Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-06-19
A PESKY WHALE.

There's whales an whales said
the captain suddenly. Some of 'em is
pesky critters an some amt so pesky.
Smoke went up in clouds and there
was silence.
Reckon you've got something on
your mind. cap" said the doctor.
ooh, nothin very particular, T" said
the captain, but when whales was in
troduced it reminded me- | 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 a
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 enc fine mornin, we doin
about six knots, we raised whale that
was a whale 7"
"Big, / bet, = said the doctor.
'sNo, not SO terrible big" said the
captain, but pesky. | 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 10 starboard he was BLOWN. He
sent up a good spout an then seemed
to kinder settle himself, like he was
nappin, shown good bit of his length.
I hove old Liz to, an we put over q
couple Of beats. Rowin in the small
boat was Dutchman named Frank.
mention him, cause he comes into the
yarn pretty prominent. Frank was a
good sailor, but one Of them fellers that
has dreadful lit tc say. He tended
right to business an kept his hatch
battened close. Well, as it turned out,
the little boat licked the big one an
got the first whack at the whale. They
put a harpoon into him just over his
port fin, an down he went.
81 stood a-watching things through
glass. waited All 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
went down. He warn't up long, but
enough to get his bearin's, guess, for
down he went again, an ! could see the
bow man gettin ready TO give him all
the rope he'd take. Then the boat start
ed slowed bit an come dead for the
ship at 40 mile clip. | never see q
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 goin to sheer off, or is he goin
to give as ramp That boat, sir, trav-
eled for us as true as hair, an i could
see the men in her gettin excited. On
she came, THROWN spray like liner,
and / calkilated if she held her course
she hit us so near 'midship it wouldn't
be worth measurin the difference. Then
l see the man in the bow make a pass
for the rope with the Ratchet. but he
was nervous like an missed it, for the
Ratchet went overheard, an he. losin his
balance, along with it. The rest of the
men warn't long decidin what they'd
do. 1t was go overheard or git smashed
to flinders, an when they got within 80
yards of us they all went over but
Frank.
I" Jump you idiotp yells l. DO you
want to git stove?' Mebbe he didn't
hear, but reckon it wouldn't made no
difference, for as I'm livin, doc, that
Dutchman lay himself out on his stom-
ach in the bottom Of the boat. grabbed
a foot cleat with both hands an hung
on for dear life. Well, old whale kept
steam on. could see the boat 90 down
little by the head as she got close to
us, an knew the rope was scrapin the
ships keel. We was all holding breath
an waitin to see Frank splatter his
brains against the ships side, when the
boat went nose down, starn up an I'M
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 a sidden one
of the men sings out, BY the holy po-
ker, lookp Whipped round, an there,
30 fathom off our port, was the little
whale boat, full of water to the gun
mel, an Frank standin up in her, waist
deep, holding onto rowlock for dear
life. So help me, doc, that boat was
towed clean under old Liz, the Dutch
man in her. an come up sound ON the