Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-11-20


up till he lowered full IS feet above
the rail! ! jumped back in genuine
fear that he would topplc over on the
deck. Then he turned a somersault
with a splash and drenched us all. He
rose again, churning the water white,
raised his tail quite 20 feet and slapped
the water with a noise like a thunder
clap at our very toes. He turned round
and round, wrapping the rope about
his huge body. then shot straight for
ward on the surface, skipping from
wave TO wave ike a swallow. He
reached the end OF his slack rope with
a jerk that shook the ship from stem 20
stern. There was an instant tug Of
war between the whale and the re-
yersed engines Then the whale won
and for a minute pulled the vessel for
ward with him.
Again the windlass whirred and
whizzed, but with diminishing speed.
Far out at the end Of his two miles OF
rope, the whale churned and lashed the
water and blew big blasts Of hot yapor.
The crew saw the end and relaxed their
tenseness. They gave him haitian hour
or 80 10 end his commissions. Then the
captain shouted the order 10 wind In
the rope.
As the whale felt the pull he gave one
feeble, dying jump The men stopped
n minute, then continued slowly 10 pull
in. Finally. the huge. inert hnbby
body nonted belly upward, just of the
bow. They lowered a boat, passed n
chain about the narrow circumference
where the tail widens, and grappled
him to the side Of the yessel ] could
see dozen guarrelinR porpoises eat
ing the tongue Of the monster that
had been an hour before alive and, 70
those scavengers, inyincible. The emp
tain gave sigh and smile OF content
md leaned over the side to measure
with his eye the size Of his prize. The
crew busted themselves with loading
the hArpoon gun again and putting
things in order.
All this was before Ave in the morn
ind and before breakfast After the
mcnl. when w0 came - deck again,
there had risen heavy Iceland wind.
The captain snifFed " and glanced AZ
the choppy sea. twill be bnd day
for the feesh." he said; and went alnft
TO his bridge 20 watch with his Rlass-
~ for another elbow" with the wind
'ame rain. and the two did. indeed.
make bad fishing. Not that the whales
went In out OF the wet, nsan irreverent
sailor must tell the Ruileles- lands
men: there was scarce time when we
could not see dozen "blowS" within
fve-mile radius Often. when we
were not prepared for them, they
would swim right past MS with oil the
dignity OF an ocean liner speeding pDst
bobhing fishing craft They never
seemed to be merely browsing idly
nround-they were always swimming
Ms n they had important business
somewhere on the coast OF Sweden
When they were close by we could fol.
low them readily with the eye md see
them rising and dippinR at regular In.
tervhls. Farther OF milestonca Of
their course were their elbows" 1t Is
the one conspicuous mammal chRrac
teristic remaining TO this expotriated
land animal who has chosen the en-.
vironmcnt Of fish for his abode. once
In so often he must breathe And as
his taking breath involves blowing o
a0-foot high pillar Of white varor into
the air, II Is this mark Of the beast
md OF the beasts natural habitat that
betrayA him TO his enemies.
Late in the afternoon the captain on
tho bridge swept the sea with his
glasses, and saw M sign Of elbow"
lie glanced nj the sinking sun and
measured with his eye the 20 miles tc
the harbor, He dropped his gIasseS
and gave quiet order that meant the
day, work was done. The deck was
put In order and the stocky little
whAler. with her trophies grnppled
close to her side, set her bow towards
the mainland II was not for the want
ot "hsh" that we had hshcrman's luck
that day. Hut the whalcr was no
larger than = tughoat. The heavy sea
tossed hor about like n cork, and aim
ing a cannon with So unsteady base
A. the whaler's how was difficult bust
ness even for the expert captain.
Three times he hred and missed; and
as IL took an hour or two to relond the
gun and prepare the harpoon and
bomb, Il was two o'clock in the after
noon before we got our second prize.
The process was In all respects like the
first; but there was the same frenzy ~
excitement aboard the ship. The one
appetite that never becomes sAtiNted
the one instinct that is never satis fed,
the one experienced that No amount Of
repetition dullS, u, 1t seems, the In.
stinct 10 hunt and Kill In primitive
man II was the first law ~ his being;
and, like the whales breathing, Il
stays with him In a wholly changed
environment.
The captain slowly paced the bridR,
and puired long cigar in profound
content judged, 10y what he had
told me, that his individual share in
the days catch would he Il successful
lawyers income for week -Bostor
TranSc ript