diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-28 04:37:45 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-28 04:37:45 -0800 |
| commit | 00c428323a516b0949370737cfff209f4f826a01 (patch) | |
| tree | 65ffb51b76de1e80aa9551abed8a152d35b0618e | |
| parent | c0ae641ddceca82820209a2c4ca533fd342eda0a (diff) | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/61867-0.txt | 5398 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/61867-0.zip | bin | 110452 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/61867-h.zip | bin | 250559 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/61867-h/61867-h.htm | 5267 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/61867-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 98642 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/61867-h/images/frontis.jpg | bin | 38760 -> 0 bytes |
9 files changed, 17 insertions, 10665 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..47df06b --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #61867 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61867) diff --git a/old/61867-0.txt b/old/61867-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index fbae85e..0000000 --- a/old/61867-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5398 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Deep Sea Hunters, by A. Hyatt (Alpheus -Hyatt) Verrill - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: The Deep Sea Hunters - Adventures on a Whaler - - -Author: A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt) Verrill - - - -Release Date: April 19, 2020 [eBook #61867] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DEEP SEA HUNTERS*** - - -E-text prepared by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustration. - See 61867-h.htm or 61867-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/61867/61867-h/61867-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/61867/61867-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/deepseahuntersad00verr - - - - - -THE DEEP SEA HUNTERS - - - * * * * * * - -BY A. HYATT VERRILL - - THE DEEP SEA HUNTERS - THE BOOK OF THE MOTOR BOAT - ISLES OF SPICE AND PALM - -D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - -Publishers New York - - * * * * * * - - -[Illustration: - We’re homeward bound, may winds blow fair! - Good-bye, fare ye well! - Good-bye, fare ye well! - Wafting us true to friends, waiting there. - Hurrah, my bullies, we’re homeward bound!] - - -THE DEEP SEA HUNTERS - -Adventures on a Whaler - -by - -A. HYATT VERRILL - -Author of “The Real Story of the Whaler,” “Isles of -Spice and Palm,” “The Book of the Motor Boat,” etc. - - - - - - -D. Appleton and Company -New York : : 1922 : : London - -Copyright, 1922, by D. Appleton and Company - -Printed in the United States of America - - - - -CONTENTS - - I. The Boys Make a Bargain - II. Outward Bound - III. There She Blows! - IV. A Narrow Escape - V. Strange Visitors - VI. An Island Quite Out of the World - VII. How Cap’n Pem Lost His Leg - VIII. Elephant Island - IX. Spinning Yarns - X. Lost - XI. A Strange Message - XII. The Raiders - XIII. Homeward Bound - XIV. The Boys Make a Discovery - - -THE DEEP SEA HUNTERS - -CHAPTER I - -THE BOYS MAKE A BARGAIN - - -“Oh, Tom!” cried Jim Lathrop, as he dashed into his chum’s den, “what do -you think? They’re fitting the _Hector_ out for a cruise!” - -“Come on, I don’t believe it. You can’t fool me that way,” replied Tom, -tossing aside his book. “What’s the joke? Why the old _Hector_ wouldn’t -float—she’s had grass growing out of her seams for years.” - -“Honest, they are, though,” asserted Jim. “If you don’t believe it come -along and see.” - -Grabbing his cap, Tom hurried out with his friend, and the two boys ran -down the shady, sleepy streets of old Fair Haven towards the water -front. - -It was little wonder that Tom was incredulous of Jim’s news, for, to the -boys, the ancient whaling bark _Hector_ was as much of a fixture as the -village church or the town hall. As long as they could remember the old -ship had lain on the mud flat beside the abandoned old whaling docks, -her dingy, weather-beaten sides rising far above the rotting -stringpieces of the wharf; her spars, gray from countless storms and -years of sunshine, sagging and awry; her tattered and frayed standing -rigging slack and her deck warped and with open seams. Built nearly one -hundred years ago, the _Hector_ had for generations been the pride of -the great New Bedford whaling fleet, but, long before either of the boys -had been born, she had been towed to her resting place upon the Fair -Haven flats and abandoned to the elements. - -But to the boys of the village she had been a source of never failing -amusement. Upon her decks they had played pirate, buccaneer and whaler -by turns. Within her tumble-down deck houses imaginary mutineers and -freebooters had massacred innumerable officers. From her broad, stout -crosstrees the boys had peered forth at countless treasure islands, and -within her dark and musty hold they had languished in chains or had -stowed away on imaginary voyages. - -Somehow, upon the old ship, the boys seemed actually to live in the -stirring days they reacted, for old Capt’n Pem, the dock watchman, had -spent many an afternoon spinning yarns of his youthful whaling days -while seated on the heel of the _Hector’s_ bowsprit. He had related -stories of cannibal attacks, of mutinies, of boats stove in and ships -rammed by frantic whales. The boys had listened breathlessly to his -accounts of men drifting in open whaleboats for thousands of miles after -being towed out of sight of their ships by whales, and as he had served -as mate on two voyages of the _Hector_, the boys had but to close their -eyes to see the characters he described and the exciting events in which -he had taken part. Moreover, Jim, or, as his friends called him, -“Jimmy,” had found the old log of the _Hector_ in the Historical -Society’s museum across the river in New Bedford, and the boys had read -it word for word and had found it more fascinating than any book of -fiction, for they knew every inch of the old bark as they did their own -homes. They knew the very yardarm from which a mutineer had once been -hung; they could still see the holes made by the bullets of Chinese -pirates in the stout cabin door; they searched for and found the very -bunk wherein the mate had been pinned down by the spear of a Solomon -Island cannibal, and the criss-cross cuts where poor “Crazy Ned” had cut -his “baccy” on the fo’c’sle steps were still visible. Tom, too—who was -forever reading books on strange, far-away lands—had told the other boys -of the places the old ship had touched on its many cruises. He painted -vivid word pictures of the desolate Croisettes, of little-known Gough -Island and volcanic Kerguelan in the storm-lashed Antarctic. He -described the queer penguins and broad-winged albatrosses, the -palm-fringed coral isles of the tropics, the swift proas of the Malays, -the frozen wastes of the Arctic and the blistering doldrums, until he -and his friends could transport themselves at will to any part of the -world, or any spot in the seven seas, merely by clambering on to the -_Hector’s_ warped old decks and setting sail in make believe on a three -years’ cruise. - -And, best of all, the boys’ parents encouraged them, for they all were -of old whaling stock and had almost as much fondness for the old -_Hector_ and the past glories of the whaling fleet as did the boys. -Moreover, the boys’ fathers were not slow to notice that, by playing -about the old bark and listening to Cap’n Pem’s yarns, the boys were -absorbing a vast amount of useful knowledge of the sea and of -seamanship, as well as of foreign lands and people. They had learned to -climb aloft, to run up the ratlines and to man the yards like real -sailors, and they acquired a full command of nautical terms, orders and -phrases. And in this old Cap’n Pem had been their instructor. He had -shown them how to knot, splice and bend ropes; he had made them repair -the rotting ratlines and footropes; he had insisted that they must be -“proper sailor men” in their play; and, in order to teach them how to -swing and square the yards, clew up the sails and otherwise “navigate” -the old hulk, he had helped them rig braces, halliards, clewlines and -other running rigging from odds and ends stowed in his cozy little home -at the head of the wharf. Under his tutelage the boys had learned how to -box the compass, how to steer, how to give orders for trimming sail, and -both Tom and Jim had gone a step farther and had learned how to “shoot -the sun” and work out latitude and longitude. - -Often, the old seaman would take a part in the boys’ fun himself; -sometimes as captain, at other times as able-bodied seaman, which he -always took as a huge joke, remarking with a chuckle that, “I’ve seen a -mighty queer lot o’ timber a-callin’ o’ theirsel’s sailors; but I’ll be -stowed if I ever seen a wooden-legged A. B. afore.” - -But despite his wooden leg, Cap’n Pem managed to get about as lively as -any of his young friends, and he would tail on to a brace and roar out -some deep-sea chantey with the boys joining in the chorus, with as much -vigor and heartiness as though the _Hector_ were once more plowing her -way through blue seas instead of being high and dry on a mud flat. - -But neither Cap’n Pem nor the boys had ever dreamed of the _Hector_ -going to sea in reality. From her opened seams, grass and weeds were -growing luxuriantly; within her hold the tide rose and fell exactly as -it did outside and, as the old salt vowed that New Bedford whalers were -built to last forever, the _Hector_ seemed doomed to be a permanent -landmark at the end of the elm-shaded street. - -So, as the two boys hurried to the dock, Jim found it hard work to -convince Tom that they were about to lose their wonderful playground. - -“I just went down to see if you or any of the fellows were there,” -explained Jim, “and I found a whole crowd of workmen. They had a truck -full of rope and tackle and paint and tar and everything. Some of them -were on board and others on the dock and they’d already taken off a lot -of the old rigging and were tearing the grass and stuff out of the -seams. Cap’n Pem was there too and I asked him what they were doing and -he chuckled and said, ‘Didn’t I tell ye, Jimmy, a New Bedford ship -weren’t never too old to go a-cruisin’? They’re a-fittin’ of the -_Hector_ fer a v’yge.’” - -“I’ll bet he was just jollying you,” declared Tom. “Perhaps they’re -going to fix her up and take a movie of her, just as they did on the -_Viola_, you know. Perhaps that’s what Cap’n Pem meant—a movie voyage. -Why, Jimmy, the _Hector_ couldn’t go to sea.” - -“Well, we’ll soon know,” replied Jim. “Look at that now! They’re taking -down her yards.” - -The boys had now reached the dock, and sure enough, as Jim had said, a -crowd of laborers were busy on the wharf and on the _Hector_, and the -sound of hammers and axes, of loud orders, and the creak of tackle -blocks awoke echoes which the dock had not heard for generations. - -Already nearly all the yards of the old ship had been taken down and -were laid upon the dock where men were planing and cutting them; the -grass and weeds had been removed from the cracks in the planking and men -were busy cutting and tearing out the old caulking. The ragged shrouds -were being taken off and, on a hanging stage under the bowsprit, -carpenters were working on the massive stem. - -“Gosh! It does look as if you’re right,” admitted Tom, as the two boys -stopped, and with wonder, gazed upon the bustling scene. “Oh, there’s -Cap’n Pem! Let’s go and ask him all about it.” - -Approaching their old friend, the boys plied him with questions. - -“Sure, they’re a-fittin’ of her out fer a cruise,” he avowed, seating -himself on one of the yards. “Reckon ’iles so almighty sky high—what -with this ’ere war an’ all—that old man Nye jest couldn’t resist the -temptation o’ fittin’ out fer a cruise.” - -“Where’s she goin’?” he continued in answer to the boys’ queries. - -“Gosh hanged ef I know! Any seas mos’ likely. Ain’t nary one o’ the -chaps here as knows nothin’ ’bout it. Jest had orders ter overhaul the -ol’ _Hector_ an’ git her ship-shape an’ ready fer sea. Jake Potter’s -gang ’tis. Ain’t seed Jake or I’d know more erbout it.” - -“But aren’t you surprised?” asked Tom. “When Jim told me, I wouldn’t -believe it. Why, it don’t seem possible. How on earth can that old hulk -float?” - -“Surprised?” chuckled the old salt. “Say, son, time ye git as ol’ as I -be an’ been to sea fer a matter o’ forty year, ye won’t find nothin’ to -surprise ye. ’Sides, what’s so surprisin’ ’bout a good ship goin’ t’ sea -after a bit o’ rest? Float? Course she’ll float. Why, boys, I’ve been -a-cruisin’ fer sparm in the western ocean an’ jammed in the ice in -Behring Sea fer five years in a ship what was jes’ punk ’longside o’ -this ’ere _Hector_. Float! Why, bile me down fer blubber, if she ain’t a -floatin’ long after these ’ere new-fangled, sawed-timber jimcracks o’ -ships what the gov’ments a-buildin’ of has been scrapped fer a hundred -year. Why, boys, don’t ye know the ol’ _Hector_ well enough to know -she’s jes’ as sta’nch an’ sound as the day she was built? Long’s her -timbers ’re sound an’ her keel an’ garboard strake’s not rotten, she’s -all right; an’ I’ll bet my wooden leg ’gainst a chew o’ baccy thet she’s -as sound as a trivet to-day.” - -“But won’t it cost more to fix her up than to build a new ship?” asked -Jim. - -The old skipper shook his grizzled head. “No, sirree,” he declared. -“Ships is mighty costly these days, an’ ’sides, where ye goin’ ter find -any one thet knows how ter build a proper whale ship? Why, blow me, ye -can’t find a man what knows a blubber-hook from a fluke-chain nor a -clumsy-cleat from a scrap-hopper outside o’ New Bedford. Course she’ll -need a bit o’ tinkerin’, few new planks an’ riggin’; a bit o’ caulkin’, -and like as not, some new spars. But shucks, that ain’t much. Reckon’ -they’ll have her all fine an’ dandy an’ ready fer sea inside a month.” - -“But how are they going to caulk her and fix her here in the mud?” -inquired Tom. “Won’t they have to tow her over to the dry dock?” - -Cap’n Pem roared with merriment. - -“Bless yer heart, no!” he cried when he could control his laughter. -“Didn’t ye ever see a ship hove-down? But o’ course ye haven’t. Why, -they’ll jes clap a tackle on to her mastheads and heave her down till -they git to her bottom, easy as eatin’ pie.” - -“Well, I’ll like to see that,” declared Tom. “I should think it would -pull the masts out or crack her wide open.” - -“Nary a mite,” the captain assured him. “Whale ships is made fer hard -work an’ knockin’ about, not fer looks. Course there ain’t many o’ these -’ere schooners nowadays what’ll stand fer it; but ye jes wait an’ see -how the ol’ _Hector_ takes it.” - -For the rest of the afternoon, Tom and Jim, in company with a number of -boy friends who joined them, stood upon the dock watching with interest, -and not without pangs of regret, the rapid dismantling of the bark. - -“Reckon ’tis kind o’ hard on ye kids,” remarked Cap’n Pem, when one of -the boys expressed his sorrow at losing the old ship. “Durned if I don’t -hate ter have her go myself. Kind o’ like losin’ of an ol’ friend. Jest -hope I’ll be spared ter see her comin’ hom’ ag’in. Bet she’ll be full up -and with a shark tail on her jibboom.” - -Not until the laborers knocked off work did the boys turn from the dock -towards their various homes, and by then, the _Hector_ had been stripped -bare of her rigging; huge pieces of rotten wood had been cut from her -stem; planks had been torn from sides and decks; her cabin and galley -had been ripped out; and, as Tom remarked, she looked more like a wreck -than ever. - -As Jim lingered to talk with Tom before the latter’s home, Mr. Chester -drove up in his car, and instantly the two boys told him the wonderful -news of the bark. - -“Yes, boys, I heard about it,”’ he replied. “Mr. Nye was in the office -to-day to see about outfitting. He’s fitting the _Hector_ out for a -voyage to the South Shetlands for sea elephant oil. Come in and have -dinner with us, Jimmy, and I’ll tell you both all about it.” - -“Gosh, that’s way down by the South Pole,” exclaimed Jim as the two boys -followed Tom’s father into the house. “Say, Tom, what are sea elephants? -You never told us anything about them.” - -“I don’t exactly know myself,” admitted the other. “Seems to me I did -read something about them in some book; sort of a giant seal, I think, -but I don’t understand how a whaler can go after them for oil.” - -Tom’s father, however, soon explained all about sea elephants, the -gigantic seal-like creatures with trunklike noses, which dwell in the -Antarctic seas and upon the desolate islands there. - -Formerly, Mr. Chester told them, the sea elephants congregated in herds -of countless thousands upon the shores of the South Shetlands, -Kerguelan, the Croisettes and other Antarctic islands, but as they were -stupid creatures and had never seen men, they fell an easy prey to -whalers who killed them for their blubber. So rapidly were they -slaughtered that they would soon have become as extinct as the Dodo or -the Great Auk, if the European governments, who owned the islands, had -not taken steps to protect them and prevent hunting them. - -“Then how can the _Hector_ go after them?” asked Tom. - -“Because, owing to the war, there has been such a shortage of oil that -the British government has given permission to hunt them under special -license,” replied Mr. Chester. - -“Do you really think the old bark ever will get there?” asked Jim. - -“I haven’t a doubt of it—unless she’s sunk by a submarine. Those old -ships were built to last forever, as Captain Pem says, and Nye’s had the -_Hector_ looked over and her timbers and most of her planking are sound. -It will be a far more difficult matter to find a crew than to get the -bark into seagoing shape.” - -“Golly, wouldn’t that be a dandy cruise to take!” exclaimed Tom. “Just -think of seeing penguins and albatrosses and sea elephants and icebergs -and everything!” - -“Yes, and think of really going whaling on the old _Hector_!” cried Jim. - -“Sea elephanting, you mean,” laughed Tom. “Say, father, will they call -the crew ‘sea elephant men’?” - -“They’ll do considerable whaling too, I expect,” laughed his father, -“and no matter what a whaleman does he’s still a whaler—even when they -went to Africa after slaves in the old days and never hunted whales.” - -“Then ’twould be all the more fun—if they hunted whales, too,” declared -Tom. “Gee, I do wish we could go along. Couldn’t we go as part of the -crew or something, Dad? You always said we’d ought to go on a real -cruise, you know.” - -“Nonsense,” said Mr. Chester. “You two boys would be a nuisance, and -besides, even if Nye would let you go, and I didn’t object, and the -captain gave his consent, your mother and Jim’s parents would be worried -to death. The ship might be sunk by a submarine, and she’ll probably be -away for a year or more and where we never could hear from her. Besides, -you’d be sick and tired of the trip before it really began. You don’t -realize what a whaling cruise is like. Go over and see Nye to-morrow and -he’ll tell you a few truths that will make you change your views about a -whaling life being a lark.” - -“Well if we don’t, and Mr. Nye will let us go, and Jimmy’s folks will -let him go, and the captain will sign us on, then will you let me go?” -teased Tom. - -“There are altogether too many ‘ifs’ in that,” laughed Mr. Chester, “but -I’ll make a bargain. If Nye and his skipper are fools enough to let you -two go and all the other ‘ifs’ are eliminated I’ll give my consent on -one condition, and that is, that old Captain Pem is the mate.” - -“Hurrah!” cried the boys in unison. - -Mr. Chester chuckled. - -“I’m perfectly safe in making that bargain,” he declared. “There’s about -as much chance of a wooden-legged mate on a whaler as there is of the -_Hector_ coming back with a load of ambergris!” - - - - -CHAPTER II - -OUTWARD BOUND - - -The boys scarcely could wait to finish their breakfasts, so anxious were -they to see the owner of the _Hector_. Arriving in New Bedford across -the harbor, they at once hurried to Mr. Nye’s office, only to find that -he was not in and was not expected for an hour. - -“Let’s go over to the museum,” suggested Tom, and the two boys hurried -downstairs, turned into a waterfront street, and a few moments later, -reached the Old Dartmouth Historical Society with its wonderful whalers’ -museum. - -Here they always found plenty to interest them and the time passed -quickly as they studied the fascinating exhibits of whaling weapons and -utensils, old prints, log books, and, best of all the half-size model of -a New Bedford whaling ship complete in every detail. - -As they were about to leave the building and passed by the office, they -noticed the genial curator talking with a man whose back was towards -them. - -“Hello, boys!” called the curator, “I understand you’re about to lose -your ship. Where are you off to now?” - -“Yes,” replied Tom, “but we’re going to try and go on her. We’re going -to see Mr. Nye