The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-03-30
SACRED BEN.
The Whale of the Cross. \
By James Cooper Wheeler.

| 4 better man than Portuguese John
never slapped the deck of a whaler with
his foot. All of marine New Bedford 80
| years ago which was fiercely skcptical of
| Dago virtue freely allowed that John
was the exception which proves the rule.
| Therefore no one was surprised when
! old Hank Timrod, master of the Java,
| signed him us fourth mate. AS this Off
Ger acts as captains boat steerer when
| the ''old man" lowers and heads the
starboard boat when he does not it goes
without saying that he must be good
| timber through and through.
1t was not common on an American
whale ship for Il Portuguese to berth aft,
but before the Java had crossed the west
ern ocean on her way to the southern
whaling grounds John was accepted by
Coffin, Holder and Bigelow, the mates,
as an all around good fellow and as capa-
Bile seaman as ever shifted brine. His
workmanship was an unknown quantity,
for none had sailed shipmates with him
before. But they took it for granted and
grew fond of the grave, undemonstrative
man who never courted, but always well
coined, their rough fellowship.
One day in the south Atlantic 'lone"
bull whale was raised from the mainmast
head. 1t was preaching n long distance
to windward, and it took the bluff bowed
Java three hours to beat up to where the
lonely monarch could be seen from the
deck. Bigelow, the third mate, was in
the sings Mt the main royal yard with his
glasses. He scanned the whale long and
closely while it lay squirting without
thought of enemies. Suddenly he sent
his voice to the deck:
81 never seen n sperm bull like this
ERE, Cap'n Timrod. He's queer, an no
mistakc!"
The ''old man," pacing his quarter like
a penned animal, paused in his swift
stride and looked inquiringly aloft.
"What do you make Of him, sirP
I'm blowed if he's a Protestantw an
swered Bigelow, with n brief chuckle.
Hes marked with cross on his head"
Portuguese John, who stood by the
starboard boat near the master, gave
sudden start as the whale was described
and was about to speak, but he restrain
ed himself, and Bigelow continued:
"Seems like the cross was painted on
with white lead. The long streak goes
from the nose to the hump, an the cross
bar reaches clear athwart his head"
Captain Timrod happened to glance at
his fourth mate, and to his surprise
Johns swarthy face had turned that liv-
id yellow which takes the place Of emo
tional paleness in the Latin races.
what is it, John?" he asked in sur
prise.
The Portuguese's voice was husky, and
he shvered as he answered, pointing in
the direction of the bull: Sacred Ben,
sir! The whale of the CROSSE
Hey" exclaimed the "old man." with
an expression of deep interest. "I've
heard of him. He's got bad record"
Portuguese John moved nearer and laid
his unsteady hand ON the masters arm.
Captain" he said in a strained whisper,
that whale mean death. He kill my
broth three year ago in the Indian ocean.
An many more! He stove three boats
of the Mary an get away with four
irons an all the lines. That time know,
for 1 was there. My broth Anton, he
steer Misser Brown, the mate, an all that
boat crow Sacred Ben kill. An many
more! l hear of him in other ships. He
always kill an always get away"
81 heard something of the Mary losing
her boats. l was in the Okhatsk that
year." answered Timrod. "Well, what of
it, John?'
captain, for Christ his sake do not
lower after the whale of the CROSSE
The sailor in Hank Timrod quaked be-
cause of the superstition bcgot by the sea,
but after q moment the tough Yankee
spirit of the old New England whale
hunter surged up in his breast. Sacred
Ben will try out like any other whale, l
reckon" he grimly muttered.
John made the sign Of his faith. He
saw the shippers jaw set and knew the
breed. With the instructive gesture he
resigned his welfare to the care of his
patron saint and braced himself to do his
duty whatever might befall. The "old
man" took his glasses from the compan
ionway rack and climbed the weather
main rigging to n height where he could
see the bull plainly.
"The whale of the cross right enough"
he murmured when he had adjusted his
focus. an give him q whirl for luck"
Then he snapped his glasses together and
roared, "Stand by to lower away"
The masthead lcokouts seemed to drop
to the deck. The crew, on hot foot since
Bigelow's first call from aloft, ranged
themselves ut their stations.
Lower away, ALL"
The falls creaked. In a twinkle all
four boats touched the water, and tho
men were on their thwarts. Timrod,
with the smartest Of the crew, was the
first away from the side. "'Vast pull
ing! commanded he. peak oars! Step
the mast! Shake that sail loose! Throat
and peak halyards hoist"
Almost as he spoke the we'll trained
men had the mast secured, the sheet
passed aft, and the sail took the wind.
"Drop your centerboard. Let her go"
he said to the midship oarsman. Down
it went and held the boat up to the wind
as the cold man" laid her head straight
for Sacred Ben. Pull, ALP The men
laid back OH their oars again, and the
foam curled from the cutwater.
Captain Timrod, the only man in the
boat with his face to the whale, looked
out ahead with a dancing devil in his
gray eye. His blood was afire with the
chase. The whale of the cross, doughty
old sea warrior as he was, had IN antag.
onist who would tax his art and test his
fighting quality. a mile-two miles-were
passed. and the black bulk lay a quarter
mile distant. looming like a bare rock In
midocean. His great hump was six fees
above the sea. at times he spouted,
sending jet of steam 80 feet in the air,
and anon in the wantonness of might he
thrust his huge body half above water
with n writhe Of his muscles and falling
back splintered the brine into foam 100
yards around.
Nearer came the boat. Portuguese
John, watching Timrod's eye, saw it glow
as the dancing devil leapcd with madden
bounds, but he never turned his head,
L., fhnk nay,
close behind. Then the captain spoke
again as he threw the boats nose into the |
wind-this time in n strained whisper
that shivered along the mems nerves like |
an electric current:
''Take in the sail-ceverly! Down with
the mast. So! Stand up, John! Pull |
hardn
lie accompanied the last order with a
swing on his steering oar, and by the |
time Portuguese John had knee in clumsy |
clrat and hand on his Iron" he was fac
ing the whale of the cross not ten feet |
abaft his fin. John, though Dago, was !
grit clear through, and il Timrod remem-
bered his shaking hand when the whale |
was first sighted he knew now that the |
fourth mate would send his harpoon |
home with as brave heart rs beat under |
his own Yankee ribs.
Give it to him." The old man spoke
in a fierce whisper. The hearts of the |
men leal;cd AMI they grippcd oars in ar
rested stroke with fingers OF steel that al |
most dcntcd the ash. Johns Iron" went |
above his head like lightning, and with a
swish its barbed point sung through the |
air and stabbed deep into the side of Sa-