Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1905-06-15

til he believed he was clear OF any or
the blockaders Captain Elisha laid his
southern course. Now and then dis
tant sail was sighted, but nothing hap
pened to cause alarm until the brig
was we'll down toward Cape Hatteras.
Then one evening as fair progress was
being made and all was going well
Nancy looked up from her sewing at
Elisha as he came sauntering down
| into the cabin and said:
elisha, you know how my feet allus
burn at sea when were goin' to have a
calm? We'll lose the wind before 10
o'clock"
by Josh, but l don't like itv' he ex-
claimed, with considerable vigor. Were
slippin' right along to git around the
cape by sunup, and we can't have no
calms."
Got to have, Elisha, and it won't do
no good to talk about it."
In less than two hours the breeze had
fined down and died out, and the Mary
Ann lay tossing on the ground swell.
The cargo was one to be got into the
hands of the southern patriots without
something no skipper cared to have
aboard any longer than he could make
port AS the calm came Captain
Elisha Hopewell fretted and fumed
and wondered If it would be his undo
ing. The British still held Charleston,
and from that port they patrolled the
southern coast Nothing had been in
sight when night closed in, but morn
ing and a breeze might find frigate In
his wake or coming up the coast. At
the end Of an hour and as he was still
pacing the deck Nancy joined him and
quietly said:
Elisha, you may git ready fur
thunderstorm"
"NO-aw he fairly shouted as he flung
up his arms
"Its comm, Elisha. l can smell
thunderstorm ten miles off, as you very
we'll know"
"But the powder, Nancy-the hun.
dred bar'ls Of powder. We shall be
struck by lightnin' and blowed to mince
meatw
"Mebbe we shall, but we can't help
ourselves. That's all jest now, Elisha.
Better change your clothes and git
ready fur the rain
Five minutes later there came flash
of lightning, followed by the rumble of
thunder, and within a quarter of an
hour there was a terrific downp0ur of
rain which lasted for full hour. At
every flash Of lightning the crew of the
brig shivered and trembled. and they
were frightened and humbled lot
when the storm finally passed over.
The breeze did not come up as the
heavens cleared, and then every sailor
knew that the calm would hold until
sunrise. Midnight came and the cap
tain was just leaving the deck in
charge of his mate when Nancy. who
had declared her intention of going to
bed half an hour before, suddenly ap-
peared on deck and began shifting and |
at the air.
rs the wind a-comin'?' asked the |
captain, with considerable interest.
NO wind, Elisha she answered,
but I'll tell you what's what. l don't
know what's become of all your noses
that you can't smell whale close by."
"A whale, shouted the captain. But,
by Josh, then, your nose must have got
2 twist in it! If there was whale
within five miles Of US
'Whale almost alongside Of us, sirw
nrrI1ntnI ',a
the brig. And there was a hurrying
forward to confirm the announcement.
A whale fully sixty feet long had ris-
IN to the surface so quietly that no
wash OF the sea betrayed his presence.
tie was lying head and tail with the
lrlg and almost rubbing her starboard
'lde, and every man wondered that the
'dor OF the leviathan had not betrayed
lis presence long before.
Il said whale Elisha" observed
Nancy as she looked over the rail I'D
IN the great bulk, "and l calkerlate
QUILL acknowledge I'm right
but what we goin' to do with him?"
sked the captain in bewildered way.
"NOthin' t all. Jest let him be. He's
Id enough and big enough to take care
f himself"
But If he slaves In the brig he'll
tave in the powderr'
Cant be helped. You can't argue
18th whale. We'd better all keep
till and see if he won't go away"
The suggestion was followed, but the
did not take his departure
[e seemed to have come to the surface t
take long nap. Now and then a {
ng drawn sigh escaped from his s
bout hole, but so far as could be OBJ
rived by the men, who moved about 1
their bare feet and peered over the t
llwarks at intervals, he never moved t
fin. His queer hanging on made b