now and ask him if we can.” - -The curator laughed. - -“Want to turn real whalemen, eh? How about your parents’ consent?” - -“Oh, they’ve consented,” replied Jim, “that is, Tom’s father said he -could go if Mr. Nye and the captain were willing and if Cap’n Pem went -as mate and my folks said they’d agree to that, too.” - -“Well, well!” chuckled their friend. “So now you’re going to ask Nye and -try to get him to ship old Pem just to help you, I suppose! Well, there -are worse mates than he’d make. Come in here, boys, I want you to meet -an old friend of mine.” - -As they entered the office the stranger turned and the boys saw he was a -clean-shaven, leather-faced old man with a merry twinkle in his keen, -blue eyes. - -“Captain,” said the curator, “here are a couple of boys who want to ship -on the _Hector_, Jimmy Lathrop and Tom Chester. You know Chester, the -ship chandlery and hardware man, Tom’s father. How do you think they’ll -do for whalemen? Boys, this is Captain Edwards of the _Hector_.” - -Shaking hands cordially, the old whaleman considered for a moment. - -“Hmm,” he said at last, “what’s your rating, boys, A. B.’s, boat -steerers, coopers, cooks, cabin boys, navigators or just ordinary deck -hands?” - -The boys laughed. - -“I don’t know,” admitted Jim. “Anything, if we can go, except cooks or -coopers or boat steerers.” - -“Then you’ve had previous experience, eh?” asked the captain striving to -maintain a grave face. “What ships have you been on?” - -“The _Hector_,” promptly replied Tom, with a grin. “We’ve been -everything on her from stowaways to captain.” - -Captain Edwards burst into a hearty laugh. “So you’re some of the -youngsters that have been using my ship for a playground, eh?” he -exclaimed. “And now you’d like to take a real try at the game. And your -dads said you could if I’d take old Pem for mate, eh?” - -“Yes, sir,” said Tom, “and father said that was just about as likely as -for the _Hector_ to bring back a load of ambergris.” - -The captain and the curator burst into hearty laughter. - -“That’s pretty good!” declared the old skipper at last. “But stranger -things _have_ happened to whalemen, boys. Many a ship’s brought home a -mighty good cargo of ambergris and I’ve sailed with a wooden-legged -captain, let alone a mate.” - -“These boys can navigate,” put in the curator. “Cap’n Pem’s taught them -nearly all there is to know about handling a ship, except going to sea.” - -“Indeed!” exclaimed the captain with new interest. “Now, boys, let me -ask you some questions.” - -For the next half hour Captain Edwards plied the boys with queries on -seamanship, navigation, ropes and rigging, handling sails, nautical and -whalemen’s terms, and in fact, everything he could think of. Then, -banging his fist on his knee, he exclaimed, “Why, hang it all, Frank! -These two kids could get second officer’s tickets to-morrow, if they -were old enough. Boys, come along over to Nye’s office.” - -“Gosh! I’d forgotten about seeing him,” cried Tom as he and Jim rose and -hurried out with the captain. - -Arrived at the ship owner’s office, the boys quickly told Mr. Nye of -their desire to go on the _Hector_ and repeated the conditions on which -their parents had consented. Then, when they had finished, the captain -drew the owner to one side and conversed in low tones with him for a few -moments. - -“Well, boys,” said the _Hector’s_ owner, resuming his seat, “I have no -objection if Captain Edwards hasn’t, and he tells me he’d be glad to -take you, as you might be useful. You see, it’s mighty difficult to get -a crew of any sort now and navigators are scarce as hens’ teeth. Of -course, he wouldn’t count on you as full-fledged officers; but he thinks -you’d be more useful than ornamental and that two husky, wide-awake boys -who really know the old _Hector_ from stem to stern would be worth their -keep—might help in breaking in the green hands, you know. Of course, -you’d find it a mighty rough life—not all beer and skittles by any -means—and a dirty job too. But I was younger than either of you when I -first went on a cruise and it did me a pile of good—made a man of me and -taught me a lot—and hard work never hurt any boy yet. Yes, as far as I’m -concerned, and Captain Edwards too, you’re more than welcome on the -_Hector_; but, of course, that doesn’t mean you’re going. Don’t forget -old Pem is one of the conditions, and I’ve never had a wooden-legged -mate on one of my ships yet!” - -“Oh, darn!” exclaimed Jim, “I think they might let us go, anyway.” - -“I’m not going to be discouraged yet,” declared Tom. “I’ll bet I can -tease dad into letting us go, even if Cap’n Pem isn’t mate.” - -But despite his statement, the two boys felt downhearted and discouraged -the rest of the day, for it was even worse to have the captain’s and the -owner’s consent and still be unable to go on the cruise than it would -have been had their parents refused to listen to their pleas in the -first place. And that evening, when Tom endeavored to wheedle his father -into withdrawing the conditions he had made, he found him obdurate. -While he was still arguing, Jim and Mr. Lathrop called and the latter -declared that he, too, would stick to his original conditions. Very -disconsolate were the two boys as they sat down to dinner, for they -realized now that their cause was hopeless, that in giving their -conditional consent their parents had known they were perfectly safe. - -But presently their spirits began to revive and they were chatting and -laughing as gaily as ever. Then, when the meal was nearly over, the door -bell rang and the servant announced: “A gentleman to see you, Master -Tom. He said to tell you he was mate of the _Hector_. He’s waiting in -the library.” - -“Mate of the _Hector_!” exclaimed Tom in puzzled tones, “I wonder what -he wants. I didn’t know Captain Edwards had a mate yet. I’ll bet he’s -come to tell us he’s mate just so we’ll know there’s no chance. Gee! I -think Mr. Nye might have taken Cap’n Pem just for our sakes.” - -“Nye’s sending the bark after oil, not to please you boys,” Mr. Chester -reminded him as he left the room. - -As Tom reached the library and glanced within, he started as if he had -seen a ghost and stood speechless, staring with unbelieving eyes at the -figure seated in the big Morris chair. - -“Reckon I did surprise ye!” chuckled Cap’n Pem. “Jest signed on fer mate -o’ the ol’ _Hector_ an’ kinder thought——” - -What he was about to say was drowned in the wild yell Tom let out as, -turning, he dashed down the hall. - -“Jim!” he shouted as he burst open the dining room door. “Jim! We’re -going! It’s Cap’n Pem and he’s mate of the _Hector_! Hurrah! Hurrah!” - -Leaping from his chair, Jim tore into the library with his friend, both -yelling like Indians and prancing about the old sailor until he thought -they had gone stark, staring mad. - -“Avast there! Lay off!” he cried. “What in the name o’ tarnation’s the -matter with ye?” - -Presently in disjointed sentences, the two boys managed to explain the -cause of their excitement. - -“I’ll be blowed!” exclaimed the old whaleman. “So that’s how the land -lays, eh? So you’re the two third mates ol’ man Edwards was talkin’ -erbout. Wondered what in Sam Hill he wanted two fer. Well, well, so -we’re goin’ fer to be shipmates, eh? ’Spect Nye wuz jest jollyin’ of ye -all the time. He knowed I wuz a-goin’ last night. Cap’n Edwards wuz over -ter see me an’ wanted fer me ter go, but I wuz a leedle mite skittish -’bout this timber leg. Then, this arternoon, he come over ter see the -ol’ _Hector_ an’ he sez ter me, Pem, he sez, ye’ve jes’ gotter sign on. -’Lessen ye do I won’t have no other nav’gator erlong. Can’t git ’em -’lessen you come too. So I jes’ signed on then an thar.” - -“Hurrah for Captain Edwards!” shouted the boys. Then, as their parents -entered the room, Tom cried: “Now what do you say, father? I’ll _bet_ -you’re surprised. Isn’t it bully, though!” - -Mr. Lathrop coughed and covered his mouth with his handkerchief and Mr. -Chester strove to conceal a smile and winked at his friend. - -“Well, wonders will never cease,” he replied. “Luck seems to be with -you, boys. I hope it will last through the cruise. And it will be some -cruise, eh, Lathrop? Mate with a wooden leg, two boys for third mates, -an eighty-year-old ship and Heaven alone knows what kind of a crew!” - -“Don’t ye fear erbout the crew, Mr. Chester,” spoke up Cap’n Pem. -“That’s my job an’ my name ain’t Pem Potter if I don’ git ’em, if I have -ter bust open the jail or the poor house an’ take the critters inside.” - -The others laughed. “I shouldn’t be surprised if they’d prove better -than anything you’ll get elsewhere,” chuckled Mr. Lathrop. “The war’s -taken every able-bodied man there is. You won’t find the crowd of park -loafers and bums that used to form the bulk of whaling crews.” - -“Who said anythin’ erbout able-bodied men?” exclaimed the old seaman. -“Jes’ so long’s they’ve got two feet an’ two han’s it’s all I ask. Give -me three months at sea with ’em an’ I’ll make whalemen outer anything -what’s human. But I reckon I’ll be h’istin’ to’sails an’ gettin’ under -way. I gotter be mighty busy from now on.” - -Bidding them all good night, and with a parting injunction to the boys -to report at the owner’s office and sign articles in the morning, old -Cap’n Pem left the house and went stumping down the street on his wooden -leg and so overjoyed at the prospect of being once more on a cruise that -he broke into a rollicking old chantey. - - Now who d’ ye think’s the chief mate o’ her? - Blow, boys, blow! - A big mu-latter come from Antigua! - Blow, my bully boys, blow! - -Long after he was out of sight, the boys could hear the chorus wafted to -them on the soft night breeze. - - * * * * * - -The next few weeks were busy ones for the two boys. They signed on as -members of the _Hector’s_ crew, although there were difficulties to be -overcome in doing that, for they were too young to secure navigators’ -licenses. Finally it was arranged that they should be rated as “boys” -and as such were entitled to “lays” of 1/100 of the ship’s catch or, in -other words, one barrel of oil out of every hundred, for whalers never -work for wages, and when all this was attended to, the boys felt like -real whalemen. Then, at Captain Edward’s suggestion, they worked daily -at the _Hector_, sometimes on the rigging, and still oftener looking -after the gear of the whale boats and the supplies which were being -rapidly gathered together in readiness for the day when the bark would -be ready for sea. It was a never-ending wonder to the boys to find what -an enormous quantity of stores were required. As Tom put it, there was -enough to supply a city and they could not believe that such a vast -amount was necessary. Indeed, when the boys came to total up the lists -of stores which they checked off, they discovered there were over seven -hundred different articles and that the total cost was nearly one -hundred thousand dollars. It seemed a stupendous undertaking to stow all -this away and the ship itself appeared a hopeless tangle of rigging, -fittings and odds and ends. But gradually order came from chaos. The -_Hector_ was spick and span with a fresh coat of paint; her tall, -tapering spars rose high above the docks; her massive yards were in -place; her rigging taut and well tarred; and, at last one day, a fussy, -little tug came hurrying across the harbor, and with a huge, new flag -flying from her mizzen gaff and strings of bright bunting everywhere, -the stout old ship was towed from her berth and moored in the stream. To -the elated boys, standing upon the clean, smooth decks it seemed -impossible that the stately vessel whose shining masts and spars towered -above their heads could be the same weather-beaten, dingy, dilapidated -hulk which for so long had lain upon the mud flat and had formed a -playground for them and their comrades. - -Soon lighters were alongside; the countless stores were rapidly put -aboard; the immense sails were bent to the yards; and all was ready for -the voyage, save the crew. - -Old Cap’n Pem had had his hands full getting enough men together to man -the ship and do the work when they reached the hunting grounds, and he -vowed, that never in all his experience had he seen such a -good-for-nothing, worthless lot of human derelicts as the sharks had -offered him. - -“Bet ye, ye’ll see some fun when we git out o’ soundin’s an’ start to -break ’em in,” he declared. “Mebbe ye boys think as I’m a mighty -easy-goin’ ol’ cuss but I reckon ye’ll think I’m a snortin’, tough ol’ -bucko mate when we git to sea. Treat ’em rough’s the only way ter handle -of ’em. Ain’t nary one of ’em thet knows a marlin spike from a -scuttle-butt I’ll bet.” - -“Why, aren’t they sailors?” asked Jim. - -“Sailors!” cried the old whaleman. “Sailors! Well I’ll be scuttled! -Course they ain’t sailors. Why, bless your hearts, no whaler cap’n’d -ship sailors if they paid their passage. Jest scum they be—gutter -sweepin’s an’ bums on’y worse ’an usual ’cause o’ the war.” - -“But if you don’t have sailors, how can you sail the bark?” asked Tom. -“And why don’t you want sailors anyway?” - -“The mates an’ the four boat steerers sail the ship,” explained the old -fellow. “Thought I told ye all ’bout sech things long ago. An’ the -cooper an’ steward lend a han’, providin’ they’re needed, an’ arter -we’ve broke in the greenies they’ll han’le the ol’ bark. Why don’ we -want sailor men? ’Cause sailors ain’t any use ’board a whaler. Fust -place they growl an’ cause trouble, secon’ place they desart at the fust -po’t an’ third place they won’t work fer lays. Now I gotter be a-gittin’ -along an’ lookin’ arter things. The ol’ man’s given orders we’re a -sailin’ at ebb tide to-morrer, so ye boys be on han’ before ten.” - -Despite their eagerness to go on the cruise, and their excitement, still -the boys felt a touch of homesickness and a lump in their throats as -they bade good-by to their parents and their boy friends, the following -morning, and realized that they would not see the quiet, shady streets -of Fair Haven or their own comfortable homes for twelve long months or -more. - -When they reached the _Hector_ they found Captain Edwards, the second -mate, the four boat steerers, the cooper, the cook and a carpenter on -board. The second mate, or officer, was a long, lanky, down-east fellow -with a ghastly scar across one cheek and which they learned had been -received when his ship had been sunk by a German U-boat a few months -previously. The boat steerers were all Portuguese from the Cape Verde -Islands; the cook was a coal-black negro from Jamaica; the cooper was a -blond-headed Swede and the carpenter a tiny, dried-up, white-haired -Irishman. Soon after the boys were aboard, two boats approached loaded -with men and with old Cap’n Pem in the first. Running alongside, the men -scrambled and clambered onto the deck and as they stared stupidly about, -the boys thought they never had seen such a rough, unkempt, -disreputable-looking lot of men. Sixteen in all, there was not one of -their number who was not ragged and dirty. They were of every age, color -and nationality from a tousled-headed, pop-eyed “boy” to a gray-headed, -red-nosed, old rascal fully sixty, and several were negroes. But they -had scant time to look about at their new surroundings for scarcely was -the last one on board, before the second mate began to give orders, -hustling the new hands about, and putting them to work, and while some -were inclined to loaf and others were surly and answered back, the -majority fell to and evidently did their best to follow instructions, -although it was plain that the mate’s words held little meaning for -them. Then the capstan was manned, a tug drew alongside and, as the boat -steerers joined the men at the handspikes and walked the heavy cable in, -their voices broke into the old, old chantey of Sally Brown: - - “Oh, Sally Brown of New York City, - Aye Sally,—Sally Brown, - Of pretty Sal this is a ditty, - I’ll spend my money on Sally Brown!” - -So sang the men as the great anchor rose slowly to the catheads, and a -moment later, the tug’s propeller churned the water and the boys saw the -docks and buildings of New Bedford slipping slowly astern. The crowd on -the piers and moored ships shouted and waved hats and handkerchiefs. The -tug gave a farewell toot and the boys’ voyage had begun. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THERE SHE BLOWS! - - -No sooner had the bark commenced to move down the harbor, than a magic -change appeared to take place. At the wheel, one of the boat steerers -stood staring ahead and deftly gave the spokes a twirl as he kept the -_Hector_ to the tug’s course. Back and forth on the quarter-deck strode -Captain Edwards, hands behind back and hat pulled low over his eyes. At -the break of the poop, stood old Cap’n Pem, his ancient, peaked cap -jammed on one side of his head, his shirt sleeves rolled to the elbows -and his bushy brows drawn together in a frown. Below him, stood the -lanky second officer, Mr. Kemp, barking out sharp, quick orders. From -the galley, a slender column of smoke rose upwards, showing the cook was -already at work. The crew were busy here and there under the directions -of the boat steerers and the carpenter was wedging down a hatch cover. -It was evident that strict discipline was now in order and the boys, -resolved to do their part and to act as though they were bona fide -members of the crew, commenced coiling down ropes that trailed across -the decks. As they did so, Mr. Kemp grinned and Cap’n Pem winked at the -skipper who stopped an instant in his stride to glance at the busy boys. - -Then, Cap’n Pem’s voice roared out orders to loosen sails and the two -boys, anxious to show their skill and knowledge, as well as their -willingness, ran nimbly up the ratlines and were the first out on the -yards. One by one the great topsails were unfurled and halliards were -manned. - - “They call me Hanging Johnny, - Away-e-Oh! - They call me Hanging Johnny, - So hang, boys, hang.” - -Thus roared the men, and, as the boys joined in the chorus, the heavy -yards rose slowly, the sails were sheeted home, and as the bark passed -the harbor mouth and caught the fresh offshore wind, the tug cast off -her lines, blew a parting blast on her whistle and the _Hector_, under -her own canvas, headed towards the open sea. - -The breeze was fair and steady and under topsails and to’gallant sails -the bark swept smoothly on, a crinkle of white water under her forefoot, -a yeasty wake trailing off astern and the soft hum of the wind in her -taut rigging and great billowing sails. The boys, who had never been to -sea except in steamers, thought they had never experienced anything so -delightful as the sensation of sailing without the throb and noise of -engines and the mess and dirt of smoke and cinders, and they were sure -that they had never seen anything so beautiful as the huge, white sails -straining at their braces, gleaming like silver in the sun, softly -purple in the shadows and swaying majestically across the blue summer -sky as the boys gazed upward at them in admiration. - -Dim and hazy in the distance, were the hills and shores; a mere smudge -of smoke marked New Bedford; to port lay Martha’s Vineyard; and straight -ahead was the broad Atlantic. - -But the two boys had been too well trained by Cap’n Pem to idle away the -time admiring the pyramids of snowy sails overhead, or the gentle rise -and fall of the deck beneath their feet, but busied themselves about the -ship, coiling down ropes, explaining orders to the green crew, lending a -hand here and there and making themselves generally useful. Presently, -Mr. Kemp approached. “Mr. Potter’d like Mr. Chester and Mr. Lathrop to -step aft,” he said. - -For a moment the boys hesitated, puzzled, and then, despite every -effort, laughed, for the officer’s formal method of addressing them -struck them as very funny. They had never dreamed that they would be -treated other than as boys and to be spoken to as officers was a -distinct surprise. - -Quickly recovering themselves, however, the two hurried to the poop -where the old whaleman was standing. - -“What is it, Cap’n Pem—?” began Tom, but he was instantly interrupted by -the other. “Mr. Potter, sir!” corrected the old man with a twinkle in -his eyes. - -“Yes, sir, what is it, sir?” inquired Tom, trying hard to hide a grin. - -“Cap’n Edwards wants ye an’ Mr. Lathrop to git ready fer to take -observations, sir,” replied Cap’n Pem. “He says as how he’d like fer ye -two youngs—Oh, gosh-ding it all what’s ther use! I’ll be blowed ef I kin -keep it up. Call me Cap’n Pem ef ye like. I’m a-goin’ ter call ye young -scallywags or anythin’ else same’s I allers has. Well the ol’—Cap’n -Edwards I mean—wants ter hev ye shoot the sun an’ work out the position -so’s he kin see how much ye know. It’s pretty nigh eight bells now, so -hustle down inter my cabin and fetch up them two sextants there, an’ git -busy.” - -“Yes, sir, Mr. Potter!” chuckled Jimmy, as the two boys dived down the -companionway. - -Regaining the deck, the two boys took up positions and commenced -squinting through their instruments, while the old whaleman watched them -critically. Unnoticed