Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-03-14
THE YOUNG SKIPPER.

craft, and O right smart one, too, as
you1l find out II you cruise many months
aboard Of her."
THAT may be. but I'd rather see
man on the quarter deck than boy"
What's the difference. If the boy has
. mans head on his shoulders? II
isn't always those who have lived the
longest In this world that know the
most, as have found out. Now here
arc you and |; we have been following
the sea these twenty years, and I'm not
afraid 10 say that we could handle
vessel in any weather. but IL we were
asked to take q ship from New Bedford
to Cape Horn, do You suppose we could
10 it? tell you. Tom. no. That's be-
cause when we We're young we wasted
our time in skylsrking instead of study.
Il was different with our skipper, as
know well, for he and | were ship
mates together on tho voyage that he
jumped from before the mast to the
quarter deck"
Don't SEQ how he could do it," grum.
bled the one addressed as Tom.
"Well. I'll tell you. mate, when we
get below" replied Bill Beckett, one Of
the boat steerers Of tho whaling ship
Granpus, which had just loft her home
port for three years cruise In the Pa
cific.
at was this way" began Bill that
same evening in the dog watch" when
he and his companion Tom, who WAS
also q boat steerer. were leaning idly
over the weather rail, gazing out on the
vast expanse Of waters over which their
vessel was bounding before fair wind.
''It's little over four years now since
joined tho Race Horse down In ono Of
the Kanaka islands. had run away
from another ship and had beach
combed' it nautical parlance for tramp).
until got chance in the Race Horse.
We We're going north to cruise in the
Ochotsk seq. The skipper was before
the mast then; he was chap that didn't
have TO see thing done more than twice
before he could do IL himself.
IL handled the harpoons in the mates
boat. and little Blue Fin. as we called
our cap'n that is now, pulled the bow
oar in the same craft. One morning,
just little after daylight, the lookout
in the crosstrees raised school Of sperm
whales We had pretty stiff breeze
the night before and the sea was still
running high. We lowered away. how
ever, our three boats-mate's. second
mates and thirds"
"'I'll take that fellow up TO wind ard
called our officer. as he po.ated to q big
whale that was playing around on the
outside Of the school. rs though he was
placed there to protect tho cows and
calves that were huddled together in the
middle from any danger.
"'Look out, Bill. says the mate to me
as he stood grasping the steering oar
Look out. man, and don't miss him.
There's q good hundred barrels there
"'Ay. ay, SIR said |. Lay mo on
close enough and I'll drive both irons"
into him clear to the bcckets.
"There was no danger but what he'd
do 1t, for the fellow didn't know what II
was to be afraid of whale. warnt
going to take any chances, SO | waited
Ill tho boat almost touched the big
brute, then let fly both harpoons. one
after another and sung ont, Stern all.
When tho boys were backing 80 as TO
give tho whale room 10 play, went aft
to change places with the mate. and he
walked forward to his station in tho bow
70 kill the fish with a lance.
"Now this whale was ono of those
kind of fellows that takes his medicine
easy at first, but fights like fury before
he Ia lists his red flag. He didn't sound
but lay and wallowed tor riislxxs or
two, thon began to swing round SO As to
get sight of us.
He's going TO give ms q tusssl.' call.
ed tire mate.
"'Ay, ay. he's fighter says |.
"Then caught sight of Blue Fins
face. All the other chaps were glancing
over their shoulders and beginning to
get little shaky, but ho sat on his
thwart with his hand grasping the oar,
just as quiet and unconcerned as II he
were in skiff on a mill pond, and not
within half cables length Of n mad
bull sperm that threatened to send him
and his shipmates to Davy Jones locker
at any minute.
Stand by to jump called the mate.
He's coming for u.s.
"N0w you know there's no boat quick
enough to get out Of the way Of a whale
when he makes rush. 30 tho only thing
to do is to leave her. The other men
sprsng to their feet, but tho boy still sat
there and l began to think no was para
lyzed with fright.
STAND up to jump, Biuo Fin.' l
called. And when you go leap straight
for tho beggsr, and not from him.
1.-THE lad smiled and nodded his head.
and standing mp, unshipped his oar from
the thole pin, held 1t ready and faced
| about.
Then the whale started.
"'Jumpr yelled tho mate.
THE next instant we were all houn-
dering around in tho water, whilc tho
bull caught the boat In his mouth.
crushed it to pieces and sounded.
The third mate, who had just killed
one small chap, was not far away. 30 he
came and picked us up-sll but the
mate; we never saw him afterward. He
must have been fouled in the lines and
gone down.
"Wc got two out Of tho school. but oil
hands felt SAD at the loss Of tho officer.
couldn't help telling our skipper how COO
| Rluo Fin was through tho whole thing