The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-04-09

Here 8 TWO or three aStern OF us,
said the boat-steerer.
Just then two more rose, one on
either side Of the boat, and in rather
unpleasant proximity, and before we
had begun to realize our situation,
the wounded beast, unable any longer
to stay beneath the surface, came up
to breathe just ahead OF us.
''Pull ahead q little-let us get out
OF this snarl. Lay the boat around,
so-now, stern ALL" and the iron was
planted deepin the neck of our victim.
With q roar louder than a dozen Of
the wild bulls OF Madagascar, the now
maddencd beast made for the boat.
Back water!-back water, | say!
Take down this boat-sail, and stern
| all, for your lives!" as two more APP
peared by the bows, evidently pre-
pared to assist thei1 comrade. He
was making the water fly in all dir
ections. and having failed to reach the
| boat, was now vainly essaying to
grasp the iron, which the mate had
purposely put into his short neck, so
| close to his head that he could not
get it into his mouth. ..E.a
"Stick out line till we get clear of the
shoal, and then we'll pull up on the
other side of this fellow, and I'll soon
settle him with lance!''
This was done; and as we again haul
ed upon the still furious beast, the mate
poised his bright lance for a moment,
then sent it deep into his heart.
With q tremendous roar and des-
perate final struggle of scarcely min
ute's duration, our prize gave up the
ghost, and, after sinking M mentarily,
rose again to the surface, lying upon
his side, just as a whale does when he
dies.
His companions had left us, and we
now, giving three cheers for victory,
towed the carcass to the not far-dis-
tant shore. 1t wss luckily high tide,
and we got the body up to high-water
mark, where the speedily receding tide
left it ashore.
On measuring, we found our prize to
be a few inches less than fifteen feet
long, from his head to the commence
ment of his short hairless TAIL We
could not measure his girth, but his
| bulk was enormous. His legs were
disproportionately short, giving him,
conformity with his short neck and
very large head, an awkward stolid
appearance, which the agility he dis
played in the water by no means JUS
titled.
We had not been long ON shore,
when several natives made their ap-
| pearance. They testified much Joy at
the sight of the prize, and went
through a most lively pantomime,
from which we gathered that the
beasts were a great plague to them,
that the meat was good to eat. and
that they would like a portion. The
hint was not lost upon US, who had
not tasted fresh beef for six months.
"What say you, boys; will you try
a piece OF hypopotamus steak?" pro-
posed the mate; and as no one dis
sented, we got the axes, and after con-
siderable chopping and hacking, got
OH the head, when we were enabled to
cut ourselves about twenty-five
pounds of what appeared to be toler-
ably tender meat, off the fore-quarter
of the animal.
Our steaks were cooked for supper,
and whether it was that we were
blessed with an unusually good appe-
title or that the meat was actually
Well-havored, certain it is that they
tasted delicious, and that we ate
heartily of them-From a. Whaler's
Note Book.