by them, Captain Edwards also drew near, and even -Mr. Kemp ceased swearing at his crew long enough to glance at the two, -for it was a novel sight to see two boys standing on the poop of a -whaleship and handling sextants like old hands. - -“Eight bells!” cried Tom presently. “Eight bells!” echoed Jim, and at -their words the eight mellow notes rang out from the bronze bell below. - -Hurrying down to the cabin, the boys commenced to work out their -latitude while, on deck, Cap’n Pem slapped his thigh and chuckled. -“Han’led them sextants jes’ as well as me or you could!” he declared -addressing the skipper. “Bet ye, ye kin depen’ on ’em jes’ as well as -any orcifer ye’d find. Jes’ wait ’till they give ye their figgers. -They’ll be purty clost to kerect or I’m a Dutchman!” - -“Here are the figures and position, sir,” said Tom as he appeared from -the companionway and handed two slips of paper to the captain. - -Captain Edwards glanced at them and a satisfied smile spread over his -wrinkled, tanned face. “Your longitude is right,” he said, “and -there’s only thirty seconds difference in your two positions. Neither is -out quite a minute—or less than a knot—and that’s mighty close work for -the first observation you’ve ever taken aboard a ship at sea. You’ve -done very well—er—Mr. Chester and Mr. Lathrop. From now on, you may -consider yourselves as third and fourth officers and entitled to lays of -one in fifty each. I shall expect you to take observations daily.” - -“Told ye they’d be derned near _k_erect!” cried Cap’n Pem. - -“But, captain, can’t we help with the work just the same, if we are -officers?” asked Tom. “It’s lots of fun.” - -The captain rubbed his chin reflectively. “Third and fourth mates -usually have to work a bit,” he replied. “Yes, I guess ’twon’t ruin -ship’s discipline if you’re boys most of the time and officers when I -need you. But don’t get too familiar or friendly with the crew.” - -“What in Sam Hill’s the matter now!” exclaimed Cap’n Pem a few moments -later, when angry shouts from Mr. Kemp were heard. - -Following their old friend to the break of the deck, the boys saw the -second officer shaking his fists and yelling at a ragged man who stood -before him with a vacant, noncomprehending expression on his face, and -moving and wiggling his fingers in a curious manner. - -“What’s the matter, Mr. Kemp?” called the captain. - -The second mate turned and glanced up. “It’s this greenie, sir,” he -replied. “Just up from the foc’sle, an’ jus’ stands here and looks -silly, twiddlin’ his thumbs. Don’t answer back or nothin’ and won’t obey -orders. Don’t know if it’s some new kind of jag or if he’s just plain -crazy.” - -“Aye tank he bane daf an’ doomb, sir,” put in the cooper, approaching -and touching his cap. “Aye haf daf an’ doomb coosin bane twoggle fingers -same vay. Mebbe Aye bane able talk mit him.” - -“Reckon Ole’s right,” agreed Cap’n Pem. - -“Try it and see, Swanson,” ordered the skipper. - -Standing before the man, the cooper moved his big, knotted fingers, and -instantly, a look of understanding passed over the other’s features and -his hands moved swiftly. - -Presently, the Swede turned towards the watching officers. “Yas,” he -said “he bane daff an’ doomb. He say he bane shanghaied. He never bane -sailor man before.” - -“’Spect like enough he was shanghaied,” growled Cap’n Pem, “but we can’t -help that none. What we goin’ fer to do with him, Cap’n? Blow me if I -ever run afoul o’ a dummy han’ on a whaleship afore.” - -“He can work just as well if he is deaf and dumb,” replied Captain -Edwards. - -“Yes, but how’n tarnation’s he goin’ fer ter take orders?” exploded the -old whaleman. “’Twouldn’t do no harm if ev’ry one o’ the critters was -dumb. Wish t’ they was. But a deaf han’ ain’t worth nothin’. Dern the -shark what shipped him!” - -“Swanson,” called the skipper, “take charge of this man. You’re the only -one can talk to him. Teach him what you can and make him work at -something, sharpening spades and irons, or anything else.” - -No further incidents of note occurred during the day and the following -morning the boys came on deck to find the _Hector_ out of sight of land -and rolling majestically to the long, blue swell of the ocean. - -“Reckon this is a purty good day to begin breakin’ in the greenies,” -remarked Cap’n Pem at breakfast. “Have the starboard boats cleared and -ready to lower, Mr. Kemp. It’s mighty good weather for breakin’ of ’em -in to the oars arter we’ve had a bit of a set-to with ’em in the -riggin’.” - -When they reached the deck, Cap’n Pem had Mr. Kemp summon the green men -aft, and standing at the break of the poop, he gave them a short -harangue on what was expected of them. - -The boys felt really sorry for the men, for, with few exceptions, all -were deathly seasick, and terribly frightened at their surroundings. -Every time the bark rolled, they uttered doleful groans and clutched -wildly at the nearest backstay or shroud, and when the old whaleman -spoke of going aloft and the poor fellows glanced up at the soaring, -lofty mastheads, their faces blanched with terror. - -As Cap’n Pem finished speaking, the second mate ordered the men into the -rigging. For an instant, they stood hesitating, terrified at the mere -thought of climbing the ratlines rocking back and forth to the roll of -the bark. But as Mr. Kemp started towards them, a rope’s end in one hand -and a belaying pin in the other, the men fled before him, and flattening -themselves against the shrouds, crawled up for a few feet above the -deck. Only two went further, the pop-eyed youth who the boys had noticed -and a huge, gorillalike negro, both of whom ran nimbly to the to’gallant -crosstrees and seated themselves as comfortably as if they had been -sailors all their lives. - -Only one man had remained on deck, a gray-headed old reprobate. “Here -you!” yelled Mr. Kemp with an oath, “Get aloft there and be durned quick -about it!” - -“Not a bit!” replied the old fellow insolently. “’Tis none av thim -monkey shines Oi’ll be afther tryin’, an’ me wid me wooden lig!” - -The second mate, who had started forward with belaying pin raised -threateningly, stopped short and dropped his arm. “Well I’ll be—,” he -began and then, turning, he shouted, “Mister Potter, here’s another of -’em—first a dummy an’ next a timber leg! Them sharks must have thought -we was a floatin’ horspittel!” - -“What’s that ye’re sayin’?” shouted old Pem. “What’s this erbout a -timber leg?” - -“This old cove here,” explained the other, “says as how he can’t go -aloft cause he’s got a wooden leg.” - -Old Pem was fairly bristling. “Sojerin’!” he yelled. “Git erloft there, -ye ol’ bum!” and then, forgetting himself in his excitement, he added, -“Ye ain’t no more one-legged than I be!” - -“B’gorra Oi’d be hopin’ not,” burst out the other. “Faith, an’ Oi’d like -to see yez a shinnyin’ up thim ropes wid a lig like this, ye ould -omathon!” - -As he spoke, he drew up his trouser leg and exhibited the artificial -limb beneath. - -“Sass me back, will ye!” roared the old whaleman, purple with rage. “By -blastarnation, ef ye wasn’t a cripple I’d skin ye alive!” - -“Cripple yerself,” shouted back the other. “Come down out of that an’ -Oi’ll lick the stuffin’ out av yez, ye ould shellback!” - -The boys fully expected to see Cap’n Pem dash down to the deck and rush -at the impudent old fellow, but instead, he suddenly doubled up and -roared with hearty laughter. - -“I’ll be keelhauled!” he cried. “Ef this isn’t the dod-gastedest crew -what ever sailed on a whale ship. Reckon misery loves comp’ny. Two -timber-legs an’ a dummy! Mr. Kemp, muster them hands aft an’ see how -many more derelicts ye’ve got ermong ’em.” - -Grinning at the comical scene they had just witnessed, the crew gathered -about and the second officer went over them one by one, questioning -them, pounding them on backs and chests, slapping their arms and legs -and ordering them to run and jump about, while, on the poop, the two -boys and old Pem, as well as the skipper, stood and watched the -procedure with amusement. Presently the second mate turned. “Here’s a -chap with a glass eye,” he announced, indicating a sallow-faced, little -man, “but I guess t’others are all sound.” - -“Reckon so long’s his other eye’s good he don’t matter,” said Pem. “Go -on with yer men, Mr. Kemp an’ put that one-legged ol’ shamrock to deck -work till we’re ready fer the boats. Mebbe he’ll do fer a shipkeeper -anyhow.” - -For several hours, the “greenies” were kept on the jump, compelled to -climb the rigging to the topsail yards, taught the standing and running -rigging, made to understand what to do when an order was given. But -while they were, as Cap’n Pem had put it, “treated rough,” there was -none of the real brutality shown which the boys had expected from the -tales they had heard and read of whalers. Indeed, both Tom and Jim -agreed that Mr. Kemp was wonderfully patient and the few blows that were -struck did not appear to trouble the tough crew in the least. When Tom -spoke of this to Captain Edwards the latter remarked that such treatment -as they were receiving was probably far gentler than anything they had -ever experienced before. - -Strangely enough too, the active work appeared completely to cure the -men of seasickness, while their first terror of going aloft was rapidly -overcome, although they still hugged the shrouds and held on with might -and main whenever the bark rolled. - -The boys were much amused at Cap’n Pem, for the old whaleman had painted -himself as a hard-fisted, slave-driving mate when at sea, whereas, in -reality, he was far easier on the men than the second officer, and -several times he cautioned the latter against using unnecessary -violence. - -“This ’ere ain’t no ol’ time whaleship,” he cried. “I’ve seed a-plenty -o’ bulldozin’, bucko mates an’ I tell ye ’tain’t no use to smash a man -up. Might jes’ as well let ’em take their time a’ larnin’ as to spend it -mendin’ of a busted leg or stove-in head. Course, if any of ’em needs -it, ye can give ’em a good lickin’. They gotter know who’s boss, but we -don’ want broken bones nor murder.” - -At last, the second mate seemed satisfied with what he had accomplished -and ordered the topsail backed, and as the bark was hove-to and rested -motionless on the sea, the two starboard boats were lowered and the -green hands were ordered into them. Even the one-legged Irishman was -compelled to embark, although he protested vigorously. With two of the -boat steerers in each boat and with Mr. Kemp in charge of one and Cap’n -Pem in the stern of the other, the fun began. Not a man in the crowd, -with the exception of the boy and the big negro, both of whom had -evidently served on ships before, had ever touched or handled an oar in -their lives. And when, under the orders of the two mates, the fellows -attempted to pick up and use the heavy ash oars, the result was so -comical that the two boys burst into peals of laughter and even Captain -Edwards chuckled. Constantly fouling one another’s oars, catching crabs, -losing their oars overboard and getting in one another’s way, the men -struggled valiantly and apparently thought it a regular lark. Indeed, -after their terrifying session with the rigging, their instruction in -boat handling must have seemed mere child’s play, and at each mishap the -men roared and made fun of each other. Moreover, the mates and boat -steerers took the matter good-naturedly, making biting and sarcastic -remarks, but patiently striving to teach their men how to row. Much to -the boys’ surprise, the crowd of human derelicts did wonderfully well, -and after an hour’s work, managed to conquer the oars sufficiently to -keep fairly good time with their strokes and actually to propel the big, -thirty-foot whaleboats. - -Very soon the breeze freshened, a choppy sea began to rise and the boats -were hoisted to the big wooden davits, the yards were swung and the -_Hector_ plunged onward through the deep-blue waves towards the distant -Azores. - -Thereafter, on every calm day, the boat drill was continued, and day -after day, the men were sent aloft and taught to furl and reef sails, to -swing the yards, to tail onto braces, sheets and halliards and to do the -thousand and one things necessary to the handling of a square-rigged -vessel. Most of the men learned rapidly, after they had once overcome -their landsman’s dread of going aloft, and while a few were so utterly -lacking in intelligence that they couldn’t learn the difference between -a “main brace and a belaying pin,” as Mr. Kemp put it, yet all learned -to handle the boats and seemed to take keen enjoyment in this part of -the work, each boat’s crew constantly striving to outdo the other and -holding hard fought races whenever opportunity offered. Moreover, the -men had improved vastly in appearance. They had grown brown and strong; -their muscles had developed; they had discarded their dirty shore rags -for clean dungarees and went about lightly and surefootedly on newly -acquired “sea legs” in their bare feet. From the boat steerers and -mates, they had learned a number of chanteys and whalemen’s songs and -whenever any work was done, the deep bass of the big negro, Sam, could -be heard leading the chorus of some old-time, deep water chantey. - -A few days after they had dropped land from sight, the captain had a man -constantly perched on the topgallant crosstrees, keenly scanning the -horizon, and Cap’n Pem explained to the boys that they were likely at -any time to sight a sperm whale and that the skipper had no intention of -letting one slip by. - -“Sparm ’ile’s mighty high,” said the old man, “’an sperm’ceti’s higher -an’ t’ain’t no use a lettin’ good dollars slip by. ’Sides, this ere -gang’s gotter be taught whalin’ an’ the sooner the better.” - -The two boys also took turns at maintaining a lookout from the -crosstrees, each filled with hopes of being the first to sight a whale. -But the days slipped by, vast beds of yellow “sargassum” or “gulf weed” -dotted the indigo sea and the bark was rapidly approaching the islands -and no sign of a whale had been seen. - -Then, one day, as Tom swept his eyes about the vast circle of restless -water, he caught a glimpse of a faint, indistinct mist rising a few feet -above the sea, like the spray from a breaking wave. The next moment, a -vast, black object lifted for an instant in the trough of a sea and, at -the top of his lungs, Tom shouted: “There she blows!” - -Scarcely were the words uttered, when all was excitement below and Cap’n -Pem’s voice bellowed, “Where away?” - -“About three points on the port bow,” shouted Tom. - -Then followed a moment of breathless waiting, with all eyes strained in -the direction Tom had indicated, until once more the tiny column of -vapor rose in air and the whale’s flukes showed for a brief moment -before he sounded. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -A NARROW ESCAPE - - -No sooner had the whale been sighted than all was bustle and hurry. -Orders rang out sharply and rapidly; the men sprang to their tasks; the -great yards swung and the bark was hove-to; and, in an incredibly short -space of time, two boats had been lowered and were fairly racing across -the waves, propelled by the five huge oars in each. - -The two boys were woefully disappointed at not being allowed in the -boats; but they realized that they would only be in the way, and that in -the serious and dangerous attack on the whale, they had no place. From -their perch on the crosstrees, however, they had a splendid view of all -that was going on, and watched, fascinated, as the boats rapidly drew -near the whale which was now swimming lazily along the surface of the -sea. Presently, the boys saw the Portuguese boat steerer in Cap’n Pem’s -boat, draw in his oar and step to the bow of the boat where, with hair -tossing in the wind and naked to the waist, he stood with the heavy -harpoon, or “iron,” poised and ready to strike. To the waiting boys it -seemed as if the boat was about to bump into the immense, black bulk of -the whale which rose, like the bottom of a capsized ship, far above the -tiny boat. Closer and closer drew the little craft, the boys with bated -breath watching every move and expecting each instant to see the iron -dart forward and bury itself in the monster, when, without warning, the -enormous flukes rose high in air, the whale disappeared in a boil of -green and white foam, and with a crash that reached the boys’ ears, the -mighty flukes struck the sea and hid the boat in a shower of spray. - -“Sounded, by gum!” shouted Captain Edwards from the poop. - -“Yah, he bane sound!” echoed the cooper. “But aye tank Mr. Potter bane -get him yust da same.” - -The two boats now rested motionless, waiting for the reappearance of the -whale, every man with bent back ready to give way the instant their -quarry “breached”; the boat steerers in the bows standing like bronze -statues, and old Cap’n Pem in one boat and the second mate in the other -grasping their enormous steering oars and peering intently ahead. Even -before the boys saw the faint column of vapor that marked the rising -whale, they saw the mate’s boat leap forward, and as the bulk of the -creature’s body broke through the water, the iron flashed forward and -buried itself in the whale’s side. - -“Fast!” yelled the captain. - -Instantly, the boat steerer sprang back, Cap’n Pem dropped his oar and -scrambled nimbly forward, the boat steerer seized the oar and took the -mate’s place and old Cap’n Pem crouched in the bow. - -Then commenced such an exciting scene as the boys had never dreamed of. -Hardly had the two men changed places in the boat when the whale threw -himself bodily from the sea, a veritable giant of a creature, snapping -his enormous jaws together as he did so, and the next second he was off -like an express train, while behind him, the frail boat tore through the -sea in a cloud of foam as it was hurtled by the terrified mountain of -flesh to which it was fast. Straight away the huge creature sped, until -the boat was a mere speck upon the horizon. - -“Keep ’em in sight, lads! Keep ’em in sight!” yelled Captain Edwards, -and leaping to the shrouds, he climbed quickly aloft and stood beside -them on the crosstrees. - -“Sounded again!” he exclaimed presently, and then, “headin’ this way!” -Rapidly now the boat increased in size with the threshing flukes of the -cetacean now and then visible, and headed apparently directly for the -_Hector_. - -As he approached the other whaleboat, the men bent to their oars, the -craft leaped towards the stricken whale and as he rushed by, within a -score of feet another iron was hurled and with both boats fast the whale -sped on. But the second iron from Mr. Kemp’s boat had turned him in his -mad course and he tore past the stern of the _Hector_ within fifty -feet—so close, in fact, that the boys could see the expressions on the -men’s faces, could see the gear within the boats and caught the sound of -Cap’n Pem’s shout as the gallant old whaleman waved a hand and yelled up -to them. - -“Derned near rammed us!” exclaimed the skipper. “Would have if Kemp -hadn’t struck and turned him!” - -Scarcely had he spoken when, so suddenly that the two boats overran the -spot where he had been an instant before, the whale sounded and as the -line rushed out through the bow-chock until it smoked, the tub-oarsmen -doused it with water and Cap’n Pem and the second mate seized the -ever-ready hatchets and held them poised to cut the lines in case of -need. Everything now was taking place close to the ship and the watchers -on the crosstrees seemed to look directly down into the two boats. -Fathom after fathom of the line whirred over the boat’s bows as the -whale dived straight for the ocean bottom and it seemed as if the whole -three hundred fathoms in each boat would be exhausted ere the creature -ceased sounding. - -Then, to the watchers’ ears, came Cap’n Pem’s shout of “haul line!” and -rapidly as hands could work, the dripping hemp was drawn in and coiled -in its tub, and the boys, realizing the whale was coming up, watched -breathlessly for his appearance. Suddenly he breached so close to the -ship that, as he spouted, the spray drifted across the bark’s decks and -the vessel rolled to the wave he created as he reared his gigantic head -far above the sea and brought it crashing down. Then for a space, he lay -quiet, and silently and cautiously the mate’s boat drew closer and -closer to the monster and the boys held their breath as they saw Cap’n -Pem grasp the long, keen lance and they realized that the old whaleman, -disdaining new-fangled methods, planned to kill the whale by the -old-fashioned lance which must actually be shoved into the animal’s -side. - -“Dern him!” whispered the captain. “Why don’t the old fool use the bomb -lance? Does he want to be stove?” - -Now the frail boat was within a few feet of the wounded whale. Cap’n Pem -straightened up, grasped the lance firmly, braced himself, leaned -slightly forward and, with a sudden lurch and a grunt which was audible -to those on the bark, he drove the long-bladed lance deep into the -creature’s side. Instantly, with a sweep of the oars, the boat darted -back, and not a second too soon. Lashing the waves into a