Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-02-09


of vision.
The cool spring night was passed in
tranquil ease, the whale family lying ex-
tended at full lengthlike trio OF man.
moth logs. Once, just as the chill mist
that precedes the dawn came stealing in
from the east, the infant opened drowsy
eyes and beheld ghostly apparition
glide rapidly past, buzzing and humming
like a hive of giant bees. Pale lights
flickered here and there, half-eclipsed by
the glory OF the low-hanging moon.
The passage ofthe colossus left agleam-
ing, phosphorescent trail, and churned
the still water into deep undulationS that
rolled the great bodies of the cetaceanS
like so many bobbing corks. 1t was the
baby's first introduction TO an ocean liner,
and he quivered with alarm; but finding
that neither parent betrayed the slightest
uneaSineSs, he snuggled back in his moth
er's comforting embrace, and speedily
fell asleep.
The new day brought another strange
and interesting experience. The youth
full leviathan received a lesson in SWIM
ming. AT the first attempt his heavy
head went down, his tail scared skyward,
and he made an involuntary dive for
Davy JoneS'S locker.
In flash the maternal flipper caught
and drew him back to the surface, where
he lay resting and weakly Spouting to
clear his blowholeS OF the water that had
gained entrance through his having for
gotten to close them when he went un-
der.
Once more releasing him, yet on the
alert to fly to his assistance if required,
the mother swan short distance ahead
as an object-leSSon. Again the bulky
skull sank, but this time the infant in
Stinctively flung out his wee swimming
paws, and found, TO his astoniShment,
his he dlong descent instantly checked.
while stroke or two with his tail sent
him bounding half his length out Of wa
ter.
Within week he had mastered the art
of sounding, balancing and swimming at
any depth, steering straight course un-
der water, or circling round and round in
vast, sweeping SpiralS in the wake OF his
parents, over those areas where brit, or
whale feed, was thickest. Day by day
his strength increased, until he could cas-
lily keep abreast OF his seniors in their
customary lazy jog of four or five miles
an hour.
Like most youngsters, he had we'll
developed bump of self-eSteem, which
occasionally inspired him TO make furi-
Gus spurt of thirty or forty yards, just to
show the old folks that they still had a
thing or two to learn. This puerile ego
tiSm came near being his undoing one
balmy afternoon, when the Nemesis who
camps on the trail OF the vain-gloriouS
taught him a lesson he never forgot.
The trio were summing themselves on
broad, Sky-rimmed eXpanSe well outside
the inviSibly defined roadways Of ocean
traffic. The mother whale lay content
edly rolling from side to side, watching
with dutitul admiration the gambols OF her
iord, who, with the spring madness in his
veins, disported himself like a yearling
calf instead of dignified patriarch OF
some four centuries. Balancing with his
flippers and nearly standing on his ven-
cradle head, the animated mountain would
flingup his tail, brandiSh his massy flukeS,
and bring them down with crash that
sent tons Of water leaping into the air and
was audible for miles.
In the midst of this unbecoming exhi-
bition, Master Balaena concluded to take
advantage OF his mothers temporary alb
Straction to make an independent tour OF
investigation. Swimming under water,
lie managed to slip away unobServed ;
but before he had covered an eighth OF a
mile he had reason to repent his temerity.
AS he Spouted for the first time, there
was flash OF SteeIy blue and white, and
a slim form darted anow-like from below.
The truant felt sudden stab OF pain, and
the nppIes that laved glancing wound
behind his left flipper turned suddenly
crimson.
He Sprang forward with a convulSive
tailStroke, thus escaping the second thrust,
and the third found mark in the fat side
of the mother whale, who had discover
ed the prodigal's evil plight, and dashed
TO the rescue, interposing her own huge
bulk between the aggressor and its prey.
Then ensued battle royal, wherein
muscle was matched against agility. The
swordfish appeared TO attack on all sides
at once, darling in and out, up and down,
with rapier-like swiftness, while the tail
OF the cetacean threshed the water with
terrific force as she spun round, aiming
blow after blow at her 1.-THE adversary.
Fortunately the ocean brigand was lit
tie more than half-grown-otherwise 1t
would not have been rash enough to al
tack single handed whale calf whose
mother was certain to be close at hand.
Before il succeeded in inflcting danger
Gus wound, the broad flukes decended like
pile-driver squarely across its slender
body, and crumpling like piece OF card
board, it Imply sank into the untroubled
deeps.
Without pause for rest, the bleeding
conqueror seized the now thoroughly
frightened and humbled youngster, and
tore away nonhward at pace that filled
him with astonishment and respect.
Two days later the infant received a
second severe shock. Father whale, as
III Il