The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-12-09

help. and cIutched the sculi and hoTa
returned as ! floated more easily on the
water.
The squaIl died out and the clouds lifted,
but only to show me that night was com
ing on apace, and in the twilight neither
boat nor bark was visible. ln q Httle
while the stars began 10 come ont and a
feeling of utter loneliness and abandon
Inent possessed me that ! have never mad
egualed since The sea went Gown, and
cHngiug 10 the oar / drifted hclplessly on
tho sveh. while my thoughts We're OF q
truly agoniziuE character. Some time dur
ing the night. but at what hour J have no
i5ea, I suddenly became aware OF the ap-
preach Of some object that came Ae"iNt
and nearer. Ii was long, and dark. and
rested low down ia the water. rs suggest
ga an enormous ships boat. bottom UP.
bat 1 knew IL was not. Was IL some ter
rihIe marine monster bearing down % de-
vour mc2
Nearer il came ana nearer. rising and
falling gently on the swell u the ocean.
Its great bulk dimly outlined in the dusky
night. ! struasled 70 get out Of It's way
hut was TOO exhausted. and so with breath
less anxiety, awaited my fate.
A Strange Bark.
an at once nay heart gave a leap OF Joy
and I anr sure I shouted aloud
II was the carcass of = dead WHALE. float
ing On the water
no longer feared it. I swan toward It,.
seized upon It's enormous lin and. by "a
desperate EFFORT. raised myself and climbed
upon it, drawing my oar after me.
a harpoou. with a long section OF line
attached. was sticking i'm the body OF the
dead leviithau. In which I at once recog-
llized the weapon which Tom Dineley had
hurled the night before. This was our
prize. now dead and ahoat on the deep-a
dcrclict,
I felt perfectly happy and fairly danced
Tor joy. ! was saved. 7 had big raft. as
So WERE beneath me. ANA could laugh AT the
treacheroua deep about me
1t was long night, but a strange feel
Ing OF content filled my soul; for [ felt
certain that the morning light would re-
veal to me my companions. and I should
have the nonov OF bringing IN the dead
whaIe
Morning dawued at last, ana the sun rose
!n an uucoudeI sky. L cagcrly scanned
the ocean. but as my eve swept from hori-
ION TO horizon IL beheld only an unhroken
expause of water, with no ship or boat ia
sight 1 was Mortified and partially stupe-
fled as the awful truth burst upon me. I
was abandoned alone on the mighty deep
adritt ON q Whalei
I fell prone upon my face. eroaned In ury
despair, and for q moment was tempted 20
throw myself INTO the sea ana end my
misery
After a while I began TO recover my rea-
son little. and sat M. ana spent hours
watching 10 see if a sail might not rise on
tho horizon.
Eating Rare Whale Meat.
Toward noon. when my eyebaus ached
TN they were ready to burst. I realized that
! was dreadfully faint and hungry. ] drew
my knife from its sheath and cut a hole
in the back Of the whale and tried 70 cat
some OF the raw flesh. 1t was far from
paiatahle. and / confess that I did not
consume a very large quantity.
About this time II occurred to me 10
hoist a signal Of distress; so fastened my
handkerchief TO the tip of the oar. aud
stuck the other end into the hole I had
cut in the whales back. and so had
flag flying, which performance, after | had
completed the job. struck me as being
rather silly when no ship or living creature
was in sight
] was now getting n little used TO the
novelty OF the situation. and soon found
myself specializing upon the chances of an
escape from the dreadful position l was in