churning, -boiling, seething mass of froth and foam, spouting blood which reddened -the sea, lifting his great flukes and smashing them down in thunderous -crashes, rearing his stupendous head and dropping it like a falling -house, snapping, biting, sweeping to right and left with his immense jaw -with its row of gleaming teeth, the whale went into his death flurry. -Dodging the sweeps of his flukes, escaping by a hair’s breadth the -terrible jaws, tossed about like chips on the crimson waves raised by -the writhing titan beside them, the boats’ crews strove like madmen to -preserve their lives and boats, while the skipper shouted and screamed -from the crosstrees. The boys’ hearts beat like trip-hammers and the men -on deck yelled in excitement. Then, with a final, convulsive shudder, -the gigantic creature rolled over and lay still. From the boat came the -glad, triumphant cry of “Fin out!” the whale was dead. Grabbing his old -cap from his head, Cap’n Pem looked up and waved it towards the captain -and the boys in the crosstrees, his features flushed with excitement and -victory, a broad grin on his face. - -“Reckon I ain’t fergot how ter kill a whale, eh, boys!” he shouted. -“Ain’t had so much sport fer twenty year!” - -The excitement was now over, and climbing down from their lofty perch, -the boys went to the bark’s starboard rail and watched the process of -getting the dead whale alongside. Quickly and deftly the two boats’ -crews worked, getting a chain around the dead whale’s flukes, while, -aboard the bark, spades and blubber hooks, hoisting tackle, cutting -tackle and the other appliances for cutting in the whale were being made -ready. The carpenter and his assistants were busy rigging the cutting -stage to be slung under the ship’s gangway. The huge kettles for boiling -the blubber were brought out, shavings and wood were placed in the try -works ready for firing, and by the time the carcass of the whale was -alongside, everything was in readiness for cutting in the blubber. -Leaping onto the whale, one of the boat steerers quickly cut a hole in -the blubber between the whale’s eye and his fin and in this, inserted a -huge, iron hook attached to a tackle which led up to the mast. Then, -standing upon the cutting stage, the men, armed with their long-handled -spades, prepared to start the work. At this moment, the deaf mute, who -had been sent aloft to clear the tackle, came down the shrouds with a -rush, and unceremoniously yanking the busy Swanson from his work, -whirled him about and began gesticulating wildly. - -“Hi there!” yelled Cap’n Pem. “Get that dumb fool outer here. What’s he -a thinkin’ on?” - -“Yaas, sir,” replied the big Swede. “He say dere bane whale yust off der -quvarter.” - -“He does!” exclaimed the mate. “Run aloft, Mr. Kemp, an’ see if he knows -what he’s a-talkin’ erbout.” - -Reaching the crosstrees, the second officer glanced rapidly around and -the next instant his startled shout caused every one to drop work and -tools and scramble to the decks. - -“Whale!” screamed Mr. Kemp. “It’s a German sub!” - -With anxious faces the crew scrambled up the rigging, striving to get a -glimpse of the U-boat while the boys and Cap’n Pem rushed to the after -deck where Captain Edwards already stood, searching the sea with his -glasses. - -For a space the boys could see nothing and then Jim’s sharp eyes caught -the slender periscope of the underseas boat and the tiny trail of white -behind it. - -“There ’tis, Tom! Look! Just beside that big patch of weed!” he cried. - -“Dern their dirty hides!” exclaimed old Pem. “Fetch me a bomb lance, -boys. I’ll show ’em!” - -“No!” commanded the captain, “we can do nothing. Possibly they may spare -us if they see we are a whaleship and have no oil aboard. Get the other -boats over, Mr. Potter. If we’re sunk we have enough boats to save all -hands, thank Heaven.” - -Turning, the mate bawled the orders to the crew, and, badly frightened -as they were, and realizing their helplessness, the men flew about the -work of getting more boats in the water. Meanwhile, the submarine had -gradually emerged from the water and now floated with her deck awash, -and her conning tower and superstructure well above the sea. Presently, -from a hatchway, a uniformed figure appeared, stared at the _Hector_ -through his glasses for a space and raised a megaphone to his lips. -Then, thin but clear across the intervening sea, the anxious watchers on -the bark heard the fateful words, “Take to your poats! We’re apout to -sink dot shib!” - -Panic-stricken, the crew rushed to the waiting whaleboats and commenced -to pile into them, the Portuguese and negroes leading, and all fighting -and striking in a mad attempt to be first to reach a place of safety, -for, while fearless in attacking the giants of the seas and cheerfully -facing death a dozen times a day in the pursuit of their calling, yet -these men were terrified out of all reason at the thought of being blown -to atoms by a torpedo. There were more than enough boats for all, but -like frightened sheep, the men all dashed for one boat. Hurrying to the -deck, the captain and mates strove to restore order, shouting, and -threatening, but all to no avail. The men were insane with terror. And -then, suddenly, a wild figure sprang among them, gray hair flying, eyes -blazing, a boarding-knife in one hand, a heavy iron bar in the other. - -It was the one-legged Irishman, and before his impetuous onslaught the -crowd fell back. - -“Wan at a toime, ye spalpeens!” he screeched. “Take it aisy now! B’gorra -ye’re a foine bunch! Shure there’s enough boats an’ to sphare! Tumble -into thim in order now—six in aich, mind ye, an’ Oi’ll shtick the furst -thot rushes! Howly St. Pathrick, but it’s foine cowards, yez arre! Shure -’tis no sinse ye have, at all, at all!” - -Presently the boats were manned, the doughty little Irishman clambered -into one with the two boys and Cap’n Pem at his heels. Mr. Kemp took his -place in another and Captain Edwards, last to leave the bark, leaped -into the third as painters were cast loose and the men bent to their -oars. Scarcely had they taken a dozen strokes from the doomed ship when -there was a deafening explosion. An upleaping mountain of water -enveloped the _Hector_, and the next moment the boats were almost -swamped in a descending avalanche of water, blood, flesh and blubber. - -Frightened, dazed, choking and spluttering the boys looked about. -Rocking to the force of the explosion, with water pouring in cataracts -from her scuppers, but apparently unhurt, the bark towered above the -sea. - -“Well I’ll be—,” began Cap’n Pem, but his words were cut in twain by a -shout from Mr. Kemp. - -“Destroyer a-comin’!” he yelled. - -Instantly, all eyes were turned from the bark to where, half-hidden by -the great bow-wave thrown up by her passage, and with black smoke -belching from her four funnels, a lean, gray destroyer came tearing -through the sea. Leaping to their feet, tossing hats in air, waving -their ponderous oars, the men cheered wildly and then, realizing that -the _Hector_ was still afloat and that all danger from the submarine was -over, they swung their craft about and pulled madly back to their ship. -Even before they had gained the bark’s side they were tossing on the -wake of the rushing destroyer, and, in rapid succession, came the heavy -detonations of her depth-bombs. - -Clambering over the _Hector’s_ side, the boys and men gazed about in -amazement, for the moment utterly at a loss to understand by what -miracle the ship was still afloat. Then, rushing to the gangway, old -Cap’n Pem gave one glance over the side and let out a lusty shout. -“Well, I’ll be blowed!” he yelled. “I’ll everlastin’ly be keelhauled! -Derned if that critter didn’t save the ship! They jes’ blowed the whale -to smithereens!” - -Every one hurried to his side and peered over. It was perfectly true. -The torpedo had struck the whale, blowing it into a thousand fragments, -scattering blubber, flesh and blood over decks, sails and sea, but -leaving the bark uninjured. The mountain of meat and bone had saved the -ship! As they stood speechless, awed into silence by the miraculous -escape of the bark, no one noticed the destroyer, which had drawn near, -until a hail from her bridge reached their ears. - -“Bark ahoy!” shouted an officer. “Shall we stand by? Are you badly -injured?” - -Captain Edwards cupped his hands and was about to reply, but before he -could speak old Pem sprang onto the rail, and grasping a backstay with -one hand shook his fist at the spot where he had last seen the -submarine. “No!” he roared. “No, by heck! We ain’t hurt none, but them -sneakin’ thieves jes’ robbed us out o’ a hund’ed bar’ls o’ ’ile!” - -The tension was broken, every one roared with laughter and even the -destroyer’s officers shook with mirth at the old whaleman’s words. - -“Did you get the sub?” shouted Captain Edwards when the merriment -subsided. - -“Can’t be sure,” came back the answer. “There’s so darned much whale oil -on the water, there’s no way to tell. The sea’s slicked with grease for -half a mile round. Want us to convoy you to Fayal?” - -“Guess not,” yelled back the skipper. “Reckon you scared ’em off if you -didn’t get ’em. Guess we’ll risk it.” - -“All right, then,” replied the other. “Better not loaf about after -whales, though. Two or three subs about and you’re easy game hove-to. -Good luck!” - -A moment later, the destroyer was tearing towards the west, and by the -time the _Hector’s_ yards were squared and she was once more on her -course, a mere smudge on the horizon was all that marked the little -craft which had arrived on the scene in the nick of time. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -STRANGE VISITORS - - -Four days after their exciting experience with the U-boat the boys saw -the hazy blue mountains of the Azores looming above the horizon, and all -through the day they watched with intense interest as the beautiful -panorama of the islands was spread before them. But the winds were light -and baffling in the lee of the land, and it was daylight the next -morning when, at last, the bark dropped anchor in the harbor of Fayal. -Here, Captain Edwards was to take on fresh vegetables and fruits, and he -hoped also to obtain additional men, for while he had enough for -ordinary whaling it was his intention to land parties on several of the -far southern islands and to have enough to insure a large catch of sea -elephants and a full cargo of oil as quickly as possible, in order that -he might return to New Bedford while the high price of oil still -prevailed. - -As the bark was to be in port several days, the two boys had a splendid -opportunity to see the town and the island, and as soon as the port -formalities were over, they were pulled ashore in one of the boats with -Cap’n Pem accompanying them. - -It took some little time for Tom and Jim to become accustomed to the -feeling of solid ground under their feet once more, and both were highly -amused at the strange sensations they underwent as they walked up the -quaint, old street leading from the quay. After many days of constantly -pitching and rolling decks, which had become so familiar to them that -they seemed perfectly natural and steady, the two boys were surprised to -find that the street appeared to roll and toss, and they staggered along -like drunken men. Cap’n Pem remarked that they had not got their “land -legs” yet and he vowed that many a time, after a long voyage, he had -been deathly “land-sick” when he first went ashore. - -The picturesque town, with its old world buildings, narrow, steep -streets, jutting balconies and brilliant color, fascinated the boys who -had never before been away from the States, and they grew wildly excited -over the feathery, waving palms, the luscious tropical fruits and the -many strange sights which greeted them at every turn. Cap’n Pem, who had -visited the islands many times, showed them all the sights about the -town and took them on a long jaunt through the lovely island with its -neatly kept fruit orchards and gardens, its lofty green mountains, its -tumbling cataracts and its rich valleys. Then, at last, the time came to -leave, and with a dozen more men added to the crew and with an abundance -of fresh fruits and vegetables, live poultry and sheep and with every -available cask filled with fresh, spring water, the _Hector’s_ anchor -was weighed, the great white sails were spread and the bark quickly -dropped Fayal astern. - -Heeling to the fresh trade wind, with every sail set, with a smother of -foam sweeping past her lee rail and a turquoise wake stretching far -astern, the gallant old ship plunged southward, burying her staunch, -bluff bows to the catheads in the blue sea, shaking tons of water from -her streaming decks as she lifted to the long Atlantic rollers; every -sheet, brace and sail straining and her taut rigging humming like harp -strings. - -“Like ter see one o’ them derned submarines cotch us now!” chuckled old -Pem, as the boys, fascinated by the sight, gazed alternately at the -great pyramids of canvas and the swiftly passing foam to leeward. - -“What’s she making!” asked Tom. - -The old whaleman glanced aloft and then astern. “Reckon ’bout ten -knots,” he replied. - -“And a sub can make over twenty,” laughed Jim. “I hope we don’t see -one.” - -“Wall, o’ course I ’spose they _could_ cotch us,” admitted old Pem, “but -I’ll be blowed if I don’t wisht I’d tried a bomb lance on that there -chap back there. Bet I could a-fetched him! Reckon them boats ain’t no -tougher than a bull sparm whale.” - -“Next time we see one we’ll ask Captain Edwards to lower a boat and let -you tackle it with an iron and a lance,” laughed Tom, “but I’ll bet you -won’t get a boat’s crew to go with you.” - -“Jes’ the same,” argued the old whaleman, “ye got ter admit I saved the -ship. Ef I hadn’t a killed that there whale an’ got him ’longside -where’d we been, eh?” - -Captain Edwards, who had approached unseen, laughed. “I expect -one-legged Mike would claim he saved us,” he remarked. “At any rate, he -showed the stuff that’s in him and that he can handle men. I’m going to -make him bo’sun.” - -Cap’n Pem scratched his head. “Derned if I ever heard tell o’ a -one-legged bo’sun,” he declared. “Jes’ the same, I never heard tell o’ a -peg-legged mate afore, neither. Reckon ye might as well keep it up. Sort -o’ got the habit I reckon.” - -Day after day, the wind held steady and the bark tore on under full sail -with never a hand laid to sheet, brace or tackle, and day after day, the -drilling of the men continued, until it seemed to the boys that there -could be nothing more for them to learn. They had been taught the -running and standing rigging; they had been forced aloft until all but -one or two could straddle the royal yards or cling to the swaying, -heaving footropes “with their toe nails” as Mr. Kemp put it; and when -all this had been mastered, they were kept busy at splicing, making -chafing-gear, serving and parcelling, taring down and a thousand and one -other jobs on deck. And in this work, the wooden-legged bo’sun, Mike, -proved himself invaluable. For while he could not go aloft, yet, he -seemed to know everything else about a ship even better than old Pem -himself. Then one day, the truth came out, and while talking with the -boys, for whom he had developed a great fondness, he divulged the fact -that for many years he had served in the navy, and that he had lost his -leg in the battle of Manila on Admiral Dewey’s flagship. - -“Knowed he was a sailor man all the time,” declared Cap’n Pem when the -boys told him the news. “Couldn’t fool me! Jes’ as soon’s I seed him -grab a han’ spike, I knowed it.” - -“Well, what’s dumb Pete?” laughed Jim, “and one-eyed Ned? I suppose -you’ll say you knew they were sailors, too!” - -“Nope,” chuckled the old whaleman, “never will be. Dunno what Pete wuz, -but he’s a fust class blacksmith now. Reckon Ned wuz a sojer.” - -Several times, whales were sighted and boats were lowered in chase, for -the _Hector_ was out of the track of regular trade and the captain had -little fear of meeting hostile U-boats, but luck seemed to be against -the whalemen and no catch was made. - -“Ain’t a mite s’prised ’ile’s so high,” declared Cap’n Pem. “Never did -see sparm whales so skittish—git gallied soon’s we lower away. Reckon -they’re skeered o’ the war.” - -“Been shot at too much,” vouchsafed Mr. Kemp. “Every chaser an’ -destroyer that sighted a whale took pot shots at ’em, thinkin’ they -might be subs.” - -But whatever the reason, the whales proved so universally shy that at -last the skipper vowed he’d not lower for another, even if it scratched -its back against the bark’s planking, and gave all his attention to -hurrying towards his distant goal. - -The Cape Verde Islands had been left far astern, the bark for several -days had been drifting almost motionless upon a polished, oil-like sea -with idle sails flapping and tackles creaking as the ship rolled to an -invisible swell, and the boys’ observations told them they were nearing -the equator. Then one morning, they noticed that something mysterious -was going on among the crew. They gathered in little knots and conversed -in low tones and more than once the men approached Mr. Kemp, or the -one-legged bo’sun, and after a few words, went away grinning. - -“What are the men up to?” Tom asked their old friend, Cap’n Pem. “If -they weren’t so good-natured and didn’t talk to Mr. Kemp and old Mike -I’d think they were planning a mutiny.” - -The old whaleman chuckled. “Don’t ye go askin’ too many questions,” he -replied. “Reckon ye’ll know long ’bout day arter to-morrer.” And despite -teasing and questioning, the old man refused to say anything more. The -boys then turned their attention to the bo’sun and Mr. Kemp, but with no -better results, and every time they started to go forward Cap’n Pem or -the second mate found some reason for calling them aft. - -They were still wondering about it, and watching the crew from the break -of the after deck, two days later, when muffled cries and grunts were -heard and the crew rushed forward and peered over the rail. The next -moment, a weird figure appeared clambering up the bark’s side as if he -had just emerged from the sea. A long, tow-colored beard descended to -his waist, his long hair fell over his shoulders, his blue togalike gown -was dripping water and covered with bits of seaweed, while upon his head -was a golden crown and in one hand he held a three-pronged spear. - -“Gosh!” exclaimed Jim. “Who on earth is that?” - -“Derned if ’tain’t old Father Neptune hisself!” cried Cap’n Pem who -stood near. “Reckon he’s come aboard ter ’nitiate ev’ry one what’s never -crossed the line afore.” - -Following close at Neptune’s heels came two other figures, one, a huge -black man bearing an immense wooden razor, the other dressed as a woman -wearing a crown and carrying a trident. Surrounded by the crew Neptune -approached the after deck, where Captain Edwards had now joined the boys -and the mates, and addressing the skipper, declared that he had come -aboard to initiate those who never before had crossed the equator, and -asked the captain’s permission to proceed with the ceremony. While he -was speaking, a number of men had appeared, all dressed in grotesque -costumes, and had placed a huge tub of water, a chair and a pail on the -deck. Immediately the fun began. Seizing one of those who stood nearest, -two of Neptune’s retinue dragged him to the chair and held him firmly in -place despite his struggles, while a third liberally plastered his face -with the thick flour paste from the pail. Then the negro with the razor -stepped forward and with slashing strokes, “shaved” the protesting -initiate, whereupon his chair was abruptly tipped up and he was tumbled -headlong into the tub of water. - -Every one roared with laughter, in which the spluttering victim joined, -and Neptune’s assistants started for the next man. But the crew were now -prepared and ran and dodged about the decks and up the rigging until one -slipped and fell, to be immediately pounced upon and carried to the -“barber.” With all their attention centered on the comical sight and -almost choking with laughter, the boys had failed to notice two men who -had stealthily approached, until they were suddenly grabbed, and with -loud shouts of glee from their captors, were carried to the deck. - -They had already noticed that those who protested and struggled the most -received the greatest attention from the barber and so, wisely deciding -to make the best of it and take their turns good naturedly, they -submitted without resistance. Partly owing to this, and partly to the -fact that they were mere boys and belonged aft, they were treated to a -mere dab of the paste brush and a single stroke of the razor and were -carefully ducked only to their ears in the tub. - -As nearly all members of the crew were “greenies” who had never been to -sea before, it took several hours to capture and initiate all, but at -last it was over and Neptune’s “daughter” handed each one a card bearing -the name of the bark and the date, and certifying that the holder had -been duly initiated and enrolled by Father Neptune. - -Captain Edwards then