New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-11-26
A line of steel-blue light went
through the air, then another, and

"A line of steel-blue light went
through the air, then another, and
we were fast.
Hindok had put both irons in the
whale at the distance of six fathoms.
With a backward rush the m onster
nearly struck the boat. The yapor
| from his spout came into our faces,
and the boat. thrown over upon her
starboard gunWale, was nearly cap
Sized
Down went the whale the next
moment, sounding, and away went
the boat as if drawn by lightning,
with the line humming and drum
ming round the loggerhead, and her
gunWales nearly on level with the
water.
Nearly at the same moment the
storm struck us.
/ All around us the wind howled with
terrific fury, and thefoam and spray,
almost blinded US, drenched every
man to the skin. The ocean seemed
one mass of white, boiling water, in
| which the dragged boat was buried
| SO often that we were nearly swept
from our thW arts, while the tub oars
man, whose duty it was to bail, vain
ly endeavored to keep the craft dry.
The air had darkened with the fly
ing rack and scud, which, in torn
masses, were blown hither and thith-
er like phantom demons come to
seize us and drag us down to the
depths below.
At last the whale came up and we
heard old Williams give the order to
''Haul line !there!''
Haul we did, but it was like haul
ing along under the surface, for the
boat was almost continually buried.
In fact when we were near enough to
enable the captain-who, according
to custom, had changed places with
Hindok, taking his station in the
bow-to hurl his lance, the boat was
full of water.
Williams, however, standing I'M
moved, threw his lance. The whale
felt it, and, writhing, turned, MAX
ing straight for the boat.
Stern! stern!" screamed the cap
tain, as he spoke again planting the
lance in the monsters body.
We endeavored to obey, but a
great mass of binding water, with
spray and foam, struck US, and over
went the boat.
The last object saw at that time
was Capt. Williams, seated astride
the capsized boat, churning away
vigorously at the whale. Then I
| lost consciousness.
When I came to [ became sensible
ola sort of flying motion, as if I
were being borne through the air.
opened my eyes to see myself in
the arms of Hindok, who sat astrad-
die the capsized boat, which was
dashing along through the water,
drawn by the whale. The storm
was still raging, and the effect Of the
black rack and scud, with the white,
boiling sea, lighted by the CHASTITY
glare of the sun struggling through
the vapor was SO weird and singular
that for a moment I half believed
myself in some unearthly region.
Hindok, with his black hair strea M
ing on the blast, and his wild eyes
flashing a lambent glare, added to
the strange effect of the scene.
"Where am I?'' J inquired.
"All rightp' answered Hindok.
"Boat capsize; capting hurt whale
SO he no can go down. All right.
We get whale %
"Where is the captain?'
Don't know. Guess other boats
pick up
How came you to pick me up?"
"Boat strike you on head. You
go faint. Me by you. Me pick you
up and get on boat with you"
As1 had now fully recovered my
senses, Hindok, cautioning me to
hold on hard to the boats keel, let
go OF me.
/ / scrambled along behind him and
there we two were clinging to a cap.
sized boat in storm, with a whale
SO injured that it could not sound
dragging us onward.
On, on, on.
The seas flew up around us, and
the spray nearly blinded US, yet we
clung firmly to our hold.
I glanced behind me several times
to see the other boats, almost out Of
sight astern, tossing in the cauldron
of waters, their crews evidently
watching us. Still further astern,
with the black rack almost hiding
her like a curtain, lay the good ship
under close reefed main-topsail and
tore-tOpmast stay-sail.
Meanwhile there was the whale,
our ocean horse drawing us on,
his spout ascending now and then
with the noise ofthunder. The sharp
keel made our position very uncom-
Portable, and yet we were obliged to
maintain it, as any motion side
ways would insure the rolling over
of the boat, which we would not
then hope to regain.
1t seemed to me that the speed of
that whale would never relax. Away
he went to leeWard, now and then
rising out of the water, revealing.