The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-10-24
er. We listened end watched

AnQIGWS utCldlSu llldl we Ildu lOSI
the whale, "like a pack of duff.
eaters who must needs stuff our.
selves with breakfast, whatever be
tided :" but while he was fretting, the
whale suddenly preached, scarcely a
cables length from where we lay.
He had been down a long time
His big, square head broke water
like a small mountain : and he blew
heavily as he turned. We saw hi:
head distinctly. There was a semi
circular whitish mark on it, six OIL
eight feet across, and as he rolled we
saw the stump of an old iron in his
back and another in his side.
Madagascar Jack !" | exclaimed.
That's the whale that killed the
mate of the Dryade"
"Ay, Madagascar Jack p echoed
several voices from the other boat
A description of the whale was cur.
rent among whalemen in these
waters.
"I'll Madagascar.jack him !" ex'
claimed Andrews. "Give way
sharp"
He stood up, harpoon in hand
and at the whales second spout We
laid the boat alongside him.
another shoot, boys p whis
pered the mate. Put me just pas
his hump" He darted the harpoor
and buried it to the bitches, shout
ing, Down to your oars !"
Feeling the iron, the whale
sounded and ran off perhaps seventy
fathoms OF our line, not more, wher
the strain suddenly stopped.
"Back water !" muttered the mate
"He's coming up Hand me that
lance, blacksmith. Haul line for
ard r.
Suddenly we felt a tremendon:
shock underfoot; and next momen
we we're all turning somersaults II
the air. The whale had preached
with q vengeance In the swashine
and confusion of the moment, | can
not say exactly what happened ; il
was every r. an for himself.
| struck out for the boat of the
first mate, Mr.. Cummlngs's. Oul
own boat, badly shattered, had fallen
back bottom up
Three men contrived to dock
themselves astride it, and Andrews
appeared to have caught a grip on
the shank of one of the irons in the
whale. He held on there for some
minutes.
The whale meanwhile moved
slowly forward, housing for the boat
then, suddenly, with a single clack
OF its gree: Jaw, crushed it tc
fragments.
The three men astride it dived. of
in time to avoid the blow and swan
for us but still Andrews held fast to
the harpoon, or to the line at the
whales side. One poor fellow had
disappeared.
There were now five of us with
Mr.. Cummings, and his boat was
crowded. How to rescue Andrews
from his perilous situation was now
our only thought. We dreaded to
attract the whales attention, and
dared not approach. Andrews could
swim like a fish, as we knew, and at
length Cummings hailed him.
Better take header under him
and then swim for us !" he advised.
"Put in Put in. man, and fasten
to him !' Andrews shouted back,
"You're not goin' to show the white
feather, be yep
"It's not my Duty" replied Cum
mings, with a boat loaded down to
the gunwale! If you want to get
back 10 the ship with us, make
taste !" he again hailed.
Andrew let 90 the whale, which
was still thrashing the fragments oi
the boat in pieces, and swan off to
us But he was very angry.
Cummings headed tor the ship.
Most of the men were badly scared.
Meantime the Captain had ordered
out another boat. We met it coming
off, Andrews, wet as he was,
jumped in and took command.
"I'll kill that whale, or that whale
kills me !" he shorted. But If
there's any man here who can't
swim, or is afraid, he had better go
into Mr.. Cummings boat"
Four of the crew lost no time in
tumbling out but two of us, who
had been with Andrews before, took
their places. Andrews seized an
oar and we started to pull back to
the whale.
The first mate, by the Captains
advice, put his wet men aboard and
then followed slowly after us, to
pick us up, he said.
Boys" cried Andrews. as we
neared the whale again, "I'm going
to put another iron in him. If he
makes for US Jump overheard, swim
a few strokes and then tread water
We wore round the whale and got
within half ships length OF him,
when he settled little, rose with a
half breach, and came straight to
ward us again.
We as rapidly backed water and
tried to sheer off but in a moment
the furious leviathan was close
astern of us, and threw out his ter
rible jaw.
Jump !" shouted the mate and
we all went overheard.
For some reason the whale missed
his blow at the boat and rushed by,