Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-11-27
RIDING A WHALE AT SEA.


front of hide and ful store examin.
ing very handsome sea otter skin
which hung in the window. His hair
was long, and his face covered with Il
full growth of beard of a rich auburn
hue, which hung down on his breast
His clothing was Of strange make and
material, and his tout ensemble was
calculated to give one an idea that
the wild man Of Borneo had just
come to town. The reporter ap-
preached the window, and, after pauS-
ing a moment, said:
That is very handsome skin =
Yes" said the stranger, lit is very
fine. There is nothing that produces
better fur than the sea otter. have
shot many of them
Might | ask where - said the re-
porter. THE sea otter is rare ami
NAL now
Il suppose they are about all killed
off by this time on this coast said
the stranger. 1T was ten years ago
when | was shooting them Oh the
coast of Washington Territory, and
they We're not very numerous then,
but in the course Of two years | had
killed over fifty, besides good many
fur seals, and had saved up over So, 900
in cash, when was suddenly broke
up in business and taken to a strange
country by very singular accident. "
On being pressed for an explanation
the stranger told the following re-
markable story: Ten years ago |
was hunting sea otters on one of the
widest parts of the coast of Washing
ton, several miles north of Quillayute
Indian reservation, between Destruc-
ton Island and Cape Flattery. 1t is
one of the widest and most out-of-the-
way places on the coast. l had been
shipwrecked on Destruction Island,
and had been rescued by the Quiila-
yute Indians and had been living with
them several years, and had married
the daughter of one of the head men
of the tribe.
Il was happy and contented, for,
after years spent in the forecastle ola
ship, the life led among the Indians
was comparatively pleasant and lu1u-
rious. Besides, as ! told you, had
saved up several thousand dollars,
when in moment, by the freak OF a
stupid, bull-headed, humpbacked
whale, | was torn from my home and
family and cast penniless on the
shores of a stranger and wilder cOun-
try than the one | had so unceremo-
niously left, among people compared
to whom my Quillayute friends were
civilized and intelligent.
You know, of course, how sea OF
ters are shot by tine hunter having a
stand rugged up away out as far from
the shore as possible, by setting up
three tall poles, so that they cross a
few feet from the top, and by build
ing a kind of crows nest in the top of
this frail structure. | had rigged up
one of these stands away out at low
water mark and made it as comforta-
BILE as possible, and sometimes spent
two or three days out there, my wife
keeping a lookout and securing any
offers or seals | shot. | was doing
first rate, owing to being so far out,
and, although several times badly
seal ed by rough weather and by
schools of whales which came around
my lookout, l could not think of Civ
ing ii up for place which might be
safer. but where | could not kill so
many otters.
The last time ! got into my look
out was early one morning. As the
weather had been stormy was ex
pecting that otters and seals would be
coming near the shore, so took along
a good supply of provisions and wa
ter and plenty of tobacco and ammu
milton, expecting 10 stay out two or
three days. As soon as it was light
and the tide was near the flood, | saw
a number of otters lying asleep in the
water just beyond range, and while |
was waiting for them TO drift down
toward me along came a school of
half dozen or more of the small
whales common on that coast.
They came toward my lookout roll
ing and spouting and playing, and at
length | saw one of them making right
for the lookout. | was afraid he
would upset Inc, and yelled at him,
but. whether by accident or design |
knew not, he plunged between two of
the poles on which my nest was
perched, and striking the other with
his nose, showed it away in front of
him. and over went my nest, landing
on his back, one of the poles striking
straight ahead and the others strad-
ding him as man does a horse.
When ! saw ! was going | jumped
aud landed astride the whales tail,
and quicker than a wink with my
keen sheath knife cut the muscles
Oh each side of his tail, which pre-
vented him from going down then
clambered up to my nest, and there |
was afloat on a whale, with provis-
ions for three days and neither sail,
oar nor compass