Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-08-20
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And as they gazed stupidity at the
spot where he had been, a dark shad-
ow suddenly rose on the other side OF
the boat, and the enormous tail Of their
antagonist came at them edgeways,
shearing the boat in two and scattering
them like chips over the sea.
Again he lay quietly breathing, and
apparently unconscious Of any danger
to himself, until the third boat came
up. and more fortunate succeeded in
planting a harpoon just at the juno
ton Of the neck with the head. I said
more fortunate, but only that they
struck. For the rest you shall Judge.
That blow converted the willy mon
ster into a raging demon who tore up
the very foundations Of the deep in
his Titanic rage. Nothing could be
heard or seen for the stupendous tu-
multi, until subsiding, the tormented
scene revealed the whale free Of any
hampering harpoon, lying quietly as
before, while two boats were now re-
duced to useless wreckage. But for
tunately no one was hurt as yet.
We cannot blame the officers Of the
two remaining boats that instead of
rushing to the attack they paused for
reflection. No ordinary whale con-
fronted them, 1t was evident. They
recognized him, Of course as a lone
whale morose and savage from having
been ousted from his leadership Of a
school, but never in all their exper-
fences had they met one so savage and
willy.
Moreover, 1t was imperative that the
wrecked boats crews should be rescued
at once, and, besides, the whale evinc-
ed no desire to go. So they divided the
spilled men between them, hindering
their own operations by so much, be-
cause six men are all that can work ef-
fectively in the whale boat.
While they were doing this neces-
sary work, the whale meantime look
ing disdainfully on, another boat was
seen approaching at its top speed for
oar propulsion. 1t was bringing the
skipper, full of rage at the audacity OF
the whale and what he was pleased to
call the no-account character Of his
crew.
Without uttering a word to the walt
ing boats crew or officers he made
straight for the whale, struck II
squarely at right angles, his harpoon
at the SAME moment plunging deep
down by the side Of the hump. The
boat, beautifully handled, shot back
ward under the stress Of the oars, and
having no sail to hinder, lay In the
smooth water to await the usual ex-
cited manoeuvres of the wounded
mammal.
They did not occur. A slight strain
on the harpoon line told that 1t was
we'll fast, but the whale neither thrash
ell about the surface nor sounded.
This made even the maddened skip
per pause. We fear that which we do
not understand, and truly here was
something entirely understandable
from a whaleman's point Of view.
For an appreciable space Of time
there was a lull, during which only the
slight moaning Of the wind was audi
Bile, and every one was breathless with
expectancy. Then suddenly with a
rush and a roar like the unheaval OF
an earthquake the whale broke water
close to the skipper's boat and came at
him straight on end.
Nobly the skipper maintained his
high reputation. With a great sweep
of the steer oar and a shout OF Pull
two, starn three!" he swung his boat
just clear Of the huge head and IN q
whirl of white 1t passed him harmless
ly. And he, losing no opportunity, took
aim with his bomb gun and fired as
the mighty mass surged past, but the
deadly missile only cut a deep furrow
along the blubber Of the back and
dropped harmlessly on the other side.
The whale disappeared and must
have turned a complete somersault be-
meath the surface, for almost immedi-
ately afterward he came up underneath
the shippers boat, striking 1t with his
head so doughtily that the boat was
dashed to fragments and the men,
some Of them being badly hurt, were
scattered over the sea surface like
withered leaves. The skipper reap
peared amid the smother unhurt, but
full Of fury at his mishap.
The other two boats, already over
laden, came swiftly on the scene and
rescued the unfortunate crew, and II
prudence ever formed part Of a Yam
kee whalers equipment when fighting
whales they should have retired and
at any rate have got rio Of their extra
hindering hands.
But in a hardly articulate voice, be-
ing nearly choked with rage, the skip
per gave orders to get on the whale
at once" and all the oarsmen bent to
the task as II imbued with his spirit
The whale, however, as If in pursuance
of a certain design, just kept out OF
their reach, sculling in leisurely fash
ion along the surface, and, 1t could be
imagined, just glancing casually over
his shoulder occasionally to make sure
of his distance from his pursuers.
This he did for an hour or more un-
til all hands were goaded into a condi-
ton Of semi madness, and some OF
them were ready to relapse into panic,
feeling that this whale was indeed pos
sessed Of the devil. He showed no sign
Of fatigue, but then, in great contrast
to the usual behavior Of fast
sperm whale, he had INDUCED in no
aimless evolutions, but was apparent
ly reserving his strength for a time
when it would be greatly needed.
This part of the proceedings, indeed,
would have been tame but for the fury
Of the skipper and the mate; they
looked as If madness must supervene
shortly. The men, whose monetary
and reputational stakes were so much
less, were fast relapsing into apathy,
and in any case the strain upon their
muscles was beginning to tell a warn
ing tale.
SpddapIy a cry of horror and uarp