The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-03-18
ALL'S FAIR IN WAR.
BIZ CAPT VIM. II. MACY.

older, tndt the deer old man may have
embellished them a little, or at least
that, as the phrase goes, story lost
nothing in his telling. | try to re
member, as nearly as | can, his ac
count of how be was taken prisoner
by the British letter Of -marque, which
he always declared was strictly true.
When the war with England broke
ont in 1872, was round Cape Horn,
on my second voyage as boat steerer
in the old Belinda, or ''B'lindy" as
she was generally called, with Captain
Hezekiah Starbuck OF course we
heard about the war, and a great many
wild rumors about the British naval
fleets coming round into the Pacific,
and British prlvateers fitting out for
Yankee prizes on the whaling grounds
but we never knew how much to be-
lieye or disbelieve of these wild sto ~
ries. SO we kept steadily about our
| business, which was to ill the Belinda
with sperm oil, though we knew we
must take fearful hazard in trying
to run the gauntlet of the enemy's
cruisers on our passage home.
Well, the old shib was getting deep
in the water with her greasy cargo,
and wanted only three hundred barrels
to fill her up, when we found our
selves one fine morning in sight of
Charles Island, one of the Galapagos.
and soon after lowered away for
whales, of which many were in sight
within a circle of few miles. | be
longed to the larboard boat, which
was commanded by Absalom Hussy,
our chief mate, man of great resolu-
ton, immense physical strength and
temper, which, when reused. carried
all before it. We got separated from
the othsr boats, and fastened to live
ly forty barrel bull, which carted us
away several miles to leeward before
the mate got a good fatal lance at him;
but at last the victory was ours, and
our whale turned his broadside up to
the sun, while our hurrahs rent the
air
There was q ship in sight, heading
on a wind directly at us, but this was
rather pleasant circumstances He
was whaler, of course, and we felt
the true whaleman'a delight in ag-
gravating our rivals by a show of our
good luck. SO we cut a hole in the
whales nib, and, coiling our line down
already for streaming, we had nothing
more to do but wait for the Belinda to
run down to us. She was still keep
ing her luff as the captain and second
mate were fast to another whale, which
had run to windward. We were all
sitting or lonnging at our ease in the
boat, watching the strange ship.
Doesn't look like any Nantucket
or Bedford ship that 1 know" said
Ahsalom, as he stood up on the stern
sheets and Strengthened his gigantic
frame to its full height. Il thought
| knew all about the ships on the
ground; but this one is stranger.
new. conner She has got some oil.
though by the look of her waist"
1T seems to me- said | that her
bows and head have rather a British
look
Just So" asserted the giant, with
his eyes steadily and keenly fixed up
on her.
And the hoist of her topsails don't
look natural for any Yankee whaler.
L think L can sec quarter galleries
when she yaws little; and-yes. by
thunder! | can see ports. But she
may be an old man of war turned in
to whaler Ports and whaleboats
don't belong together in any of our
country's ships, nohow."
well" observed, 1T doesn't mat
ter much, anyway. Even if she is an
English whaler, we needn't trouble
ourselves, | suppose. There's room
enough in the Pacific ocean for both
of us to pursue our business without
quarreling."
$50 there is. answered the mate;
but ] haven't much opinion of John
Bulls politeness when he thinks all
the advantages are on his side. He
may take it into his noddle to steal
our whale, and say all's fair in war
time. And if he is the stronger, we
can't help ourselves"
As the ship drew near us, we could
see that she was much larger than
any of our Nantucket whalers and had
six ports on each side, with guns
mounted in some of them, at least
But her mastheads were manned after
the usual manner OF wEalers. and
there were no more men to be seen on
her deck than might have belonged tc
any fonr boat ship. On she came,
altering her course just enough to run
cleal of our whale and the captain
standing on the quarter rail. saluted
us with
Boat ahoy! What ship are you
from?'
The B'lindy, of Nantucket" roar
ed Absalom Hussey. What ship is
that ~
The Allahabad, of London" was
the answer. Cast off from Your
whale, and come alongside when l
luff to-"
"What2'' demanded our mate.
doubtful of his own ears.
Leave your whale. and come q
longsidew was called again, louder
than before
Can't stop"yelled Absalom. Much
obliged t'ye all the same"
By this time the ship had passed us
SO far that the skipper used his speak
ing trumpet to repeat his order.
If you don't come alongside I'll
open fire upon you,'
Fire, and be hangedw shouted our
Hercules, in voice that must have
been heard on board, for It was louder
than the trumpet's hail.
Now what sort of a mean trick is
he up to? For don't s'pose this is a
friendly invitation, though / thought
it was. first time he spoke The Alley
. What did he say her name
was?.'
"Allahabad," said [. ats an East
Indian name"
well, he's more than an East or
West Injun himself if he means to
play any piratical tricks on me. Hal
loo. mis- helms down, and iib sheets