The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-09-03

EXHAUSTED BUT IhlJ MfHANIs
manded the harpooners to stand ready for
the throw. 1t was a thrilling race, and
every man was alive with excitement.
The first mate, Ben Toole, a wiry little
man from New Bedford, ran rs far for
ward as he could go without making his
way out upon the bowsprit and seemed to
be measuring with his keen eye the dis
lance from the Nomad to the dead fish.
He was cool as an icicle, to all outward
seeming, but there was II grim look of res.
olution on his weatherbeaten face.
In among the loose ice plunged the No
mad, with the Russian close to starboard
and the Englishman hard aport Regard
less of the danger from the ice, all three
vessels drove straight ahead The friction
Of the ice slackened our speed somewhat,
but we were still under good Roadway.
And now the eyes of every man were on
the whale, the harpooners having their
iron lances poised ready for the cast.
And then, just as the throw was made,
there came n crashing, grinding shock,
the Roadway of the ship being checked al
most Immediately. The Russian harpooner
had his cast at that instant, and not eX-
pecting the shock any more than our own
men he made miscalculation, for the
Nomad and the Russian had crashed to-
gether.
A second shock followed the first, for
the rebound had flung us around into the
course of the Englishman, and she struck
us CHANGING blow on the port quarter.
was knocked from my feet, and sprang
up Just in time to see Ben Toole take
headlong plunge from the rail. Rushing
forward with others, | was in time to see
HIN, 81, 10 f,p IA la1 la
When ToOle's object was understood by
the Yankee sailors, cheer broke from
their threats. The brave fellow paid no
heed, but swan through the water with a
strong stroke, avoiding any floating blocks
of ice. In a short time he reached the
whale and grasped fin, where he clung
exhausted but triumphant.
Then, seeming to forget the position of
Toole, the skipper began to look around
for place to make the ship fast to a large
piece of ice.
In the meantime, the Englishman, APP
parently defeated, lowered and manned n
boat. 1t is strange thing that no one on
board the Nomad observed or seemed to
understand the object of the British skip
per. The boat picked its way through the
ice toward the whale, which was already
in our possession.
Toole was nearly frozen, and his be-
numbed fingers could scarcely cling to the
slippery fin of the whale, but he grinned
in triumphant yet sickly way as he saw
the English boat approach.
The skipper of the English schooner was
in his boat and, as he came close to Toole
he observed
'Well, my lad, you have good courage
and you've got fine fish. But the water
must be very coldy"
sit is pretty cold for me, " chartered the
first mate, 'as happen to be a married
man, and my wife keeps me in water of
another temperature when I'm at home. "
"You Yankees can joke under any cir
cumstances," laughed the Englishman.
But you'll freeze to death before your
captain gets out boat. Shall we take
you in?"
In fact, Toole felt that he could not hold
out much longer, and so he allowed them
TO pull him into the boat This released
the whale, which was again out of posses.
sion, and the tricky English skipper al
once struck his harpoon into it, hoisted
flag and claimed the prize.
a madder man than Ben Toole nevel
sailed the north seas in search for whales
but, despite his denunciatiOn of the scaly
trick, the Englishman stubbornly cluns
TO the fish.
When Captain Brown understood wha
had happened, he raved like a pirate. H
called the English skipper some very i'm
polite names, and, for a time, it SCENE,
that pitched battle would surely result
The skipper tried to put portion of tn
blame on Toole, but he knew he had him
self 20 blame for not lowering boat with
out delay. There was nothing more thai
battle of words, and the Englishmal
held the whale.
Captain Brown has now retired fror
whaling, but it is certain he never agai
lost prize through negligence or tricker
on the part of others who were at hand
get the best of him.