The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-07-15
soANDALous JIM.
Continued from 1st Page.)

and he held his position as an officer
in virtue OF his prowess as a hunter
of whales, and not from any special
qualities as seaman.
Black Sam certainly did not oc-
cupy his position for the excellence
of his moral character, which had
nothing in it to command admira-
ton; but had everything in it to
cause his name to be a byeword
throughout the whaling fleet.
1t may be scarcely necessary for
me to say that the crews of whale
ships in general were not remark
able for their sanity qualities, and
when they were inclined to "sit
down" on man on account of his
heinous offences, his was a pretty
hopeless case.
Black Sam and Scandalous Jim
had sailed together, and it was
rumored that they had, in their
beach-combing days, lodged in the
same commodious apartments in the
Southern prisons.
Jim found his way on board the
"Spridrift," and the two old cronies
met.
This resulted in Jim being made
one of the crew of Sans boat, and
he resumed his old occupation of
whale fishing.
The season was fast drawing to a
close, and the gentle reader, or
otherwise, is very likely praying that
this yarn would do the same thing.
Thick, sleety fogs from the north
west were getting altogether too
frequent for comfort, and the ships
were one after another picking up
their "mudhooks," setting their sails,
and pointing their prows to the
southwark.
The "Spindrift" was lying over on
the south side of the bay, and her
boats were up in the neighborhood
of Taovisk River. Our ship was
lingering behind, although it was
getting too late for bay-whaling,
and our boats were out as usual.
On the same evening that the
"Spindrift's boats went into Taovisk
River, our third and fourth mates,
with their boats, made a landing in
little blight at the mouth of what
we had christened the Big River for
want of better name, thereby con-
Tossing our inability to pronounce
the Russian one, which was not by
any means monosyllabic.
Jim was missing in the morning
when the crews of the "Spindrift"
boats we're mustered, and inquiries
made about him from Russians and
Tongoosemen failed to elicit any in
formation.
Black Sam could doubtless have
shed some light on Jim's where
abouts had he been inclined to give
the information; but, protesting to
be much annoyed at Jim's desertion,
he swore an oath or two, gave orders
to launch the boats, which was ac-
cordingly done, and they returned
to their ship with the place of a
midship oarsman vacant.
The very fact that Jim was "on
the loose" should have been warn
ing to the villagers that there was
something in the wind, but no parti-
cular search was made for him.
There was no moon, and the nights
were exceedingly dark, except when
the whole heaven from the horizon
to the zenith was afame with the
crimson and gold of the northern
lights. The ground was covered
with snow to a considerable depth,
and a dense fog hung for days over
the landscape, which had nothing
in it to charm or delight the eye
even in the sunshine, and had now a
peculiarly dreary aspect when
"The cold wind swept over the desolate
hill;
The streams bound fast and the wolds
were chill"
A sleigh, drawn by dozen dogs,
was driven into the shadows of the
pine forest that lay behind the vii
lage of Taovisk on the second night
after Jim had disappeared.
1t was driven by young Russian
lad, and when he drew up by the
edge of the woods he was Joined by
a figure we'll muffied up in furs, and
evidently prepared for journey.
The new conner exchanged few
words with the driver of the some
what primitive conveyance; then sat
down on the edge of the sleigh,
while the other hurriedly proceeded
towards the village. The dogs lay
down and composed themselves to
rest, while their human companion
impatiently awaited the return OF
the Russian, and now and again ex-
pressed his impotence by muttering
selection of oaths and curses from
his teeming vocabulary.
Stealthily, yet swiftly, two figures
came over the snow from the direc-
ton of the village.
One of them was female wrapped
up in a fur cloak, with the hood
drawn over her head and face.
The moment they reached the
sleigh the female was bundled on to
it, and the dogs aroused.
The Russian drew out of the way
the long whip was piled, and Scan
dalous Jim and Polygaia were in a
few, moments beyond his vision on
their way to haven some twenty
miles distant, where it had been ar,
ranged boat from the "Spindrift'
would meet them.
The dogs were driven at their ut
most speed, for we'll their driver
knew it was ride for life or death
He was we'll on his journey wher
the fog began to lift, and the first