The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-01-26

and ran off perhaps seventy fathoms OF our
line, not more. when the strain suddenly
stopped.
''Back water" muttered the mate He's
coming up! Hand me that lance, black
smith. Haul line forward.
Suddenly we felt tremendous shock
underfoot: and next moment we were all
turning somersaults in the air. The whale
/ had preached with a vengeance. In the
smashing and confusion of the moment, I
cannot say what happened it was every
man for himself.
I struck out for the boat of the first mate,
( Mr.. Cummings's. Our own boat, badly
shattered, had fallen back bottom up.
Three men contrived to dock themselves
astridc it, and Andrews appeared to have
caught grip on the shank of the irons in
the whale He held on there for some
minutes.
! The whale meanwhile moved slowly for
ward housing for the boat. then, suddenly
with single clack of its great jaw, crushed
/ IT To fragments.
The three men astride it dived off in
/ time to avoid the blow and swan for us:
but still Andrews held fast to the harpoon,
or to the line at the whales side. One poor
/ fellow lad disappeared.
There were now five of us with Mr..
| Cummings and his boat was crowded. How
E. l.. Git,
alton was now our only thought. We dread
ed to attack the whales attention. and
dared not approach. Andrews could swim
/ like fish. as we knew. and at length
1 Cummings hailed him.
| ''Better take q header under him and
/ then swim for usr' he advised.
"Put in! Put in man. and fasten to him.
I Andrews shouted back, "You're not goin'
to show the white feather. be ve?'
OTIS not my duty" replied Cummings,
"with the boat loaded down to the gun
wale If YOU want to get hack to the
shin with us, make haster' he again
hailed.
still thrashin@ the fragments of the boat in
pieces and swan of to us. But he was
very angry.
Cummings headed for the ship. Most
of the men We're badly scared.
Meantime the captain had ordered out
another boat We met it coming off. An
drews wet as he was, Jump in and took
command
'I'll kill that whale, or that whale kills
mer he shouted. "But if there's any
man here who can't swim. or is afraid.
he had better 20 into Mr.. Cummings
boat"
Four of the crew lost no time in tumhl-
iug out but two of us who had hcen with
Andrews before, took their places. An
drews seized an oar and We started to pull
back to the whale.
The first mate, by the Captains advice,
put his wet men aboard and then followed
slowly after us. TO pick us up. he said
"Rovs," cried Andrews, as we neared
the whale again. "I'm going to put another
iron in him. If he makes for us jump
overheard swim a few strokes and then
tread water" We were round the whale
and got within half a ships length of him,
when he settled little, rose with a half
breach and came straight toward us
again.
We as rapidly backed water and tried
to sheer off: but in moment the furious
leviathan was close astern of us, and threw
out his terrible jaw.
"Jump"' shouted the mate; and we all
went overheard.
For some reason the whale missed his
blow at the boat and rushed by, going in
the direction of the ship. AS we swan
we could hear the shouting on board.
Cummings got his boat to lee of the ship.
/ The whale coursed back and fourth, eX
hihiting unmistakable evidences of angry
defiance They feared he would run them
aboard.
On our part, we saw that our boat re-
manned uniniured, and returned to it: the
last but one of us was climbing in, when
the mate again shouted: "Jump He's
coming.
| took long header out, on the side
next the ship, and as rose. | heard crash
behind me. The whale had returned and
made an end of the boat this time.
We all swan in the direction of the ship,
and Mr.. Cummings boat stole cautiously
round the bows and picked us up.
Meanwhile, Madagascar Jack" was
/ thrashing the fragments of our second boat
to pieces; there could he no doubt as to his
| fighting quality. We had already lost one
man and two boats and the captain deemed
any further effort to kill him unwise and
extra hazardous. So thought most of the
men.
But the second mate held out and ex-
clai ned
is there men who will 20 with me for
a set at that old man-killer or will We see
me 90 alone?
The captain did not exactly forbid it;
and three of us, Coles, the blacksmith,
/ boat-Staprer named Preston and l. yOlun