The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-02-08
WE'LL WON:
Or, the Whaler's Wife.

Or, the Whaler's Wife.
Nantucket Jack was in melancholy
mood because there seemed to be no
chance that he would ever win May
Blossom, the captains daughter. The
preferred suitor was the mate, Boles,
who had made record as a whaler
and stood high in favor.
So Jack longed for an opportunity
to distinguish himself and this is how
it came: The crew had pursued a
whale of great value and almost killed
it, when they saw a squal coming on.
All the boats at once cut away to
seek the ship, but Jack was for hold
ing on and refused to lose such a
prize. His crew deserted him and left
him to cope with the monster alone
And now a truly desperate combat
took place. Alternately WORKING the
light craft with skillful hand, and
plying his lance-with the spray all
around him-with the whales f1ukes
whipping the air about his head, and
the white scroll of the jaw occa-
sionally almost grasping the boat,
jack fought desperately with this
old king of the sea-" so close
to him all the time that the
whale, the boat, the fishing lance
and the nimble form of the young
man, seemed almost blended into one.
Aboard the man-of-war craw and
officers were excited witnesses of this
com bat. The shrouds, the booms and
all the sails were alive with blue
jackets. while even those aloft, stow
ing canvas to prepare for the squall,
kept an eye upon the strange specta-
Gle of this one brave man STRUGGLING
with so mighty an antagonist.
All at once ringing cheer rose
from the seamen as Jack, planting his
lance near the life spot" caused the
leviathan to spout blood. The move
ments of the monster now were more
feeble: he swan round and round, his
spout becoming lower every moment;
and finally, with one last, desperate
furry, he rolled over stone dead.
An officer-the first lieutenant
now sprang upon the ships horse
block and roared through his trump pet:
leave your whale and come aboard
here lively, my man." pointing with
one hand, as he spoke, to the black
rack of the roaring, screaming squall
close aboard.
But Jack shook his head; for, having
obtained his prize he was resolved not
W I'LL Vic llSh VI lCSIHS
"Ay, ay," remarked an old fore.
that chaps pluck? But Davy Jones
nav, though he's escaped that of
Johnny Whale"
A moment later along came the
squall, booming, shrielSing and shroud-.
ing Jack and his whale from sight in
the whirling rack.
The man-of-war was hurled far
from the spot, with the ends of her
lee main and foreyards almost dipping
in the seething, kissing foam and, for a
quarter Of an hour, the wind blew so
hard that the water was beaten down
fat.
At last. when the squall had passed
far to leeward Captain Blossom and
his crew watched in vain for the
daring young harpooner, who, instead
of returning to his ship, as Boles and
the others. had done. had refused to
cut and kept on after the whale.
With pale cheeks and streaming eyes
May Blossom was among the watch
ers. A mist lay upon the ocean in the
direction where her lover was last
seen, and as the Meteor kept on Jack S
broken steering oar and the red wool
len cap he had worn were discovered
and picked up.
This tells the story" said the cap
tain sadly.
Poor May gave despairing cry, but
just then &; shout was heard coming
from the mist, and the girl. with
flashing eyes, arched her neck and
reared her head like young colt.
''That was Jack!'' she said.
And she was right. AS the ship
forged on the wind partly blew aside
the misty curtain, showing the gallant
fellow standing bareheaded in the
stern sheets of his boat. BY flashing
the whale to the barbed irons sticking
in the body of the monster. he had
prevented the craft from swapping in
the squall He was soon picked ur,
when the captain, in his joy at secur-
ing SO valuable a whale after he had
| thought it was lost, fairly embraced
the young harpoOner.
II see now said the skipper, "that
L mistOoS your character; that a quiet
| man-a man of few words-may have
as much energy and pluck as noisy
one, and sometimes more. Boles was
for cutting from the whale, but you
held on, even in the face of death.
You deserve reward Here it isl
TO the side of the young man he
drew blushing May Blossom, now hap
pier than words can express and
placed her hand in that of brave Nam
tucket Jack.
A Trade Secret.