Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-02-09
Shepheown Jefferson County, Virginia Thursday February 1911.

ing with the customary purpose beneath
powerful steamship, he was caught by
the whirling propelIer-blades and NOR
| tally injured.
With blood pouring in torrents from
his gaping wounds, he rose some dis
tance astern, convulsively lashing the
waves and twisting and comforting his
great frame in his death-agony- The
furry was quickly over, for he was too
cruelty mangled TO survive more than a
few minutes.
The widowed mother whale swan
mournfully round the silent form until
darkness fell. All night she fingered in
the vicinity; but when daybreak revealed
fierce bevy Of Scavenger birds scream
ing and tearing at the distended corpse,
and score of sharp fins cutting the
water alongside, she abruptly wheeled,
and closely followed by her calf, laid
straight course for the north.
There was little rest TOR the next few
days. They slept less and wasted no
time in play. Their chief pauses were
for the refreshment of the baby. Other
wise they approached the surface only
when compelled to breathe.
II was late June when they reached the
summer feeding-grounds off the south
coast of Greenland. Here they found
plenty OF company. mostly migratory
members Of their own species, with now
and then gigantic blue rorqual, ,-abso-
Lutte monarch Of the seas and respectfully
avoided even by professional whalers,-
tiny white whale, hardly bigger than
the infant himself, or stray bullhead
from northern ATTITUDES.
The widowed cetacean conSored with
none of these, diSdaining the advances
of the young bachelor bulls that were
beginning to consider the advisaoility OF
taking mates, and devoting herself TO the
care and education OF her cali. The
latter seemed to absorb new life and vi
tality with every draft OF his mothers
milk, growing visibly plumper and strong
er week by week, while his parent was
corespondingly lean and emaciated.
Her poor condition was not without
compensation, inaSmuch as she was LETT
in peace by the whalerS, who in the alb
Sence OF their legitimate prey. the great
polar whale, were not averse to the cap
ture of promising Baiaena biScGenSiS.
The Indolent ease of the summer
months, together with the plentiful sup
ply OF feed, which in many places was
so abundant as TO impart marked olive
tinge to large areas of water, could not
fail OF beneficial effect; and the mother
whales Shrunken frame by degrees filled
out, until by the beginning of the autumn
migration she was in the prime of health
and vigor.
The arctic waters were freezing cold
when the cow and calf finally turned
their noses southwark, but the warm
overcoat OF blubber which protected the
baby's tender flesh had increased from
five inches to nearly foot in thickness,
and he was quite insenSibe to low tenn
peratureS. He still depended upon his
parent for Sustenance, but already rudi-
mentary baleen plates were beginning to
show in his upper jaw, and by another
spring would enable HIM 10 forage for
himself.
Hardly an incident disturbed the regular
routine Of the return trip, the nearest ap-
proacIf1to an adventure taking place on
ne Newfoundland Banks, where the
youngster fouled the riding-Iine OF acod-
fiSherman's dory, and was unable to
break loose until he had towed the boat
and its dsmayed occupant a mile sea-
ward, to an accompaniment OF jeerS and
laughter.
No instinct warned the pair OF danger
as they broke water off the Long Island
coast one crisp morning in November,
but the keen eyes OF retired whaler
caught sight of the distant spouts, and
from their oblique, backward direction,
recognized them as the insignia of pair
OF right whales, whose capture meant a
substantial addition to the family exche-
quer.
With a cry of "Whale or he ran along
the beach TO the shed containing his long
disused whaling paraphernalia. Choos-
ing a crew of six from the little knot OF
the curious who had hastily gathered at
his call, he was quickly under way, a
harpoon-gun mounted in the bow OF the
old whale boat, spears and hand-har-
poons arranged within easy reach, and
two tubs of neatly coiled line at his feet.
He was followed by his brother, an
other veteran seaman, in a gasoline-launch
and it was aneck-and- neck race between
motonnen and oarsmen to the spot where
the whales had last been seen.
They had covered perhaps mile when
the latter spouted again, some distance
south and less than two miles from shore.
Instead of sounding Immediately. the
mother stopped TO feed her nursing, and
the boats rapidly closed in. The whales
sense of hearing is very imperfect above
water, and but for the throbbing Of the
motor, the enemy might easily have crept
within striking distance without diScov-
cry. The noise, however, gave-the alarm
and with a seemingly derisiye flourish OF
her tail, the great cow vanished in a
twinkling.
The calf did not follow at once, as she
doubtless expected him 10 do. Perhaps
juvenile curiosity held him; bnt whatever
the cause, he fingered an instant too long.
AT distance of twenty-five yards, bangl