Connecticut western news., 1897-07-22
A PESKY WHALE.


 pesky critters an some ain't so pesky."
 Smoke went up in clouds and there was silence.
 Reckon you've got something on your mind, cap," said the doctor.
 "Oh, nothin very particular" said the captain, "but when whales was in- troduced it reminded me. I had old Liz up Boring sea way two years ago-old Liz was my ship, her full name bein Elizabeth J. Barker-an we'd had pretty good season. September we put around the Horn, an as things happen ed didn't see another whale till we struck into the forties. Then, sir, long II o'clock one fine mornin, we doin about six knots, we raised whale that was whale"
 Big, bet," said the doctor.
 "No, not so terrible big" said the captain, "but pesky. I was standin about 'midships when one of the men sings out, Hi, cap, look at i'm blow. Sure 'nough, half mile off an dead abeam to starboard he was blowin. He sent up a good spout an then seemed to kinder settle himself, like he was nappin. showin good bit of his length. hove old Liz to, an we put over a couple of boats. Rowin in the small boat was Dutchman named Frank. 1 mention him, 'cause he comes into the yarn pretty prominent. Frank was a good sailor, but one of them i, Hers that has dreadful little to say. He tended right to business an kept his hatch battened close We'll, as it turned out, the little boat licked the big one an got the first whack at the whale. They put harpoon into him just over his port fin, an down he went
 ''I stood a-watching things through glass. I waited an waited for the boat to start off 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 an 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 to get his bearin's, I guess, for down he went again, an I could see the bow man gettin ready to give him all the rope he'd take. Then the boat start cd, slowed bit an come dead for the ship at a 40 mile clip. l never see a boat travel so We watched 'em, an when she got within quarter of a mile I thinks to myself: This. is gittin blamed interestin. I wonder is that whale goin to sheer off, or is lie goin to give US ram?' That boat, sir, trav- eled for us as true as hair, an I could see the men in her gettin excited. On she came, throwin spray like a liner, and I calkilated if she held her course she'd q hit us so near 'midship it wouldn't be " orth measurin the difference. Then see the man in the bow make a pass for the rope with the hatchet, but he was nervous like an missed it, for the hatchet went overheard, an he, losin his balance. along with it. The rest of the | men warn't long decidin what they'd do. It was go overheard or git smashed to flinders, an when they got within 50 yards of us they all went over but Frank.
 Jump, you idiotp yells I. Do you want to git stove?' Mebbe he didn't hear, but I reckon it wouldn't made no difference, for as I'm Twin, doc, that Dutchman lay himself out on his stom- ach in the bottom of the boat, grabbed a foot cleat with both hauds an hung | on for dear life. We'll, old wbale kcrt steam on. could see the Loat lo down little by the head as she got close to us, an 1 knew the rope was scrapin the ships keel. We was all holding breath an vaitin to see Frank splatter his brains against the ships side, when the boat went nose down, starn up an un- der water with a kerchug. She missed reachin us by about five yard.
 | "All hands aboard ship leant over | to see Frank an the. splinters come up, for the boat would sure fetch again the | keel an go to kindlin wood. We wait ed an waited an waited, but, by gum, there warn't no splinters an there warn't no Frank. All of sidden one of the men sings out, By the holy po- ker, look! Whipped round, an there, 1 20 fathom off our port, was the little whale boat, full of water to the gun nel, an Frank standin up in her, waist deep, holding onto rowlock for dear
 life. So help me, doc, that boat was lowed clean under old Liz, the Dutch man in her, an come up sound on the other side.
 "Yes, sir, under the ship slick as a whistle, an the Dutchman in her. That
 whale was a scientist, sir. He calki-
 lated right to lose the boat, but, bless
 you, it's a bigger job than any one
 wanted to tackle to stave that craft, an
 as for floatin, she was boxed at each
 end an couldn't t sink. But that ain't the
 end of the story. We remembered the
 fellers that jumped, an we seen the big
 boat would pick 'em up before we could
 put another over, so we turned to look
 at Frank again. There warn't anything 1 left ill the boat to bail with, an he couldn't do nothin but wait on the pleasure of that whale. He traveled away from the ship as fast as he come at it, an he must "a gone third of g mile before the boat slacked. Then we seen her slow down an come to dead stop. Line busted, says I. Man a boat an fetch in the Dutchman.' hadnt no more n spoke the words when big wave seemed to rise up near the boat an old whale blowed 30 feet high. Then he got old Liz in range. Up his tail goes, an he under water again. could see Frank wade forrard in the boat an try to pay out line, but it was jammed, an before he could make il loose the boat give jerk round, almost
 a. throwin him out, an come at us again.
 What I'm sayin is truth. doc. That