The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-01-19

Few were they who, with the barbed
harpoon, could match in skill and dar-
ing certain dark, handsome young
Scotchman Of the name of Ronald Les
ley. This young harpooner, having
saved little money, went to Captain
Ogily :, 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
'needfup is not sufficient for my daugh-
ter, and so, 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 day, he
received 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
suitor repeat to himself that word
never" and try to derive consola-
ton from it, but somehow there was a
knell-like sound about it that smote him
to the heart. He had heard of many
a 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
climes. 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 a red-hot ball
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 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 fog.
At length, by the distant shouts OF
the second mates crew, and by the
thud of the line, heard for awhile as II
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 ap-
preaching tempest induced them to
return to their ship, which they reached
only a minute before a violent gale
pounced upon the vessel.
Hours after, when its violence SUBJ
sided, they cruised for the lost boat,
without finding any sight of it.
At last couple of broken oars and
the water keg which had belonged to
it, being picked up-all that could be
found of it-seemed to tell the sad
story.
The boat has been stoven, and all
the crew lost" was the general ver-
dict, but the captain continued to
cruise for a 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 Ogilvie was
very serious. She had loved Ronald
with 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 oi
trying to persuade her to accept Sandy
Ferguson-a certain well-to-do mate
who wanted her for 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 hel
lovers death, he bethought him that q
sea trip would do her good.
He, therefore. resolved to take hel
with him on whaling voyage, which
he was about to make aboard vesse
of his own named the Neptune u
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 fal
from the same latitude in which tht
..Coudor" was when Ronald was lost
She had lately met with some severe
weather, and one of her timbers-: