River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-04-16

Reckon you've got something on
your mind. cap" said the doctor.
"Oh. nothin' very partickier." said the
captain, "but when whales was intro
duced IL reminded me. / had old Liz
up BehriEg sea way two years agO-old
Liz was my ship. her full name bein'
Elizabeth J. Barker-an' we'd Lad a
pretty good season. September we put
around for the Horn. and, as things
happened, didn't see another whale till
we struck into the Forties. Then, sir.
bout ii o'clock one fine mornin', we do
in about six knots, we raised a whale
that was a whale"
big, bet" said the doctor.
"NO. not so terrible big" said the cap
tain, 'but pesky. was standin' about
'midships when one of the men sings
out: iii. Cap. look at 'er blow Sure
'nough, half n mile of and dead abeam
70 starboard. he was BLOWN. lie sent
up a good spout and then seemed to
kinder settle himself, like he was nap
pin, shown good bit of his length.
hove old Liz to, and we put over a couple
Of boats. Rowin' in the small boat was
a Dutchman named Frank. ! mention
him, cause be comes into the yarn
pretty prominent. Frank was a good
sailor. but one of them fellers that has
dreadful little TO say. lie tended right
TO business and kept his hatch bat
tened close. Well. as it turned out, the
little boat licked the big one and got
first whach at the whale. They put a
harpoOn into him just over his port fin
and down he went.
Il stood a-watchin' things through a
glass. i waited an waited for the boat
TO start of in tow, but she didn't do
nothin' but set still. which was puzzlin'.
In about five minutes sOmethin' big an
black broke water tween US and the
boat, an there was old blower, not
mOre'n 200 yards from the place he went
down. He warn't up long, but enough
20 git his bearin's, guess. for down he
went again, an l could see the bow
man gettin' ready to give him all the
rope he'd take. Then the boat started.
slowed bit an come dead for the ship
at a 4O-mile clip. | never see a boat
travel so. We watched 'em, an when
she got within a quarter of a mile
thinks to myself: This is gittin' blamed
interestin' wonder is that whale GO
in to sheer of OF is he goin' TO give us
n ram? That boat, sir. Travelled for us
as true as 4 hair, an could see the men
in her gittin' excited. On she come.
THROWN spray like a liner, and cal
kilated il she held her course she'd hit
us so near 'midships il wouldn't be
worth measuTin' the difference. Then
/ see the man in the bow make pass
for the rope with the Ratchet. but he
was nervous like, an missed IL, for the
Ratchet went overheard an he, losin'
his balance, along with il. The rest of
the men warn't long decidin' what
they'd do. II was go overheard or git
smash cd to flinders. and when they got
within so yard of us they all went over
but Frank.
Jump, you IDIOT yeIls I do you
want to git stove2' Mebbe he didn't
hear, but / reckon il wouldn't make no
difference, for as I'm Twin. Doc, that
Dutchman lay himself out on his STUN
mick in the bottom of the boat, grabbed
a foot cleat with both hands and hung
on for dear life. Well. old whale kept
bhs SC TIC ko WV ~
a little by the head as she got close TO
us. an I knew the rope was scrapin' the
ships keel. We was all holdin' breath
and waitin' to see Frank splatter his
brains against the ships side. when the
boat went nose down, stern up and I'M
der the water with a kerchug. She
missed rcachin' us by about five yard
"AIl hands aboard ship leant over to
see Frank and the splinters come up
for the boat would sure fetch again the
keel and go to kindlin' wood. We waited
an waited an waited, but, by gum.
there weren't no splinters an there
wern't no Frank. All of a sudden one
of the men sings out: BY the holy
poker. IoolS,' I whipped round and
there 20 fathoms of our port. was the
little whaleboat. full o. water to the
gunnel. an Frank standm' up IN her
waist deep, holdin' on to rowlock for