Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-10
TIGHTEST PLACE
| WAS EVER IN

Written for The Star By Frank T. Bullen.
1t is a very curious fact and one worth
more than passing notice that adventures
are not always to the adventurous Al
ventures often fan to the lot Of those pro-
sale persons like myself who having
very strong desire to lead an entirely quiet
and humdrum life constantly find them
selves driven by the force OF circumstances
into tight places and conditions of roman
tic adventure much against their desire
OF course. ] must admit that ones early +,
environment has much to do with this dis
taste for adventure or the reverse. In
my own case for the first eight or nine
years of my existence I was reared almost
like a little girl by an elderly maiden aunt,
and indeed / wore petticoats until 1 was
six. II ever a male child led the shell
tered life / did. and consequently upon
emerging from that quiet vale into a fierce
struggle for life l was entirely unready
for H. and although i have had large |
helping OF adventures ] can honestly say
that they were none Of my seeking, nor
did l ever have that Wild joy In them
which I have so often read of others pos
sessing.
Now with regard to the highest place 1
ever was in, have my own opinion, which
may not coincide with those Of my readers,
but I propose giving a few Of the most
strange and thrilling of my adventures SO !
that they can take their own choice, Put |
ting mine own special fancy in its right |
full place, l consider first in point OF i'm |
portauce and danger an adventure / had |
when quite "a boy. When about ten years |
of age I obtained a situation as errand |
boy to an Gilman in Golborne road, North |
Kensington 1--WE called 1t Kensal New Town |
then) and in the course of my duties had |
often 10 travel bearing heavy loads Tor |
what to me were immense distances, say |
even as far as ShOredltch. 1 never re-
ceived any money for travelling, twas not |
A. the bond But the Metropolitan railway |
had Just been opened and l speedily as
covered a way OF riding Tree from ana 10
West bourne Park station 70 the cry AL4S
fraudulent use OF the railway involved the |
crossing OF an enormous number OF tracks |
for the Great Western railway has Its man |
and shunting lines there. one night
was creeping YEARLY across the tracks IN |
The pjtchy darkness when I stepped into |
crevice which closed and gripped my foot. |
I struggled in vain TO release it and sud
denly became still with horror-stricken
fright
For coming straight toward me with a
dreadful rush an engine, its head
lights glarlng like the eyes of an angry
monster and its whistle sounding a deafen-
ing screetch. / don't know how l kept
erect nor how long the terror lasted, but
Just as the great engine was upon me 1t
sheered off to the left and It's long trains
Numbered by / felt my foot released and
although 1 was carrying a fairly heavy bag |
/ sped of across the lines to the embank-
ment up which I used TO scramble. But
when I got there l sank down at the foot |
OF Il shiverlng as II with the ague. and for |
a long time l was unable to rise, more |
than an hour at any rate. However. | got |
to the shop at last and caught IL finely |
for being long gone. That did me |
great deal of good
~
What perhaps would be esteemed by my
readers as tighter place than the fore
going 1 got into during my whaling voy-
age in the Cachaiot- We had gone on a
whale in quite the usual manner but with
out getting fast. and were husily engaged In
lancing him, when he retalated by striking
us full on the boat with his immense tail |
Every one of the boats crew but myself
was shot out OF the boat sideways into
compare tive safety. but /. having got my |
foot damned IN the well of the boat at an /
unlueky moment did not go. for the foot |
held. while the wrench nearly pulled my |
thigh-bOne out Of its socket My foot had |
Just rwriggled free, when the immense head |
OF a whale lowered over me as he came |
plOughing through what had been boat. |
Then, all was uDroar of the most hideous
darkness and dread. Yet in the midst of 1t |
my mind busy with the speculation |
'what IL he should swallow met /
Blf. OH the awful agony of those few !
moments until my head emerged from the |
bloody foam around. My hand touched a
rope one of the trailing whale lines. aud /
chung TO 1t as any drowning man, let alone |
a seaman, would. andrhauling on 1t found
myself butt up against the whales body.
For a moment felt relieved. but this feel
ing was Immediately succeeded by terror
as | realized that he might not be dead yet.
i was not a moment in doubt. 1 felt him
begin To move and instinctively hauling
myself right up to the harpoon. l took
couple of turns round myself with the blight
of the line. Ht..
During the next few moments. hours they
INIT DVNT~ ut tt