ordered refreshments served all around, the decks -were cleared, and throughout the day, the men frolicked and skylarked to -their hearts’ content while those on the after deck roared with laughter -at their antics or applauded vigorously as some one started a chantey or -a whaleman’s song to the music of a violin and a concertina with all -hands joining in the chorus. The boys vowed it was as good as any -vaudeville show they had ever seen. Even Captain Edwards dropped his -accustomed dignity and gravity to join in the hilarity, and calling to -the mate, cried out, “Give ’em a real good whaleman’s song, Pem. Fun’s -over at eight bells and it’s pretty near that now.” - -“Blowed ef I will,” replied Cap’n Pem. “Ain’t sang a derned word fer -years. Give ’em one yerself Hen.” - -“All right, Pem,” laughed the skipper, “I’ll give ’em one if you’ll give -’em another. That’s fair. Go ahead, Pem, yours first.” - -“Wall,” muttered the old whaleman, “reckon ef the Cap’n tells me to, -I’ve gotter do it.” Walking to the break of the deck, he raised his -hand, cleared his throat and commenced to roar out the words of a famous -old whaling song. Instantly the men were hushed and motionless, -listening to his deep, bass voice as he sang: - - Come, all ye bold seamen who are cruising for sparm. - Come, all ye jolly, bold seamen that have rounded Cape Horn, - For our cap’n has told us, an’ we hope he says true, - That there’s plenty o’ sparm whales on the coast o’ Peru. - - The first whale that we raised, it was late in the day, - Which caused our bol’ cap’n these kind words to say, - “Get ye down to your hammocks an’ there quietly lay. - We’ll raise him in the mornin’ at break o’ the day.” - - ’Twas early next mornin’ just as the sun rose, - That a man at the masthead sung out, “Thar she blows!” - “Where away?” shouts the skipper, an’ the answer from aloft, - “Three p’ints on the lee bow an’ ’bout three mile off.” - - “Then call up all han’s and be o’ good cheer, - Get your lines in your boats an’ your tackle-falls clear. - Hoist an’ swing fore and aft, stan’ by each boat’s crew, - Lower away, lower away, when the mainyard swings to.” - - Now the cap’n is fast an’ the whale has gone down, - An’ the chief mate lies waitin’ his line to bend on. - Now the whale has come up, like a log he did lay. - It can never be said that he gave us fair play. - -Amid the uproarious applause that followed, Cap’n Pem beat a hasty -retreat and the Captain rose and stepped forward. - -“My turn now, boys,” he shouted, “and then the fun’s over,” and with his -words ringing far across the silent tropic sea, he sang: - - ’Twas a love of adventure and a longing for gold, - And a hardened desire to roam, - Tempted me far away o’er the watery world, - Far away from my kindred and home. - - With a storm-beaten cap’n so fearless and bold, - And a score of brave fellows or two, - Far away to the hardships, the hunger and cold, - Sailed this fearless and jovial crew. - - Have you ever cruised on Diego’s bold shores, - That are washed by the Antarctic wave? - Where the white-pluméd albatross merrily soars - O’er many a poor whaler’s grave? - - Did you ever hear tell of that mighty sperm whale, - That when boldly attacked in his lair, - With one sweep of his mighty and ponderous tail - Sends the whaleboat so high in the air? - - Did you ever join in those heart-wringing cheers, - With your face turned towards Heaven’s blue dome - As laden with riches you purchased so dear - You hoisted your topsails,—bound home? - -Deafening were the hand clappings and shouts of approval that followed, -and then, as the eight silvery notes of the bell pealed out across the -waves the one-legged bo’sun leaped forward. - -“Three cheers for the foinest cap’n phwat iver sailed a whaleship!” he -cried. Rousing were the huzzas that followed, and once again the -Irishman raised his voice. “An’ three more for our fri’nd Misther Potter -phwat saved the barrk—a foine, brave whaleman aven if he has a wooden -lig! An’ three toimes three fer Misther Kemp, phwat makes ye into foine -sailor min—aiven if he bates the loife out o’ yez to do it. An’ three -more for thim b’yes—the foine thurrd an’ fourth mates!” - -“And now, men, three times three for the _Hector_, a full cargo and a -short voyage!” cried the skipper, as the lusty cheers died down. And -never were more heartfelt hurrahs heard upon a whaler than those which -responded to his words. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -AN ISLAND QUITE OUT OF THE WORLD - - -Apparently Father Neptune was anxious to show his appreciation of the -welcome he had received on the _Hector_, for the day after his -appearance, a light breeze sprang up. Taking advantage of every catspaw, -under a perfect cloud of canvas and with stunsails set, the bark slipped -through the calm sea and out of the doldrums into the southern trade -winds. Then, once more, she bowled along on her long run to Tristan da -Cunha, her next stop. Although the boys had left New Bedford in the -autumn, they now found that it was spring south of the equator and the -captain explained to them that he hoped to reach the South Shetlands in -time to fill up with oil during the short Antarctic summer, and leave -for the north before winter set in. - -The days passed by uneventfully, but ever with something new or unusual -to interest the two boys. Daily they saw strange birds; long-tailed -white “bo’sun” birds, boobies and “Mother Carey’s chickens” and many -another. Cap’n Pem told them that the “bo’suns” were unlucky and if one -alighted on the ship it meant a death aboard, but that the Mother -Carey’s chickens were good omens. - -“Stormy petrels, some calls ’em,” said the old whaleman. “Ye can’t git a -sailor ter hurt ’em fer love o’ money, but I reckon ef ye’d like ter see -one of ’em clost to, ’twon’t do no harm fer me ter ketch some o’ the -chicks an’ let ’em go again.” - -“Catch them!” exclaimed Tom. “How can you catch one of those birds?” - -“Easy as is,” replied Pem. “Jes’ run down an’ fetch me up a reel o’ -black thread an’ a couple o’ ol’ corks an I’ll show ye.” - -Tying each cork to a piece of thread, the old whaleman cast them over -the stern and let out about a hundred feet of thread to each of the -corks dancing in the bark’s wake where the petrels were flitting -constantly back and forth. Scarcely had he done so, before one of the -birds became entangled in a thread and, at its shrill cries of alarm, -its comrades hurried towards it and in a moment several of the birds -were hopelessly entangled. Rapidly pulling in the threads, the old man -placed the frightened but unhurt birds upon the deck. - -“There ye be,” he chuckled as he disengaged the thread from their wings -and legs. “New kind o’ fishin’, eh?” - -“It’s the funniest way of catching birds I ever saw,” declared Tom. “Oh, -look out! They’ll get away!” - -“Don’ worry ’bout that,” laughed Cap’n Pem. “The chicks can’t fly offen -a level deck, ’ceptin’ they get a start by rollin’. Legs is too weak ter -hol’ ’em up.” - -Much to the boys’ surprise, they found that this was a fact, and that -the petrels were practically helpless on the deck until the ship lurched -or rolled and gave them an opportunity to rise. The birds seemed very -tame and unsuspicious and greedily snapped up and devoured bits of food -offered them. After playing with them for a time, the boys tossed them -into the air and, an instant later, they were flitting back and forth -with their fellows as if nothing had happened. - -The next day, the boys were preparing to take their observations when an -exclamation from the helmsman caused them to look up just in time to see -one of the long-tailed “bo’sun birds” fluttering about the mizzen -crosstrees as if about to alight. - -“Eet mean some one he die!” exclaimed the Portuguese at the wheel. -Taking one hand from the wheel he hastily crossed himself. - -“Shet up, you!” exploded Cap’n Pem, and then, anxiously, “Mebbe ’twon’t -light. Bad luck if he does, dern him!” - -By now, every one on the ship was watching the hovering bird; the -greenies, curiously; the seamen, with fear expressed on their faces, -while even Captain Edwards looked more troubled and serious than the -boys had ever before seen him. - -The eyes of the big negro sailor rolled wildly; the pop-eyed boy’s eyes -seemed about to burst from his head; the Irishman, Mike, was nervously -hitching up his trousers and frowning at the beautiful bird and the -Swedish carpenter was holding his crossed fingers in air as if invoking -a charm. Not a word was spoken as every eye was fixed upon the innocent -creature seeking a spot to rest and when, an instant later, it settled -gently upon a ratline and commenced to preen its snowy feathers, a great -sigh rose in unison from a score of hairy throats. - -“Bad luck for us!” ejaculated Cap’n Pem decisively. “Never knowed it to -fail!” - -“Mebbe nothin’ more’n bad weather,” commented Mr. Kemp optimistically. - -Captain Edwards shook his head and said nothing, while, on deck, the -crew conversed in hushed but earnest tones and glanced apprehensively at -the resting bird. Then, as the boys resumed their interrupted -observations and the eight strokes of the bell pealed out, the bird -lifted its white wings, soared from its perch and was soon out of sight. - -“Wusser an’ wusser!” prophesied Cap’n Pem lugubriously. “Bet ye we don’t -get no ’ile or a man goes overboard or suthin’ serious happens. Lef’ at -eight bells too—that’s the time it’s goin’ ter happen! Reckon I oughn’t -a cotched them chicks yisterday!” - -“Oh, come, Cap’n Pem!” laughed Tom. “You don’t really believe that, do -you?” - -The old whaleman looked at him a moment frowning. - -“’Course I does!” he snorted. “Ask Mike or any o’ the crew!” Still -muttering he stumped off. In a few hours, however, the incident seemed -to have been forgotten and no one mentioned it again. - -A few days later, the boys saw a school of huge black and white -creatures with enormous fins upon their backs which they thought were -some sort of whale. - -“Killers,” said Mr. Kemp, when the boys pointed them out. “Kind of a -po’poise, or grampus or whale, I dunno which, and jes’ about the -all-firedest savage critters there is. I’ve seed ’em tackle a bull whale -an’ tear him all to bits right afore my eyes. That’s why we call ’em -killers,—’cause they kill an’ eat whales.” - -But despite a sharp lookout that was maintained, no whales were sighted -and the bark kept steadily on her course. Then, one day, the boys saw an -enormous white bird sailing towards them close to the surface of the -sea. It was the first albatross, and with fascinated eyes the boys -watched it, as with motionless wings, fully ten feet from tip to tip, -the beautiful creature sailed along in the bark’s wake, skimming the -crests of the waves, swinging to right and left, dipping down to pick up -some bit of offal thrown overboard; now rising until it was a mere speck -in the sky, anon speeding ahead of the rushing ship as easily as though -she were standing still and then dropping astern again to take up its -wonted place. Every morning the bird was there. Long after darkness -fell, the boys could see its ghostly white form against the heaving, -black sea, and they wondered if it slept on the wing or ever slept at -all. Then another appeared, and another and another, until a score or -more of the wonderful creatures were constantly in sight. And then, at -last, a dim, hazy-blue shape loomed like a cloud upon the horizon above -the heaving sea and the boys looked upon the strange, unfrequented -islands of Tristan da Cunha. - -Rapidly the islands took form and shape as, under her press of canvas, -the bark drove onward. Up from the restless waves rose three vast -pyramids, their summits hidden in low-hung, threatening clouds, while -below, stretched gray-green slopes and rugged hills, cut with black -gorges and ravines and fringed with beating, high-flung surf. - -“My, but that’s a wild-looking place!” exclaimed Tom. “Is there a town -there, Captain Edwards?” - -“No real town,” replied the skipper, “but a number of people, about one -hundred and fifty, I suppose, and mighty nice folk, too. It’s a -remarkable island, boys, and the most remarkable thing about it are its -inhabitants. They are mostly descendants of British soldiers who were -stationed on the island when Napoleon was a captive on St. Helena. -Tristan’s just about half way ’twixt St. Helena and South America and -the Britishers were a bit afraid some one might try to rescue Napoleon, -so they placed a garrison over here on Tristan. You may think it’s a -mighty poor-looking spot, but the Tommies grew so fond of it, they -wouldn’t leave and settled down and their descendants have been here -ever since. Funny thing, too, mighty few of ’em ever leave to live -anywhere else and if they _do_ go off to see the rest of the world they -always come back. But a good part of ’em are whalemen’s families. Seems -to be something about the place that makes folks fall in love with it, -and ever since Yankee whaleships have been comin’ here, whalemen have -been desertin’ and joining the colony.” - -“But what do they do for a living?” asked Jim. “I should think it would -be just the loneliest place in the world. Do they have a king or a -president, or what?” - -“They raise cattle and garden truck mostly,” replied Captain Edwards. -“That’s why we whalemen stop here—to get fresh vegetables and eggs and -beef. The land’s fertile and the climate ain’t bad and they raise about -the best potaters and vegetables I ever saw. No, they don’t have any -king or president or any sort of government,—just get along neighborly -and nice with elders to guide ’em and seem to do a heap better and be a -lot happier than any republic or kingdom you’ll find. And they ain’t a -mite wild or uncivilized or uneducated either,—have churches and schools -and everything, even if the only folks they ever see are whalemen and a -British cruiser or ship that calls once a year with mail and supplies. -Whenever she comes in, the folks have all their letters and orders ready -and send them off and a year later they get the goods and the answers. -Wonder how folks in the States would get on if they could only go -shopping once a year and had to wait another year to get the things!” - -“Gee, that’s a high mountain!” exclaimed Tom. “Will we have time to go -ashore, Captain?” - -“Plenty o’ time,” the skipper assured him. “We’ll be here a couple of -days—have to give the folks time to get the supplies together and down -to the shore, and you can go all over the place in that time if you’re -as much like goats as the boys here are. Yes, pretty good-sized -mountain, that—over 8,000 feet high and an old volcano.” - -By the time the captain had finished speaking, the island loomed close -ahead and the boys could see tiny houses and buildings scattered about -on the sloping hillsides. The coast seemed forbidding and barren with -heavy surf breaking everywhere; but as they drew nearer, a covelike -harbor appeared, and cautiously feeling his way in, and constantly -scanning landmarks on the shore, Captain Edwards piloted the bark -towards the island until the sky-piercing cone of the volcano appeared -to overhang the _Hector’s_ masts. - -At braces and halliards stood the crew, ready for instant action when -the order was given to swing the yards. In the bows stood the second -mate and his men ready to let the anchor go, and, to the boys, it seemed -as if the bark would pile herself upon the rocks before the captain’s -voice roared out the orders, the yards swung to the crash of slatting -sails and the creak of tackle; the roar of chain and the splash of -anchor were flung back in thundering echoes from the cliffs, and the -_Hector_ swung motionless before the out-of-the-world island. - -Long before the bark had come to anchor, boats were putting off from -shore, and in a few moments, a miniature flotilla surrounded the -_Hector_. Much to the boys’ surprise,—for somehow, despite what the -captain had told them, they had expected to see roughly clad, unkempt, -swarthy people—the men who were in the boats were fine-looking, -rosy-cheeked, bronzed-skinned young giants, neatly clad in blue dungaree -or serge and differing in no way from men who might be seen at any -seaport in New England. - -Laughing and talking, they clambered up the bark’s sides and came -aboard, greeting Captain Edwards and others by name, shaking hands with -every one and speaking with a peculiar accent that seemed to be a cross -between cockney English and down-east Yankee,—impossible to describe. - -All were very friendly and plied the skipper and every one else with -questions about the war, about affairs in the States, about the cruise -of the _Hector_ and a thousand and one other things. Captain Edwards -produced a huge bundle of papers and magazines and a packet of letters -for them, and presently a sturdy, tow-headed youth approached the boys. - -“My name’s Paul Potter and this is my brother, Getty,” he announced, as -a younger, freckled-faced boy joined them. “You’re the first American -boys I’ve seen in four years.” - -“My name’s Tom Chester and this is Jim Lathrop,” said. Tom. “We’re from -Fair Haven. Are you any relation to Cap’n Pem? His name’s Potter, too.” - -“Shouldn’t be a bit surprised,” replied Paul, “Gran’ther was a New -Bedford whaleman and there are lots of Potters here.” - -“Yep, an’ plenty o’ Chesters and Lathrops, too,” put in Getty. “Say, -tell us all about the war an’ what’s goin’ on. We be’nt heard nary word -for nigh a year.” - -“Has America gone into it?” added Paul. “Last we heard was when our -ships licked the Germans over t’ Falklands. One of them called in here -to parse the news.” - -Willingly, Tom and Jim related all the most important news of the war -which had taken place since the islanders had last heard from the -outside world, and the four boys were soon fast friends. Then the Potter -boys asked about the cruise and the trip down. - -“Wisht us might go ’long,” declared Getty. “I’d like for to see a whale -killed, wouldn’t you, Paul?” - -“Rather!” agreed his brother. “And I’d jolly well like to go to the -South Shetlands ’long of you boys. We’ve ne’er been offen Tristan, you -know.” - -“Dad’s been there,” Getty reminded him. “Mind when he told us ’bout yon -elephants?” - -“Aye, Dad’s been most all places,” assented Paul. “Went to New York onct -and Lunnon, too. He’s school marster now.” - -At this moment Cap’n Pem approached. “Ready to stretch legs ashore?” he -inquired. “See ye’ve found chums a’ready. Reckon ye didn’t fin’ ’em -savages, did ye?” - -“Not a bit,” laughed Tom. “They’re named after you, Cap’n Pem. This is -Paul and Getty Potter.” - -“Well I’ll be squeejiggled!” exclaimed the old man. “Glad ter know ye, -lads. What’s yer dad’s name?” - -“Henry Potter,” replied Paul. “He says he’s American, ’cause gran’ther -was a New Bedford whaleman.” - -“I’ll be derned!” cried Cap’n Pem. “What’s his name,—’tain’t ol’ Lem -Potter o’ the _Greyhoun’_, is it?” - -“Aye, sir, ’tis so,” Paul assured him. - -“Well, I’ll be holy-stoned an’ everlastin’ly keelhauled!” shouted the -whaleman, “ef ye ain’t my own fambly! Why, bless yer hearts, I ain’t -been here in nigh thirty years an’ las’ time I touched ’twas in the ol’ -_Leonidas_ an’ Lem’s kid wasn’t knee high to a grasshopper. Kain’t -b’lieve he’s growed up an’ got kids like you! Lem’s my secon’ cousin ye -know. Got los’ from the _Greyhoun’_ an’ made Tristan an’ jes’ settled -down an’ married one o’ the lassies here. Come ’long all o’ ye. I jes’ -gotter git ashore an’ go a-gammin’, boys.” - -“I wondered if you weren’t relations to Cap’n Pem,” chuckled Tom as the -four boys and the old man made their way to where Paul’s boat was -moored. - -“And I expect we’ll find members of our families there, too,” added Jim. -“Say, this is a regular little New Bedford, isn’t it?” - -But while the boys found plenty of Chesters and Lathrops, as their new -friends had stated, they were all old English families, and the two boys -were rather disappointed that they could not boast of having relatives -on the queer, mid-ocean island. - -They found the place very interesting, with its winding, crooked paths, -and houses built of beach pebbles like the fishermen’s cottages in -England, and they were tremendously surprised at the variety and -luxuriance of the vegetables growing in tiny, irregular gardens -sheltered among the huge volcanic boulders. Reaching the Potter -residence, the four left Cap’n Pem chatting and gossiping with his -white-headed cousin, Lem, and with Paul and his brother, climbed up the -steep hillside. - -Far up on the mountain slope the boys threw themselves upon a little -patch of soft, gray moss and gazed down at the panorama of the island -far below, with the _Hector_, looking like a toy ship against the deep -green water, and the cottages so much like piles of brown rocks that -they appeared mere portions of the landscape. Already, the people were -busy gathering the vegetables and cattle for the bark and the boys could -hear their shouts and could see them hurrying about like busy ants. - -“What do you do to amuse yourselves?” asked Tom, at last. - -“Us have plenty to do,” Paul replied. “There’s the gardens to be planted -an’ cared for an’ the