San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-05
Then / fosr co1sclonsness.


of Hindok, who sat astride 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 scad, with the white boiling sea,
lighted by the CHASTITY glare of the sun
struggling through the vapor, was so weird
and singular that for moment half be-
lieved myself in some unearthly region.
Hindok, with his black hair streaming on
the blast, and his wild eyes flashing lam
bent glare, added to the strange effect of
the scene.
'Where am II" inquired.
"All rightp' answered Hiadok. 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"
GLOW 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"
AS had now fully recovered my senses
| Hindok, CT Joining me to hold on hard to
| the boats let go of me.
scramI4 along behind him and there
we two were ciinging to a capsized boat in
a storm, with 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 chung firmly to
our hold.
glanced behind me several times to see
the other boats, almost out of sight astern,
tossing in the caldron of waters, their
crews evidently watching us. Still further
astern, with the black rack almost hiding
her like curtain, lay the good ship under
close reefed maintopsail and foretopmast
staysail.
Meanwhile there was the whale, our
ocean horse" dragging us on, his spout
ascending now and then with the noise of
thunder The sharp keel made our posi-
ton very uncomfortable, and yet we were
obliged to maintain it, as any motion side
ways would insure the rolling over of the
boat, which we could not then hope to re-
gain.
1t seemed to me as if the speed of that
whale would never relax. Away he went
to leeward, now and then rising out of the
water, revealing his great body with the
two irons sticking in it. | had never be.
fore obtained such good view of the whale
in motion.
The vast back of the monster was fully
shown every time he rose from the creamy
waters. There was his hump, so thickly
covered with barnacles, as to resemble
hillock of oyster shells, with here and there
Il broad cut which had healed up, but be-
tokened that this was not the first time he
had felt the barbed iron. 1t was, however,
the singular appearance of the huge head
which most impressed me. Long and ill
shaped, with its dimiputive eyes, there
was something so unearthly in its appear
ance every time it was lifted up that l in
voluntarily thought of the fables of sea
monsters which ] had read when a child
and which had first inspired me with the
desire for sea life.
Drenched and shivering, the situation of
Hindok and | was, meanwhile, anything
but comfortable, with rushing pain in
NY head about the region of the temple
which told me that had been struck when
first tumbled into the sea-
On-On-Still on.
Now | glanced behind me, no more to
see ship or boats. All were hidden by dis
lance and the black rack of the storm.
The speed of the whale, however, had
now begun to abate. His motions were
palpably more feeble, and his spouting be-
came weak and less frequent, and sounded
mournfuliy.
Soon die now-hoorayI' cried wild Hin
dok, as The whale at last spouted blood.
The blood came every moment thicker
and slower. The boats speed now was
nearly stopped.
Finally over went the monster on his
side, the blood now rising scarcely six
inches about his spout hole. He swan
feebly, describing half circle, and then
he died.
Got whale!' cried Hindok, moving his
hands ioyfully.
"Ay," | answered, but where is the
ship"
Never mind ship" answered the wild
islander, his mouth fairly watering as he
looked toward the vast, upheaving body
of the monster. "We got whale"
We now contrived to right the boat and
bail it out. when Hindok dashed it to the
| whale.
And thus we lay, outriding the storm,
far away in midOcean, not knowing when
or how we would be picked up.
BY night the storm had abated, but there
was as yet no sign of the ship.
We were both hungry and thirsty, but
every drop of fresh water and all the salt
meat and biscuit usually carried in whale
boats had been spilled out by the capsizing
Of the light craft
We did not sleep a wink that night.
In the morning still no sign of sail.
Another day passed, and now our parched
| tongues Glove to the roofs of our mouths.
On the next day we were nearly driven
mad for want of water. Hindok's wild
eyes rolled in his head, and several times
saw him fasten them on me with a sort of
| hungry look, and / knew the vulture like
feeling that animated his breast
Another day-still no saill
At midnight of the next day, which had
| passed as the others, l lay weak and help
/ Less in the hnttnm of the hnat 1uhare I SOW,