Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-09-22

HHEN ~" ~ nNAAA NAANNA " ANH w ~
of to explore tho island. The ships
boats were all gone, and l knew we wero
doomed so far as rescue was concerned,
but / never let ON to the seaman. It
didn't take me long to mako the circuit
OF the island, andI found. something that
gave me an idea, and r good one too"
At this point Mr.. Tons was again
overcome. He smoto himself on the
brow and cursed tho memory Of the
able seaman who had blighted his life.
A drink, however, restored him, and
he started in again.
"Where was / atg' he asked.
you had just made a discovery"
replied the club, deeply interested.
About 100 yards from the wreck and
close to the beach | stumbled on to a
sperm whale aground on his stomach In
a dry gully with his head out to sea.
He was partly buried in the sand washed
up by the gale"
"Was the whale dcedy Willie Bloke
inquired.
"Of course he was. Do you suppose
he would be cruising inland if he wasn't
He had a harpoon in his ribs, which I
reckon killed him before the storm threw
him up on the island. Going back to
the seaman and giving him q few moro
kicks-rapid ones they were-l told him
we were saved.
"tHow SOP he Gays.
".AsS no questions said /, but turn
to and help He braccd MP, and We un-
shipped the main topgallant yard from
the wreck. This was q hollow iron spar
about 20 feet long with a wooden plug
in each end. We pulled the plugs out
and then went to oyerhauling the cargo.
Luck was with me, and 1 soon found
what l wanted. This was a lot Of bales
Of loose cotton packing in long strands
the size Of u mans thumb. We stretched
this out in the sun, and when it got dry
me and the able seaman plated a long
wick to fit the iron SPAR. Then we rove
it through, with about 10 fathoms to
spare, and planted the spar in the whales
blowhole, with the extra wick floating
around in tho spermacsti inside Of his
head. reckon the whale had about 20
barrels Of fine oil in his brain locker.
We guyed tho spar with small wire ca
bles, and then L made the seaman shin
up and touch her off"
did it burn?' the skipper gravely in
quired.
"You have seen a tar barrel afre, l
reckon. Well, that is q tallow dip COM
pared to my lighthouse. She doomed up
like q torchlight procession OF end. Tho
able seaman said I should have been an
admiral and wanted to kiss my hand,
but l set him to work with q shovel
burying the whale. 1t was hot weather,
and 1 wanted to keep the oil cool. By
working all night we got the whale I'M
der cover, caving in the soft sides of tho
gully and then banked the base of tho
spar with rocks.
"In the morning 1 concluded to douso
the lamp because it was a big waste of
oil and did no good in daylight. Sol
sent the seaman aloft with q tin pail to
snuff the wick, but the blooming spar
was so hot he couldn't get more than
half way up. There was nothing to do
but loaf around and let her burn.
For nearly three weeks she blazed,
lighting up the sea for miles around.
The light attracted birds Of all kinds, but
no ships. 1t kept us busy daytimes drag
cling away the fowls that few into the
fame at night, and the smell of burning
feathers nearly drove us off the islano
anyhow. At last n trading schooner
raised our beacon light, put in, and we
were saved. The captain was struck
with my lighthouse and wanted to know
how / kept her going.
ooh, that's an oilwell we discovered,
said, giving the able seaman n kick.
$50" said the captain, land who owns
the islandy'
eve do" I said, and so did the able
seaman before 1 could kick him again.
"Do you want to sell outY" he asked.
ITO be sure, if you've got the figure"
said.
"Row muchJ"
Forty thousand dollars in cash
money"
Done" said the captain. "Come
aboard the schooner and get the money"
Once more Mr.. Tokens filed up and
was about to founder, but the skipper
rescued him with n pull at the bottle.
Then he fetched a sigh that sounded like
the wind whistling through a cemetery
as the wreck Of ruined hopes hoated out
of the past.
dad bling his onery picture, but that
able seaman was low and i%gnorantl He
wasn't rugged for business, but got frothy
all at once and said he wanted n plug Of
eating tobacco to boot on the $4,000 be-
fore he left the island. You see, he
thought he was smart like me and want
ed to sail a sharp bargain, but the cap
tain wa pretty close hauled on a deal
himself. / kicked the seaman some more
and promised him two plugs when we
got to San Francisco, but he said he was
no flying fish, and that wealth would
make me proud and naughty.
1--WE backed and filed for two days
with tho dual hove to. Then tho cap.
tain was about to split the difference
with half a plug when the whale went
dry, the wick fell in, and / was left on
my beam ends. Holy smoke, but that
captain got madl He threatened to
leave us on the island, but the idiot sea.
man begged so hard the old man Gained
down again and allowed US TO work ouI
passage home. But we might have
- A. r.H..r~ar. -