming, gave 4 cry of
terror.
'Quick, Sandy" roared the captain.
you are near enough to the whale to
do something to turn him from his
course. Remember, man-remember
my child is aboard that ship!"
But Ferguson would not make the
venture.
And so now, with tempest ap-
preaching from windward, and one of
the only two remaining boats-both
crowded with the picked up crew of
the steven ones-so badly broken that
it could not long keep aioat, it seemed
rs if both ship and crew were doomed