cattle an’ fishin’ an’ gathering kelp, and betimes -we egg or hunt.” - -“What do you gather kelp for?” asked Jim. - -“And what do you hunt and egg?” inquired Tom. - -“Kelp’s for to fert’lize the gardens,” explained Paul. “Grows big here, -twenty fathom long sometimes, an’ after storms it looses up and gets -adrift an’ us gathers it an’ rots it for the land. Goats is what we -hunt, plenty o’ wild ones here, an’ betimes we go sealing an’ fishing. I -like egging best. It’s more exciting.” - -“How do you go egging?” asked Jim. - -“Us goes down the cliffs on a line,” replied Paul. “It’s too early -season now or we’d show you.” - -“No ’tain’t,” contradicted Getty. “Plenty gulls has eggs to To’gallant -Rock. Let’s go.” - -“Want to?” asked Paul. - -“We’d love to,” replied Tom. “Come on.” - -Hurrying down the mountain side, Paul ran home and met the others with a -long rope and a basket in his hands while Getty led the way around a -corner of the hill and along a faintly marked pathway. - -Presently, they reached the edge of a precipitous cliff and commenced -climbing down over the sharp, irregular rocks with the sea roaring -against the base of the precipice several hundred feet below. - -“Gosh, I guess Cap’n Edwards was right when he said we needed to be -goats,” panted Tom. - -“I’d rather have wings,” replied Jim. - -Disturbed by the boys’ appearance, thousands of the sea birds rose from -their resting places, and with loud cries and screams, whirled and -circled about in a perfect cloud until the air seemed filled with them. -Soon the boys came to a spot where the rock extended out in an -overhanging ledge and, lying on his stomach, Paul peered over the edge. - -“I see a-plenty,” he announced, as he drew back. “Want to look?” - -Crawling cautiously forward to the brink of the ledge, Tom and Jim -looked over and involuntarily drew quickly back. Although they had been -accustomed to standing on the lofty crosstrees of the _Hector_ and -helping the crew on the yards far above the tumbling sea, they had never -felt dizzy or ill at ease, yet, as they glanced over the verge of the -precipice, their toes and fingers tingled and they had a vivid, -agonizing sensation of pitching over the cliff. Upon the masts or yards -there was always something tangible to connect them with the ship, but -here, on this overhanging ledge, there was nothing but space between -them and the heaving green sea that roared and thundered about an -isolated, perpendicular mass of rock that jutted from the water for -several hundred feet directly beneath the spot where they stood. - -“Whew!” exclaimed Tom. “That’s the first time I ever felt nervous.” - -“Me, too,” declared Jim. “Gosh! Can you fellows look over there?” - -The two islanders laughed. “Us ain’t nervous,” stated Paul. “Reckon -we’re used to it. Come on, look at To’gallant Rock an’ you can see the -birds a-sittin’.” - -Determined not to be outdone by the two others, Tom and Jim again drew -themselves to the edge of the cliff, and by the exertion of all their -will power, managed to look down at the mass of rock and at the -thousands of sea birds which covered it. - -“But I don’t see how we’re going to get to them,” said Tom as all drew -back from the edge. “We can’t get down there and no boat could land on -the rock if we did.” - -Paul and his brother gazed at the speaker in amazement. - -“Us goes down on the line,” announced Getty at last. “It’s easy.” - -This time it was Tom’s turn to be astonished. “You don’t mean to say you -boys really go down there on a rope!” he cried. - -“Watch us,” replied Paul with a chuckle. Uncoiling the long rope he had -brought, he quickly knotted a bowline in one end, and walking a few -yards inland, took a turn and a couple of half-hitches around a stout, -wooden stake that was firmly wedged among some rocks. - -“Stand by and help me hold the line,” he directed the two boys as his -brother adjusted the bowline about him and attached the basket to the -rope. - -Filled with amazement that any mortal would dare to be lowered over the -cliff on the slender line, the boys braced themselves against the rocks -and took a firm grasp of the rope as Getty, a broad grin on his freckled -face, threw himself upon the ground, and wriggling backwards, let his -legs and body drop over the verge of the cliff. For an instant he held -on by one hand. Paul and the boys drew the rope taut, and at Getty’s cry -of “Lower away!” they slowly paid out the line. - -“Guess he’s pretty well down,” remarked Paul, after many feet of the -rope had slipped over the edge. “Just hold fast a minute and I’ll see.” -Walking to the verge, he called down to his brother and the boys could -hear Getty’s reply thin and far away. - -“Easy now and stand by when I give the word,” ordered Paul, and, a -moment later, “Hold fast! Ease off a bit! All right! Come on and see -him.” - -Leaving the rope, which was now slack, Tom and Jim joined Paul and -peered down. There, far below them, and crouching on a narrow shelf on -To’gallant Rock, was Getty, rapidly gathering the sea-birds’ eggs and -fighting off the screaming birds that half hid him as they wheeled above -his head. From where they were watching, Getty looked like a mere speck -and the rock appeared so smooth and perpendicular that it seemed -impossible that any human being could find foothold upon it. But even as -they looked, Getty stood up, and flattening himself against the rocks, -commenced walking around the precipice above the thundering surf. The -boys held their breath, expecting each moment to see him miss his -footing and fall dangling at the end of the rope, but he calmly -continued on his way, stooping now and again as he reached a nest, until -at last, looking up, he waved his hand to the boys at the summit of the -island. - -“Got his basket full up,” announced Paul. “Come on, let’s haul him up.” - -Gathering in the slack of the rope, the boys strained and pulled, one of -them constantly holding the slack with a turn around the stake, until -presently, they heard Getty’s voice, and making the line fast, Paul -hurried to the edge of the cliff, leaned over, and lifted up the basket -full of eggs. A moment later, Getty pulled himself up on the rope and -onto the solid ground. - -“Gee, but you _have_ got nerve!” cried Jim. “I wouldn’t do that for -anything.” - -“Would if you lived on Tristan,” laughed Getty. “Dad says as folk can -get used to anything, ’cept dying. All us boys go down to To’gallant -Rock.” - -“’Tain’t arf so bad’s Ol’ Snorter,” added Paul. “Got to swing right in -under there, first out an’ then in like, an’ the rope gets a-twistin’ -most fearful. Folk don’t let us boys try that.” - -“An’ when a body’s through an’ comin’ up a body must jump off an’ swing -out on the line,” supplied Getty. “Want to see it?” - -“No, thanks,” Tom assured him. “I’ve seen enough, if there’s anything -worse I’ll take your word for it.” - -As the boys walked back towards the Potter home, the two islanders told -many a story of their life and while Tom and Jim could not understand -how any civilized people could be content to dwell in the place year -after year, yet they admitted that there was a fascination about the -island life. - -Cap’n Pem was still at the cottage and welcomed the boys vociferously. - -“Was jes’ a-tellin’ Lem ’bout you two scallywags,” he cried. “What ye -been up to now? Egging, eh? Well, fresh eggs is allers mighty good. -What’s that? Let these two kids o’ Hen’s stump ye! Didn’t the skipper -tell ye every one on Tristan’s a goat! Jes’ the same, I’ll bet ye can -lick ’em at navigatin’! How about it, boys?” - -“Reckon they could,” admitted Paul. “Us can use a sextant though. Dad -taught us.” - -“I’ve been a-swappin’ yarns with Lem ever since I got here,” chuckled -the old whaleman. “When two ol’ sailormen git to gammin’ arter thirty -year there’s a tarnation lot to chin erbout. Derned if I hadn’t jes’ -been tellin’ ’bout the _Hector’s_ crew o derelicts. Thought Lem’d bust -hisself a-laffin’ ’bout havin’ a mate an’ bo’sun both with timber legs -an’ a dummy an’ a one-eyed chap aside. Reg’lar home fer cripples, eh?” - -“Shucks!” laughed the old islander. “Ye be’nt no cripple, Pem Potter. -Why, I sw’ar to goodness, ye’re a better man an’ mate wi’ one leg than -many a body wi’ twain. Aye, if ye had none at all ye’d still be middlin’ -hard to beat. ’Tis the head an’ heart that makes a body a man, lad, not -the legs.” - -Then, turning to Tom and Jim, he continued, “Pem tells me ye laddies are -main daft o’er yarns o’ the sea. Did he e’er tell ye o’ how he lost his -leg?” - -“No, sir,” replied Tom promptly. “We never asked him about it.” - -“Then, do. Belike he’ll yaw an’ jibe an’ luff a bit, but ’tis no yarn to -be ashamed on.” - -“Do tell us about it?” begged Tom. “You’ve told us lots of yarns about -other men so tell us about yourself.” - -“I’ll be derned ef I will,” declared Pem. “Ef this dod-gasted ol’ -shellback farmer o’ a cousin o’ mine wants ye to know ’bout my dumb -foolishness, jes’ git him to tell ye. Reckon he knows more ’bout it than -I do, anyway.” - -“Well won’t you tell us then, Mr. Potter?” asked Jim. “I guess Cap’n -Pem’s too modest.” - -“Aye, that I will,” assented the other. “But first, ye laddies’ll eat. -’Tis humble fare we offer, but fresh an’ wholesome. So sit ye down. Ah, -here’s Henry!” - -While they had been talking, Paul and Getty’s mother had been preparing -the table and the savory odor of appetizing food filled the little room, -and as Lem finished speaking a tall, stalwart man appeared in the -doorway. Greeting his visitors cordially, the schoolmaster welcomed the -boys to his home and the island and apologized for not being on hand -before, explaining that he had been on a visit to a family on the other -side of the hill and had just heard of the _Hector’s_ arrival. - -He spoke with only a slight accent and was evidently well educated. The -boys now understood why Paul and Getty should use such good English with -only occasional lapses into the Tristan vernacular. - -Never had the boys enjoyed a meal better than that which they ate in the -little stone cottage on Tristan da Cunha, for the fresh vegetables and -meat, the home-made biscuits and fresh butter, the milk and gulls’ egg -omelette, the crisp, fried fish and the luscious ripe berries were a -marvelously welcome change from the ship’s fare. And as they ate, the -boys had an opportunity to glance about at the room and its furnishings. -At one side was a huge, stone fireplace. Above it was a narrow shelf -bearing an American clock, a number of handsome sea shells and several -carved whales’ teeth, while over it, were hung a long-barreled gun and a -whale lance. On one side of the room, were shelves covered with books -and magazines, with the model of a whaleship on the top shelf, and -hanging on the walls were a number of pictures of ships, marine scenes -and landscapes evidently taken from illustrated magazines and neatly -framed in dark wood. The furniture was plain but good. Bright chintz -curtains hung at the windows and everything was spotlessly clean. - -Although there were no luxuries, there was every comfort and the boys -could scarcely believe they were on this far-away speck of land in the -middle of the Atlantic, and not in some sailor’s cottage on Cape Cod or -Nantucket. - -During the meal, the conversation was all of the outside world:—the war, -the whaling business, gossip of old friends and acquaintances and -inquiries about the prices of clothing, supplies and many other matters. -Paul’s father had not been in the States for many years and he could -scarcely credit the changes which Tom and Jim described to him. Both -boys had visited New York a few weeks before they sailed, and the -islanders listened spellbound as they told of the sky-scrapers, the -subway and the countless other marvels of the metropolis. As Tom said -afterwards, it was like talking to inhabitants of another planet, for -the things which seemed so commonplace to the two American boys were as -fascinating as fiction to the Tristan da Cunha family. Although they had -seen pictures of motor cars, airplanes, tall buildings and such things, -still, to listen to those who actually had seen them, was very -different. The two boys had never before realized that there were -civilized, white, English speaking people in the world who had never -seen any of the things which were such a familiar part of their own -every day lives. But when, at last, the meal was over and the talk -veered to the _Hector_ and her voyage, the boys reminded old Lem of his -promise to tell them the story of Cap’n Pem’s lost leg. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -HOW CAP’N PEM LOST HIS LEG - - -“’Long ’bout forty-five years aback,” began the old man, as all gathered -about to hear his story, “I were secon’ mate o’ the _Greyhoun’_ bark, -out o’ New Bedford—Cap’n Ezra Clapham, master—an’ boun’ for the Pacific -arter sparm whales. Ev’rythin’ went fine an’ we rose whales mos’ from -the time we was out o’ soundin’s. Ne’er did see so pesky many in all o’ -my life. By the time we was ’round Cape Horn we was that full up the Old -Man put in at Valp’raiso an’ transshipped the ’ile. Reckon thet must ’a -bust the luck, ’cause we cruised hither an’ yon fer nigh six weeks an’ -ne’er raised a whale. Had a right smart crew too, an’ good as I e’er -seen. But I tell ye, it begun for to look as if we’d be a-cruisin’ fer -the res’ o’ our lives an’ rot at sea ’thout gettin’ ’nough ’ile ter -grease our boots. Aye, an’ ’twas fair hard work a-keepin’ that crew -busy, I tell ye. Ev’ry tooth aboard the bark’d been scrimshawed an’ -ev’ry mite o’ bone made inter knick-knacks. There weren’t a mite o’ ol’ -rope or canvas that hadn’t been made inter chafin’-gear an’ Chips -couldn’t fin’ a splinter o’ wood thet so much as needed a tenpenny nail -or a dab o’ paint. Men jes’ spent the time a-s’archin’ fer whale an’ -many’s the day I’ve seed the riggin’ an’ mas’heads that full o’ men -a-lookin’ fer a blow thet ye’d swored the ol’ _Greyhoun’_ was a mannin’ -o’ her yards fer show, like as does the ol’ frigates. Bimeby, ’long -erbout nine week out o’ Valp’raiso, we seen a sail, an’ runnin’ down to -her, we foun’ she was the _Mohawk_ out o’ Salem. Course we had a-gammin’ -an’ the _Mohawk’s_ folk—they was purty nigh full up an’ home’ard -boun’—spun a yarn ’bout a mad whale what they’d riz a couple o’ week -afore. Tol’ how as the cap’n’s boat had struck an’ was fas’ when the -critter turned an’ run fer the boat, an’ grabbin’ it in his jaws chewed -it to smithereens. Then long comes the mate’s boat an’ picked up the men -an’ the secon’ and third mates’ boats went in an’ both boats got fas’. -Well, thet jes’ made the whale wusser an’ wusser, an’ a swingin’ o’ his -jaw to sta’board an’ port, he chawed both boats. Cordin’ to the yarn, -the ol’ bull now had six irons in him, but thet didn’t bother him a -mite, an’ no sooner was the nex’ boat fas’ than he stove thet. Meantime, -two spare boats was on han’, a-pickin’ up the other’s crews, when the -ol’ whale jes’ rushed ’em an’ sounded, a-leavin’ four stove boats an’ -a-takin’ o’ seven irons an’ twelve hundred fathoms o’ line to Davy Jones -fer souv’neers. Aye, an’ ye can jes’ bet our men druv the barbs inter -the _Mohawk_ folk a-laffin’ at ’em fer a-losin’ o’ a bull whale, arter -they’d got seven irons in. One o’ our chaps—a young boat steerer—’lowed -he’d like ter see the whale he’d let get away with _his_ iron and lines, -an’ ev’ry one o’ the crew o’ the _Greyhoun’_ was that sore at not havin’ -raised a whale fer so long thet they jus’ prayed fer a chanct ter run -athwart the hawse o’ the _Mohawk’s_ mad whale. - -“An’ by gum, we did! Three days arter leavin’ the _Mohawk_, we raised a -whale ’bout four p’ints offen the sta’board bow and the cap’n an’ mate -lowered. But I’ll be blowed ef thet whale’d wait fer ’em to go on, but -jes’ as soon as he spied the boats he come arter ’em head up an’ tail -over the dasher, so to speak, a-roarin’ an’ a fumin’ with his jaws wide -open, an’ gettin’ the mate’s boat fust, he stove thet and turned fer the -cap’n’s. Jes’ took one nip and there weren’t ’nough lef’ o’ thet boat -fer to make toothpicks outen. Then a-droppin’ o’ the boat, the pesky -bull swung ’roun’ an’ grabbed the mate. Jes’ as luck’d hev it, the bark -weren’t far, an’ soon’s I see what was happ’nin’ I lowered an’ started -a-yellin’ ter the third mate ter foller an’ pick up the cap’n’s crew. -Jes’ got ter the mate in the nick o’ time an’ hauled him in purty well -chawed an’ mussed up, when the whale breached ’bout quarter o’ a mile -ahead. My boat steerer was the cock-sure cuss I told ye of an’ ’fore I -could say a word the crew was a-pullin’ like mad an’ we was a-goin’ on. -’Course I didn’t stop on ’em—didn’t want no boat steerer or crew a -tellin’ me I was scart o’ any bull whale—an’ purty soon the boat steerer -puts down his oar and pulls offen his jacket and takes up the iron, fer -we was close on an’ the ol’ bull didn’t seem fer to see us. - -“Nex’ minute the young chap struck, an’ by gum, afore ye could say Holy -Mac’rel thet dumb-gasted boat steerer had another iron inter the -critter! Dunno whether ’twas the s’prise o’ bein’ struck ’twict ter onct -or what, but the fight all seemed ter go clean out o’ the whale and he -jes’ sounded like a lump o’ lead. Jes’ as soon as he’d put the secon’ -iron in, the boat steerer tumbled aft an’ I jumped fo’ward an’ o’ course -the two lines was a-whirrin’ out o’ the bow-chock like steam an’ a -jumpin’ like livin’ snakes o’ steel outen their tubs. Jes’ as I passes -the tub-oar, I hear a sort o’ yell and a groan an’ I swings ’roun’ in -time to see the boat steerer a-floppin’ roun’ an’ a-flyin’ forrard with -a kink o’ the secon’ line ’roun’ his leg. Nex’ secon’ there was a flash -o’ steel an’ a dull thud an’, think I, some one’s cut the line, an’ I -see what I took ter be a ol’ boot splash overboard. ’Course ’twas all -over in the shake o’ a lamb’s tail, an’ jes’ then the whale was a comin’ -up to breach an’ I didn’t give no heed ter it. ’Spected the whale fer to -turn on us, but he’d got ernough o’ fightin’, I reckon, and started off -to the west’ard as if he’d a forgotten sumpthin’. Didn’t steer no -straight course, though, an’ milled an’ twisted an’ turned; an’ thet -there boat steerer _was_ a wonder. Swung the boat quicker’n the whale -an’ never shipped a drop till ’bout fifteen minutes arter gettin’ fas’, -we drew in an’ druv home the lance an’ without a flurry the ol’ bull -spouted blood an’ went fin-up. An’ jes’ as he done it I heerd a rattle -an’ thud, an’ lookin’ ’roun’ I seed the boat steerer all a heap in the -starn. When I got to him I jes’ give one almighty yell an’ drapped down -an’ couldn’t believe my own eyes. Thet there youngster had chopped off -his own leg an’d been a-steerin’ o’ the boat with a bleedin’ stump fer -fifteen mortal minutes! When he cum to, the fust thing he says was, ‘Did -ye git that there mad whale?’ An’ when we told him he jes’ grinned an’, -sez he, ‘Told them _Mohawk_ lan’ lubbers I’d git him or lose a leg, an’ -I did.’ An’ thet’s how Pem come fer to lose his leg.” - -Cap’n Pem flushed purple to his grizzled hair. “Lem, ye ol’ lyin’ -shellback!” he burst out. “’Twant me what kilt the bull an’ ye know -blamed well ’twas jes’ fer to save my life I done it. Anyhow, what’s the -use a-talkin’ ’bout things what was done forty year ago?” - -But the boys and the assembled company would not listen to his -protestations or denials and vowed he was a real hero. - -Now that the subject of whaling adventures had been started, various -stories of marvelous escapes and incredible heroism were told, for -several of the islanders who had gathered at the Potter cottage, were -old whalemen who had left their perilous calling to settle down for the -rest of their lives on Tristan da Cunha. They told of ships sunk by -infuriated whales which blindly rushed at the vessels and stove them in. -They related tales of being locked in the Arctic ice floes and of the -awful loss of the whaling fleet in 1871, when thirty-two ships were -crushed and destroyed and over twelve hundred people made their way in -open boats through freezing, stormy seas for eight hundred miles in -order to seek safety in the vessels which awaited them. They spun many a -yarn of weird, uncanny happenings at sea, of premonitions, St. Elmo’s -fire and derelicts; of mutinies and acts of violence, and all were true; -for the whalemen, unlike his merchant sailor brother, has plenty of -facts to draw from without the need of weaving tales from imagination. - -“Aye, an’ that ’minds me o’ the cap’n o’ the _Pole Star_,” mused one -gray-bearded old islander after one of the others had told a story. -“Ye’ll mind she was a-whalin’ in the Ar’tic. The cap’n struck a right -whale an’ was fas’ when his boat were stove an’ the whale tackled the -cap’n. I was boat steerer i’ the mate’s boat an’ seen the whole thing. -The Ol’ Man were a pow’ful fine swimmer an’ used fer to boast on it, an’ -’twere sure lucky fer him he were, b’gosh! Fust time the whale started -fer him, he dove under an’ come up t’other side o’ the whale. Us -couldn’t get in near, the whale was a kickin’ up of sech a rumpus, fust -striking wi’ its flukes an’ then a risin’ of its head an’ a slammin’ of -it down like er capsized mountain, an’ all the time the skipper a-divin’ -an’ a dodgin’ an’ a swimmin’ fer his life. Two or three times I seen the -whale’s flukes lift the cap’n clean out o’ water an’ time an ag’in I -seed the head come down an’ druv him clean out o sight. Each time us -thought ’twas all over, but somehow or tother the skipper didn’t get hit -square an’ kep’ a-fightin’. ’Course us didn’t know it at the time, but -all the while the skipper was a-tryin’ to git his sheath-knife into the -whale’s nose to tarn him—ye mind a right whale’s nose’s so plumb tender -he’ll turn tail an’ run if ye so much as touches of it—but the knife got -stuck an’ he had a mortal time a drawin’ on it, what betwix’ swimmin’ -an’ a dodgin’ o’ flukes an’ head. Bimeby, though, he got it out, an’ -edgin’ roun’—ye mind a right whale can’t see ahead—he swum in front o’ -the whale and druv the knife home. Jumpin’ Jehosephat! Ye’d oughter a -seed that there whale skihoot off! Bet he ain’t stopped a-goin’ yit, an’ -thet was back in seventy-three. An’ us picked up skipper nary the wusser -fer his fight.” - -“An’ did ye ever hear o’ the whaleman what was act_oo_ally grabbed by a -sparm bull an’ taken down to the bottom an’ spit up ag’in?” asked -another ex-whaleman. “I disrecollec’ his ship, but he was a chap name o’ -Jenkins. Got fas’ to a sparm whale back in ’70. Whale turned an’ bit the -boat in two and then made a rush and grabbed Jenkins an’ sounded. The -boat weren’t smashed up, jes’ cut clean amidships, an’ the crew was a -holdin’ on ter the two pieces a-waitin’ to be picked up an’ a sorryin’ -fer their los’ mate, when the whale breaches close alongside, an’ -openin’ his mouth, spits Jenkins out and tosses of him into the forrard -part o’ his boat. Warn’t much hurt neither—bruised up a bit an’ mauled, -but less’n a fortni’t later was back ter work again.” - -“That _is_ a tall yarn,” laughed Tom. “Is it true?” - -“True as I’m a settin’ here,” maintained the story teller. - -“Aye, I’ve heerd of it afore,” supplemented old Lem. - -“Seed about it in the ship’s log-book, myself,” Cap’n Pem assured them. -“Ye can read it yersel’s when ye go back. It’s over to the Mus’um in New -Bedford.” - -“Well, I can believe anything after what I’ve seen and heard,” admitted -Tom. - -“Reckon we’d better be gittin’ ’long back ter the ship,” observed Cap’n -Pem. “Skipper’ll think we’ve decided for to settle down here.” - -With hearty handshakes and thanks for the islanders’ hospitality, the -two boys invited Paul and Getty to visit the _Hector_ when their -grandfather came off next day, and accompanied by a group of their -new-found friends, they made their way to the landing place. Already, a -large amount of provisions had been brought down and the boats were just -returning from taking a load aboard the _Hector_. Captain Edwards was -already on the bark and he laughed heartily and was much interested at -the boys’ accounts of their experiences on the island. - -The following day, the islanders visited the ship and after the midday -meal, when all the supplies had been loaded, the captain had the decks -cleared and the men spent the afternoon skylarking with their visitors. - -Early the next morning, the boys were aroused by the clank of the anchor -chain and the rousing capstan chantey, as the men, walking the -handspikes around, sang lustily: - - “Oh, a ship she was rigged and ready for sea, - Windy weather! Stormy weather! - And all of her sailors were fishes to be, - Blow ye winds, westerly, gentle sou’ westerly, - Blow ye winds westerly, steady she goes.” - -Hurrying on deck, the boys found the bark already slipping through the -water, while on the shore and resting on their oars in the boats, the -islanders were waving farewells and shouting good wishes for a quick -voyage and a full cargo. - -An hour later, the island’s slopes were indistinct in the mist astern -and as the boys took their last look at the towering, volcanic cone they -felt a pang of regret at having left the island and the simple, pleasant -folk that dwelt upon it. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -ELEPHANT ISLAND - - -Although it was early summer in these southern latitudes, the weather -was chilly and desolate. Great, cold, green waves came rolling from the -west, their crests breaking in hissing spray and the bark drove on under -shortened canvas beneath a sullen, leaden sky. From time to time, -driving squalls of snow and sleet screeched through the rigging, leaving -every rope, shroud and stay ice-coated, and each time the _Hector_ -buried her bluff bows beneath the mountainous seas, she rose with -ice-sheeted decks. Bundled in heavy pea-jackets, hip-boots and oilskins, -with sou’westers jammed upon their heads, the crew stood about, -sheltering themselves behind masts, deck houses and try-works, and on -the poop the officers and the two boys paced back and forth, stamping -their feet and beating their arms to keep warm, while ever and anon the -captain stopped to peer anxiously into the murk ahead. For several days -it had been impossible to take an observation and the ship was plunging -southward, navigated by dead reckoning only, while lookouts were ever at -the mastheads straining their eyes for bergs or ice or even possible -land. Each day, too, the bird convoy of the bark increased in numbers. -Dozens of albatrosses of several kinds skimmed the breaking waves on -tireless wings. Giant, white fulmars or “Molly Mokes,” snowy -sheathbills, and a dozen other species of sea birds were everywhere, and -often the boys caught sight of distant icebergs or vast, floating fields -of pack-ice, shimmering like burnished steel against the gray-green sea. - -Then one day, came the cry of “Land ho!” from the masthead and peering -ahead the boys caught sight of a shadowy, gray mass looming above the -low-hung clouds against the southern horizon. Presently, as they -watched, Tom uttered an exclamation and grasped Jim’s arm. Close to the -bark, a huge dark body rose suddenly from the sea, a long-snouted head -reared up and with a coughing, snarling bark and a flash of great, white -teeth, the creature disappeared beneath the sea. - -“A sea elephant!” cried Jim, and intently the two scanned the surface of -the water for its reappearance. Soon they were rewarded. Again the giant -seal flung itself upward from the curving crest of a wave and then -another and another appeared until, all about the speeding ship, the sea -was dotted with the monsters, seemingly unafraid of the vessel and -playing about like enormous porpoises. - -Soon, however, the boys’ attentions were diverted from the sea -elephants, for ahead they caught sight of thousands of bobbing black and -white forms floating upon the waves, now leaping several feet in the -air, anon ducking beneath the sea, at times standing upright and -apparently clapping hands or again tumbling over and over like playful -puppies. - -“What in the world are they?” asked Jim as Cap’n Pem approached. - -“Penguins,” replied the old whaleman. “Ye’ll see ’em by tens o’ -thousan’s on shore.” - -In a few moments more, the bark was in the midst of the flock of the -strange fishlike birds, and on every side, ahead and astern, the water -was alive with them and both boys were fascinated watching their droll -antics. Then they were interrupted by orders to shorten sail still -further, and as the bark rolled along over the rapidly smoothing sea, -the boys’ interests were centered on the distant island they were -approaching. Desolate, forbidding and bleak, it appeared, a vast, -uprising, towering mass of dull-colored rock, flanked by stony hills and -rimmed by pebbly beaches and outstanding cliffs against which the long -Antarctic swells broke in great sheets of thundering surf. - -Nearer and nearer drew the _Hector_. Forward a man was steadily heaving -the lead; at the catheads stood the second mate with his men ready at -any instant to let go the anchor; ready at the braces stood the men -waiting for the word to back the yards, while on the poop stood the -captain and the chief mate, the one, studying the island through his -glasses, the other, scanning the ship and sails and all on the alert to -bring the bark to and anchor her in safety off the forbidding shores of -Elephant Island. Now, upon the hillsides, the boys could see patches of -dried and dead herbage among the rocks. Here and there were sheets of -ice and snow still lingering in the shadows of cliffs and ledges. Upon -the beach were scattered masses of rotten ice, and everywhere among -them, a moving, dark mass that covered the shingle from end to end, were -hundreds of mighty sea elephants whose sharp, incessant barking was -borne plainly to those on the ship. Scattered upon the hillsides and on -the rising ground back of the beach were countless flecks of white which -at first the boys had mistaken for snow, but now, as the ship drew near, -they saw that they were moving, that they were alive, and suddenly it -dawned upon them that they were birds—thousands of albatrosses—while -vast areas of gray and white which the boys had thought were ice now -resolved themselves into tens of thousands of penguins, standing upright -with white breasts towards the oncoming bark and looking like an army of -tiny men. - -Suddenly, above the roar of the surf, the barking of the sea elephants -and the cries of the birds, came the sharp order “Let go!” and as the -huge yards were swung and the cable roared out and the anchor struck the -water with a mighty splash, pandemonium seemed to be let loose upon the -island. Like a vast, white cloud the albatrosses and sea birds rose with -a roar of wings like thunder, while the air was filled with their sharp -cries, and as with one accord every sea elephant raised high his head, -bared his long teeth and roared forth a barking howl of defiance at the -intruders. - -Rapidly the sails were furled and the men prepared to lower the boats -and go ashore, for Captain Edwards was to continue on with the _Hector_ -to the other islands after leaving a shore party here to kill sea -elephants and boil down their oil. There was much to be accomplished. -Lumber and supplies had to be sent ashore for building shacks for the -men. Thousands of barrel shooks had to be placed on the land for use in -stowing the oil. Clothing, provisions, fuel and a hundred and one other -articles had to be transported from the bark to the island. There were -tools, rope, canvas, forges, arms, ammunition, medicines, spades, irons, -lances and many other utensils which were essential to the men and time -was limited, if the captain were to get a full ship and sail north -before the short Antarctic summer was over. - -The first boat lowered was to go ashore to select sites for the men’s -quarters and for the try-works while the other boats were being loaded, -and Cap’n Pem, who was in charge, called to the two boys to jump in. - -“Gosh!” cried Jim as the boat neared the shore and was surrounded by -scores of swimming sea elephants, “you’re not going to land among all -those beasts are you?” - -“Sure as is!” laughed old Pem. “Them critters won’t hurt a fly. Jes’ -shuffle out o’ the way an’ bark a bit. Well, we’ll have fresh meat fer -dinner to-night, anyway. We’ll jes’ knock a few o’ them over the snout -an’ have biled tongue an’ roast flipper an’ fried liver. Finest eatin’ -ye ever see, boys.” - -Despite Cap’n Pem’s assurances that the creatures would not harm them, -the boys were very nervous as the boat grated on the beach within a few -yards of the vast herd of giant seals, and they had no desire to be the -first to leap ashore among the growling, barking horde of animals which -wrinkled their snouts and bared their huge tusks as the boat drew near. -But the men appeared not to give the sea elephants a thought, and -jumping from the boat ran it far up the shingle. As they did so, the -nearest elephants wriggled and dragged themselves to one side and the -boys, taking courage at this, fought down their fears and followed Cap’n -Pem up the beach. Here, when seen at close quarters, the sea elephants -seemed stupendous. - -In fact, they were. Many were forty feet in length and their backs were -as high as the boys’ shoulders, while their savage-looking jaws seemed -big enough to crush one’s head to bits at a single bite. Much to the -boys’ surprise, the men merely shoved or kicked such of the creatures as -were in their way, and selecting the small-sized and apparently young -animals, they killed several by hitting them over their heads with -clubs. To the boys, it seemed very cruel and brutal, but, as Tom -remarked, it really was no worse than killing oxen or sheep. Even when -their comrades had been killed and lay bleeding among them, the other -elephants showed no signs of alarm and the boys decided they must, -indeed, be very stupid creatures. - -Leaving some of the men to secure the titbits of the animals for their -dinner, Cap’n Pem led the boys and the other men across the beach beyond -the elephant herd. Here the boys had plenty to interest them, for -everywhere they were surrounded by the quaint penguins, hopping about on -their queer flat feet, peering curiously at the men and shuffling out of -the way in funny, jerky jumps. So fascinated were the boys with these -odd birds that they seated themselves on a rock and watched them for -some time, while the others busied themselves hunting for a likely spot -for the camp. By the time this had been selected, the other boats were -on the way to the shore and in a few minutes were being unloaded and the -goods they had brought were being stacked far above reach of the waves. - -“Found any eggs?” asked Cap’n Pem, as he returned to where the boys were -watching the penguins. - -“Why, no,” replied Tom. “Where are their nests?” - -The old man chuckled. “Ain’t got none,” he replied. “Jes’ lay their eggs -’mongst the rocks.” - -“Well, it’s funny we haven’t seen any, then,” said Jim. “We’ve been -walking about watching the birds and none of them acted as if they were -sitting.” - -“Wall, that’s where they fooled ye,” laughed Cap’n Pem. “Ye may think -they’re mighty stupid-lookin’ critters, but they ain’t. Jes’ look here.” - -With a quick dash, the old whaleman seized two of the penguins, and to -the boys’ astonishment, held up two big blue-green eggs. - -“Well, of all things,” exclaimed Tom. “Where on earth did you get those -eggs?” - -“Jes’ ketch one o’ ’em an’ I’ll show ye,” replied the old whaleman. - -Following his tactics, the two boys managed to capture three of the -birds. - -“Now jes’ look at their feet,” said Pem. “See how they’re a-holdin’ of -’em up against their bellies?” - -Wonderingly the boys forced apart the birds’ big, flat, webbed feet, and -to their surprise, discovered that each bird was holding an egg between -its feet and the thick feathers of a loose fold of skin on the abdomen. - -“That’s the funniest thing I ever saw,” declared Jim. “Why, these birds -must go hopping about holding their eggs all the time.” - -“Not eggzac’ly,” replied the mate. “Onc’t in a while they sets ’em down -’mong the rocks, but jes’ as soon as they get scared or thinks the’s -danger erbout they grabs their eggs an’ carries ’em erbout like ye -seen.” - -“An’ I’ll tell ye another queer thing erbout ’em,” he continued. “When -the hen’s a-luggin’ of her egg erbout the ol’ man gits mighty jealous -an’ if he can’t wheedle his mate into lettin’ him tote the egg part o’ -the time, he jes’ picks out a nice round stone an’ carries that ’round -as proud as a peacock. Queer chaps, the Penguins, and no fools, even ef -we whalers does call ’em Jackasses.” - -“Are the eggs good to eat?” asked Tom. - -“Wall, I can’t say as they’re _good_,” replied the other, “thet is, -’longside o’ hens’ eggs. Jes’ the same they ain’t so bad an’ a heap -better’n albatrosses’ or Molly Mokes’ eggs. We’ll fetch along them we’ve -got, an’ ye can try ’em an’ see how ye like ’em, though I reckon if ye -stays here fer a spell ye’ll have more than enough of ’em.” - -“Oh, are we going to stay here?” cried Tom. - -“Dunno,” replied Cap’n Pem, “Reckon ye’d have more fun here than stayin’ -aboard the _Hector_ an’ cruisin’ ’long over to t’other islan’s. Ain’t -nothin’ to int’rest ye over there an’ the bark’s goin’ to take a run -over to Punta Arenas like as not, an’ it ain’t no picnic beatin’ ’round -the Horn an’ nothin’ much to see over to Punta Arenas. ’Sides your dad’s -counted on me ter look after ye, an’ I dunno ’bout lettin’ ye go off -without me.” - -“Then you’re going to stay here!” cried Jim. “Of course, we’ll stay, -too.” - -“Wall, I reckon we’d better be gittin’ back aboard the ship and gittin’ -a bit ter eat,” declared the whaleman. “The’s a heap to do an’ not too -much time to do it in, even if we _can_ work all night.” - -As they walked towards the boat, the boys noticed that the herd of sea -elephants had withdrawn for some distance from the men and that many of -them had disappeared. - -“Won’t all the elephants be frightened away by the men?” asked Tom. - -“No,” replied the old man, “they’ll keep a mite out o’ the way and mebbe -some on ’em’ll take to water fer a spell; but they’ll all haul out again -an’ when we git ready ter kill ’em they’ll all be on hand.” - -“It seems an awful shame to kill the poor, stupid things,” said Jim. -“It’s almost like murder.” - -“Wall, ’tain’t sport I’ll admit,” agreed Pem, “but jes’ the same it’s a -heap better to kill ’em an’ have their ’ile doin’ some good to civ’lized -folks ’stead o’ keepin’ these critters warm down in this ’ere -God-forsaken place. ’Sides, ’tain’t no worse’n killin’ whales.” - -“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” agreed Jim. “Only they appear so harmless -and helpless, it seems a pity.” - -“Reckon ye’re right there, son,” conceded old Pem, “but jes’ the same we -don’t hurt ’em. Reckon they don’t suffer a mite. ’Tain’t half as cruel -as stickin’ pigs or shootin’ pa’tridges.” - -The boys marveled at the vast number of goods which the boats had -brought ashore, and already, the carpenter and his assistants were busy -putting up the shacks of lumber and canvas while the cooper was setting -up casks. - -When they reached the bark, dinner was ready and the boys sat down to -their first meal of sea elephants’ tongues, flippers and liver, which -they declared delicious; but they could not say as much for the -penguins’ eggs which were strong and rather fishy in flavor. - -“I suppose I _could_ eat them and not mind,” said Tom, “but I’d have to -be pretty hungry to like them.” - -“Good deal like the old fellow that had to eat a crow,” remarked Mr. -Kemp. “Some one asked him how he liked it and he says, ‘Well, I _kin_ -eat a crow but I’ll be hanged if I hanker arter ’em.’” - -In a wonderfully short time, the shelters were erected, the stores, -provisions, supplies and casks were ashore and stowed, and everything -was in readiness for the departure of the bark. - -Ten men of the crew had been selected to remain upon the island, as well -as the bo’sun, Mike, old Cap’n Pem, and the two boys, and while Pem -growled and remarked that “one peg-leg is bad enough but what we’re -a-goin’ fer to do with two, I don’t know,” yet the boys were immensely -pleased to find the ex-man-o’-war’s-man was to be with them, for he was -never tired of telling deep-sea yarns and the boys loved to hear him and -old Pem argue on questions of seamanship and the navy. - -Among the men, were one of the boat steerers, two of the Portuguese -taken on the _Hector_ at the Azores, and the one-eyed man, Ned, with a -negro, who had been helping the cook on the bark, to look after the -meals of the shore party. - -Cap’n Pem, as commander of the party, had been allowed to select his own -men and he had done so with considerable care, choosing those whom he -knew were willing and hard workers or had shown unusual ability or -skill, for the old whaleman was a keen observer and a fine judge of -human nature. While he was apparently giving little heed to what went on -about him, nothing escaped his sharp eyes. - -The boys felt sorry at leaving the bark and as they shook hands with -Captain Edwards and the second mate and said good-by, they almost -regretted that they were to remain ashore. - -“Don’t know how I’ll get on without my third and fourth mates!” -exclaimed the skipper, “but you’ll have a lot more fun here than on the -bark. Nothing but knocking about in heavy seas and cold winds. Enjoy -yourselves, lads, and see that Cap’n Pem behaves himself. We’ll be back -in about six or eight weeks and expect to find you with all casks full -of oil.” - -Stepping into the waiting boat, the boys were rowed towards the shore, -and as the bark’s capstan pawls clanked and they heard the chantey of -the men borne to them across the water, a lump rose in their throats, -for the old _Hector_ had been their home for many weeks. Then, clear and -distinct came the rollicking chorus of: - - I think I heard our Old Man say, - “Whisky! Johnny! - I’ll treat my men in a decent way, - Oh, whisky for my Johnny!” - -Slowly the great sails rose and were sheeted home, the canvas billowed -out to the offshore wind, the long yards swung, and as the crew tailed -onto the braces, to the watchers on the beach came: - - The ship she’s a-sailing out over the bar. - Away Rio! Away Rio! - The ship she’s a-sailing out over the bar. - We’re bound to the Rio Grande. - -Slowly the _Hector_ slipped away. Gracefully she heeled to the press of -canvas on her lofty masts. About her cutwater rose a little plume of -white, and, rapidly gathering headway, she made for the open sea. Long -the boys stood watching her and when, at last, only her royal masts -showed faint and dim above the tumbling green seas on the horizon, they -turned away, feeling that the last tie that linked them with far-away -Fair Haven was gone, that they were marooned upon a desert island -scarcely fifteen hundred miles from the South Pole. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -SPINNING YARNS - - -“Suppose she should be wrecked and never came back!” asked Tom as they -turned away from watching the bark sail. “What _would_ happen to us?” - -“Wall, we ain’t a calc’latin’ on that,” replied Cap’n Pem, “but jes’ the -same, we wouldn’t be so bad off ef she didn’t. We’ve got a-plenty o’ -grub an’ if wusser come to wusser I reckon we could salt down enough -Jackasses an’ albatrosses an’ sea elephants to keep us alive fer quite -some spell. ’Twouldn’t be the fust time folks has been lef’ down this -way count o’ their ships not turnin’ up in time.” - -“Be gob, no!” declared Mike who stood near. “B’gorra, Oi had a frind -once, a foine chap entoirely, phwat tould me a sthory av a frind o’ his -phwat knowed a feller phwat wuz lift fer three mortal years on wan av -these oilan’s. Shure ’tis mesilf phwat’s afther forgettin’ the name av -it; but ’twas Quirlicue Lan’ or somethin’ loike thot. Sure, yis, -b’gorra, Misther Potter, ’twas that same! Kerguelan, is it? Well, as Oi -was afther sayin’ they wuz lift three years, an’ Faith, only wan av the -bunch doied an’ he a Portugee phwat didn’t doi but was afther killin’ av -himself. So don’t yez be a woorryin’ av yersilves me b’ys. Sure, ’tis -not a bad place to sthop at all, at all.” - -“Well, _I_ don’t want to be marooned here for three years, anyhow,” -maintained Jim. “I guess I wouldn’t mind a few weeks or months, but just -think what it must be like in winter when the seas are all frozen and -the place is covered with ice and snow. What would you do if the -_Hector_ didn’t come back on time, Cap’n Pem?” - -“Now, what’s the everlastin’ use o’ talkin’ ’bout it,” replied the mate -testily. “There ain’t no ’arthly reason why the _Hector_ shouldn’t turn -up an’ if she didn’t, I’d wait a spell an’ then take to the boats. -Twouldn’t be no sail ’tall to make Tristan d’ Cunha or the Falklands -from here.” - -“Why, they’re hundreds of miles off!” exclaimed Tom. “You don’t mean to -say you’d try to get there in those little boats!” - -Cap’n Pem snorted, “’Course I would!” he declared. “Little boats! Look -a-here, son, them there whaleboats is the bes’ seagoin’ craft afloat. I -tell ye, I’d rather be in them there boats in a sea than in a heap o’ -big ships. Why, bless your heart! I could tell ye more’n one yarn o’ -whalemen what sailed more’n three thousan’ miles in boats like them.” - -“Oh, do tell us about them!” cried Jim. - -“Not now,” replied the old whaleman, “We’ve gotter git busy. Mebbe ’long -arter dinner I’ll spin ye a yarn.” - -All through the first day the men were busy preparing the implements and -getting things ready for slaughtering and trying out the sea elephants. -Spades were sharpened and placed in readiness; the big boiling kettles -were brought out and the try-works built; the casks were arranged for -filling; the killing clubs were selected and with everything prepared -for the killing to begin the following day, the men sat down to a hearty -meal of sea elephants’ tongues and liver, baked beans and plum duff, -while the boys and Cap’n Pem dined on some delicious fresh fish which -one of the men had caught, with fresh crabs and craw fish from among the -rocks of the shore. - -When the meal was over, the boys insisted on the mate keeping his -promise to tell them the story he had mentioned and after a few -objections, the old man gave in and lighting his pipe, while everybody -gathered about and listened, he began. - -“Wall,” said the old whaleman, “I was sayin’ to ye boys that I knowed o’ -whalemen rowin’ over three thousan’ miles in their boats, but I reckon -I’d oughter ha’ said I’d heard on ’em. But I hev knowed o’ whalemen -a-rowin’ more’n a thousan’ miles, and what’s more, I wuz boy on the ship -what picked ’em up in the end, so ye’ll hev to b’lieve this ’ere yarn -’cause it’s true as is, an’ I kin swear to it. Hows’ever I calc’late I’d -better begin at the beginnin’ an’ not git all aback an’ in stays an’ -afoul o’ my own hawse by beginnin’ tail en’ fust. ’Twas ’long back in -’59, purty long spell ago, an’ the bark _Janet_, hailin’ from Westport, -was a-cruisin’ fer sparm in the Pacific ’long ’bout the equator an’ -’bout a hundred an’ ten west. Eve’ything’d been a-goin’ fust rate an’ -one o’ the boats made fast to a bull whale late in the arternoon and by -the time he’d spouted blood an’ turned fin-up, ’twas purty near night. -Wall, they got their fluke-chain round the critter all right an’ was a -startin’ to pull him to the _Janet_, what was hull down, when a heavy -sea caught the boat jes’ right an’ capsized her. ’Course ’twan’t much -trouble to right her, but everything they had was lost—kag o’ water, -biscuits, compass, lantern an’ all fittin’s—an’ while the crew got her -right side up in a jiffy they couldn’t bail her out ’cause o’ the bucket -an’ bailer bein’ gone. An’ I tell ye, ’tain’t no picnic tryin’ to keep a -water-filled boat right side up in a heavy sea an’ blowin’ a holy gale. -Some reason or t’other the ship hadn’t seen ’em an’ they couldn’t signal -the bark, an’ to keep the boat from capsizin’ again they lashed the oars -’crost her an’ worked her over ’longside the dead whale and done their -best to tip her up an’ dump the water outen her. But ’twan’t no ’arthly -use count o’ heavy seas a-breakin’ over ’em an’ at last they give up and -started a paddlin’ their way toward the _Janet’s_ lights what was -vis’ble. They kep’ at it all night, an’ come mornin’, they found as they -was farther off than before, so knowin’ they was jus’ usin’ of their -strength for nothin’ they let her drift. Nex’ mornin’ the wind let up a -mite an’ the sea went down, an’ the men managed somehow to capsize the -boat an’ git her back on her keel with a bit less water in her, but -while they was a-doin’ of it, one was drownded. Jes’ recollec’ that for -forty-eight hours these chaps hadn’t had nary a drop o’ water nor a bite -to eat and had been a-lyin’ in salt water up ter their armpits and ye -can’t blame two more on ’em fer goin’ crazy. Derned if ’tain’t a wonder -they didn’t all go mad. There they was, driftin’ about in the middle o’ -the Pacific jes’ under the line without nothin’ to eat or drink an’ the -nearest lan’, Cocos Islan’, more’n a thousan’ miles away. Not one o’ the -crew was strong enough to pull oar, but by workin’ like blazes they -managed for to tear out the boat’s ceilin’ and lashed it up like a sort -o’ sail an’ started off afore the wind. - -“For seven days they sailed on with nothin’ to eat or drink ’cause there -wasn’t so much as a drop o’ rain fell, an’ all the time under the -blazin’ sun o’ the ’quator. By that time, things got so bad they begun -to draw lots an’ one o’ the men was killed an’ t’others eat him up. An’ -then, jes’ as if Almighty God had a-taken pity on ’em, a shower come -along an’ give ’em plenty to drink. On the eighth day arter being -adrift, another man died, but nex’ day another shower come along an’ a -big dolphin flopped right into the boat. Ye can’t tell me there ain’t no -sech thing as Providence arter that, an’ every day arter then a bird’d -come so clost the men could cotch him, an’ twenty days arter leaving of -the whale, they sighted the Islan’. Gettin’ ashore, they killed a wild -pig and they was a-dinin’ like kings offen him an’ a eatin’ of coconuts -when the old _Leonidas_, with Pem Potter aboard as cabin boy, run inter -the Cocos fer water an’ found ’em.” - -“That’s a fine story,” declared Tom. “It does seem as if they were saved -by a miracle.” - -“Yes, and if any one read it in a book they wouldn’t believe it,” added -Jim. - -“Tha’s right,” commented one of the New Bedford boat steerers. “Me, I -myself, one time mek long row in da whale boat. Mebbe you like hear -heem, yes?” - -“Sure we would,” Jim assured him. “Go on, Manuel, and tell us the -story.” - -“Alla right,” assented the boat steerer, showing his white teeth in a -pleased smile. “You know heem, da _Pedro Varela_ schooner, no? Well, -two, three year ago, me, myself, I was boat steerer on heem when he mek -da cruise for da sperm whale een Atlantic. We mek fine cruise an’ fin’ -plenty whale an’ pretty near fill up down by da islan’s an’ da Cap’n he -say he think mebbe he strike two, three more whale an’ fill up on da way -home. So he mek da course north an’, sure thing, we fin’ da whale jus’ -by Bermuda, mebbe leetle way south an’ eas’. - -“Oh, boy, I, me myself, tell da worl’, we fin’ heem! One day da lookout, -he sing out, ‘There she blow,’ an’ da other lookout he sing out same -leetle minute, ‘There she blow,’ an’ we see ten, twelve, one dozen -mebbe, blowin’. He on’y three boat ship, da _Varela_, an’ da cap’n an’ -mate an’ secon’ mate, they all lower. Me, myself, I was in da secon’ -mate boat an’ got fast da firs’. Long time me, myself, I been whalin’ -an’ never not een my life do I see whale so mad. Oh, boy! Firs’ thing he -sound, six hundred fathom he go, two line, an’ then he breach so dam -queek we no can pull in da slack an’ he mill an’ then, Santa Maria! He -mek off all same like he goin’ for tow us to Flores. Never, never, do I -see one whale go like that. One whole hour he run an’ leetle by leetle -we draw in an’ then, jus’ when we think we get heem, da iron draw an’ we -los’ heem. Then we look ’roun’ an’ no see da _Varela_ nowhere. No, sir, -I, me myself, I tell you we los’. Mebbe, we think, da _Varela_ fin’ us -in da night, so all da night we burn lantern lash to da oar an’ stick -eet up, but da schooner she no come an’ when da day come da mate he say, -‘look like we bes’ row home, boys.’ So we eat leetle biscuit an’ drink -leetle water an’ head nor’wes’ and row all day. Nex’ day jus’ da same; -eat leetle, leetle biscuit, drink leetle, leetle water an’ row. Third -day—’bout six bell—biscuit he all finish an’ water he finish, too. Then -we feel mighty seek, I myself, I tell da worl’, an’ we row an’ row an’ -’bout four bell, mebbe, we see smoke. Pretty soon we see da steamer an’ -come our way an’ we signal an’ he see an’ come near. He spik us an’ want -tek us aboard, but da mate he ask heem where he boun’ an’ when he say -‘Englan’,’ da mate he ask us eef we want go Englan’ an we all say no. So -da mate he say we not go aboard, but if he give us grub an’ water an’ -course for New Bedford, we thank heem ve’y much and row home. Da skipper -of da steamer he say we crazy, yes, an’ laf; but he give us plenty grub -an’ water an’ da course and we eat plenty an’ row an’ bimeby we see Gay -Head light an’ we mek New Bedford.” - -“Gosh!” exclaimed Jim. “You mean you rowed a whaleboat all the way from -Bermuda to New Bedford? How far is it?” - -“Me, I don’ know, mebbe three, four hundred mile,” replied Manuel. - -“Bout eight hundred,” volunteered Cap’n Pem. “Purty consid’ble of a row, -eh?” - -“Shure, ’twas thot!” exclaimed Mike. “B’gorra Misther Potter, did yez -iver see a sphirit at say?” - -“Nope!” replied the other. “Derned if I hev, ’ceptin’ in bottles.” - -“Ah, gwan wid yez!” went on the bo’sun. “’Tis not that kind Oim afther -mainin’ at all, at all. An’ if yez hasn’t, thin, b’gorra, Oive seen -somethin’ phwat yez haven’t an’, be the Saints, ’tis a wonder ye’ll -admit it. Would yez loike to hear about ut, b’ys?” - -“Yes, indeed, Mike,” said Tom with interest. “Go ahead and tell the -yarn. I’ll bet it’s a corker.” - -“Will, thin,” began Mike as he stuffed a load of tobacco into his pipe. -“Oi said ’twas a sphirit, but I dunno if ’twas aither—but ’twas -somethin’ quare an’ sooper-natural-loike. But shure an’ Oim gittin’ off -me course so Oi’ll ’bout ship an’ be afther sthartin’ on a new tack. -’Twas ’bout thirty year ago, afore ships wuz a-talkin’ wid woireless, ye -moind, an’ Oi wuz furrst mate av a wee shmall staymer what wuz afther -tradin’ ’twixt Cuby an’ Noo Yorrk, an’ proud Oi wuz to be a threadin’ -the bridge wid the best av thim, Oi’ll tell yez. Will, wan thrip, phwat -did the skipper do but git took wid the yaller Jack an’ doi,—may his -soul rist in pace. An’ b’gob, there Oi wuz, masther av a trim little -ship as iver wuz. Faith though, ’twas a grrand falin’, but with a hape -o’ raysponsibility, b’gorra. Thin, wan night, Oi was a-sittin’ in me -cabin on the bridge wid the second mate on watch an’ a thinkin’ o’ the -foine future Oi’d be afther havin’—niver dramin’, b’gob, thot Oi’d iver -be afther a-killin’ say iliphants in the back o’ beyont—bad cess to the -dhrink,—whin all av a suddin Oi sees a figure a-sthandin’, or a-flyin’, -or a floatin’—faith, Oi dunno which—in the air fornist the port bow o’ -the ship. B’ the Saints! ’Twas dramin’ Oi thought Oi wuz, an’ Oi lept up -an’ rubbed me ois an’ says Oi to mesilf, says Oi, ‘Sure Mike is it -sayin’ things ye arre or is it not.’ But b’gorra, there she wuz—for -’twas a woman sphirit she wuz—a floatin’ or a-flyin’ along an’ a -beckonin’ to me wid her arrm. Says Oi to the secon’ mate’ say Oi; -‘Misther Thompson,’ says Oi, ‘will yez look to two p’ints offen the port -bow,’ says Oi, ‘an’ tell me do yez see annythin’.’ ‘Aye Sir,’ says he, -‘Oi see a cloud,’ says he, ‘an’ nothin’ more,’ says he. So thin Oi -thinks to mesilf; ’tis a hallo-sue-nation ye’re havin’, think Oi, an’ Oi -looks the other way an’, Saints presarve me, if there wuzn’t the colleen -again, an’ as Oi sees her she sort o’ flits acrost me bows an’ off to -port agin, a-beckonin’-loike all the toime. So Oi says to meself, says -Oi, ‘Shure Mike, ’tis a predomition ye’re afther havin’ or a message o’ -some sort an’ the spirit’s been sent yez to guide yez.’ So Oi says to -the second, says Oi, ‘Mr. Thompson, starboard the helm a bit,’ says Oi, -an’ as the bow swings to port Oi sees the spirit a-swingin’ a bit -further ’til me bow’s a-headin’ six p’ints off me course, an’ thin the -spirit sthops movin’ an’ jist floats aisyloike over me bow, so Oi says, -‘Steady as she is, Mr. Thompson,’ an’ bein’ a good sailorman he niver -asks why in blazes Oi’m runnin’ off me course six pints. For two hours -we run an’ thin, b’gorra, the lookout sings out, ‘Ship afire ahead!’ an’ -there, plain as the nose on me face, Oi could see the glow o’ a burnin’ -ship, an’ with that, the spirit disappears an’ Oi know she’s been -a-guidin’ av me to save thim that’s on the burnin’ ship. Full spheed -ahead, Oi rings, an’ nearer and nearer we comes, an’ we kin see the -flames o’ the burnin’ ship an’ her sphars an’ all. An’ b’gorra, through -me glasses Oi sees folks a-sthandin’ aft wid the flames not twenty fate -from thim an’ no boats over at all, at all. ’Twas a race fer loife, -b’gorra, for me staymer was a shakin’ an’ a throbbin’ what wid the spade -av her fit to bust, an’ the flames a-racin’ aft on the barrk. Thin, as I -get widin’ hailin’ distance, a man sings out that there’s powder aboard -an’ the hooker’ll be a blowin’ up in a minute more. Shure, an’ may Hivin -help me, if Oi wuz not in a foine fix! Shure, if Oi wint alongside to -save the sowls aboard the barrk ’twould be loike Oi wud lose me ship, -an’ if Oi didn’t ’twould be nothin’ short o’ murtherin’ the folks on the -barrk, an divvil a bit o’ toime wuz there to be a lowerin’o’ me boats. -’Twas between the divvil an’ the dape say, Oi wuz, wid the divvil -holdin’ the thrump carrds. But b’jabbers, Oi made up me mind an’ do yez -know phwat Oi did?” - -“No,” cried Tom excitedly. “What _did_ you do?” - -“Phwat would yez do, Misther Potter?” queried the bo’sun. - -“Derned if I know,” replied Cap’n Pem. “Spit it out, ye ol’ sinner, what -did ye do?” - -Mike grinned. “Shure,” he replied, “Oi woke up!” - -“Dern yer ol’ hide!” exploded Pem. “I’ll git one over on ye fer that, -blowed ef I don’t.” - -“Was you ever shipmates along of a mutiny, Mister Potter?” asked one of -the men, when the merriment over Mike’s joke on Cap’n Pem had subsided. - -“Can’t say as I was,” admitted the old whaleman. “Heard lots o’ yarns -’bout ’em, though.” - -“Well, I can beat you there,” asserted the other. “’Cause I was ’board a -ship what had a mutiny.” - -“Tell us about that,” begged the boys. - -“Well, ’twasn’t much of a mutiny,” went on the man, “but I guess ’twas -’bout the funniest mutiny ever was, at that. Manuel, speakin’ ’bout the -_Pedro Varela_, minded me of it, ’cause that’s the ship ’twas on. - -“I’d shipped as seaman an’ ’thout countin’ me an’ my two mates an’ the -officers, what was Portugees, every man was a greenie. ‘All American -crew,’ they called it, but I’ll bet my lay ’gainst a chew of tobaccer -there wasn’t two real Yanks in the bunch. Worst set of bums I ever see, -an’ not casting no reflections on present company. Officers couldn’t do -nothing at all with ’em—never did learn the riggin’, even though the -_Varela’s_ just a fore-an’-aft schooner,—an’ didn’t have enough gumption -to pull a boat decent. Just the same, things went along pretty well an’ -we got a little oil; but along about six weeks out, the men commenced -for to get tired of whalin’ an’ wanted to get ashore,—grumbled a bit an’ -cussed the skipper an’ all, but no open complainin’ an’ nothing -particular to complain about. Then, one morning, Chips come runnin’ an’ -a cussin’ an’ saying his tool box had been stole. Hunted every place, -but tools had just nat’rally disappeared. Next morning, along comes the -cooper swearin’ _his_ tools an’ the grinstone’d gone. Next morning, -’twas the blubber-kettles missin’ an’ by that time things begun to look -mighty serious an’ funny. Skipper had all hands aft, but every man-jack -swore he didn’t know nothin’ an’ there wasn’t no proof that they did. -While the Old Man was chinnin’ the lookout sighted a whale an’ the -skipper left off an’ ordered the crew to the boats, an’ what do you -think happened? Why, bless you! There weren’t an iron or lance or -fluke-spade or any darned thing in any one of the boats. ’Course there -weren’t no use in lowering, an’ believe me, there was some skyhowlin’ -rumpus on the old _Varela_ when the Portugee skipper let loose. But he -couldn’t do nothing. There we was, on the high seas a-cruisin’ for -sperm, an’ not an iron on the ship for to get ’em with. An’ when we got -to searchin’ about we found there weren’t a spade or a blubber-hook or a -cuttin’ in tackle, neither. Of course, we all knew what ’twas. That crew -of bums had just heaved every darned thing over the side long in the -night watches an’ knowing if the skipper couldn’t catch whales, he’d -nat’rally have to make port. Well, there weren’t nothing left for him to -do but make port so, talkin’ something fierce in United States and -Portugee, he heads for Fayal swearin’ to clap every man-jack in irons -soon as he got there. Worst of it was he blamed every mother’s son of -us, Yanks as well as the greenies. When we made Fayal, there, big as -life, was a Yankee cruiser an’ soon as we got near, up goes a signal for -assistance and a-sayin’ there’s a mutiny on board. - -“I dunno whether them navy men was so tickled at the fun of the thing or -what ’twas, but the up-shot was they had us all aboard an’ talked a bit, -though I knowed they was a bustin’ themselves tryin’ not to laff, an’ -after a heap of questioning, they let all but eight of us loose an’ -ironed the others an’ took ’em home for trial. I was on the beach but -got a ship after a bit an’ when I got back to New Bedford I heard the -rest of the story. Seemed this ’ere mutiny was a new kind. No law’d ever -been made to cover it an’ accordin’ to law the men hadn’t -mutinied—didn’t use violence nor threaten nobody nor disobey orders—so -they couldn’t be charged with mutiny. Then the owners tried to get ’em -sent up for theft or destroyin’ property or most anything, but there -weren’t no proof of nothing, so the judge finally sentenced ’em for -disorderly conduct an’ they got ten days each.” - -“I heerd ’bout that,” commented Cap’n Pem. “Wisht they’d been my crew. -I’d a-heaved ’em over after them fittin’s. Derned if I wouldn’t. But -look-a-here! It’s a-gittin’ too late ter be a yarnin’ with killin’ to -begin in the mornin’. All han’s turn in!” - -An hour later, only the protesting croaks of sleepy penguins and the -distant barks of the sea elephants broke the silence that reigned over -the island. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -LOST - - -Early the next morning, preparations for the killing began. Armed with -clubs, tin pans, flags and pieces of cloth, the men made their way along -the beach between the big herd of elephants and the sea, and took up -stands at intervals of a few hundred feet apart. Then, at a signal from -Cap’n Pem, they advanced towards the elephants, shouting, hallowing, -beating on their tins, waving their cloth and flags and jumping and -prancing about like a lot of savages. Frightened and surprised at these -strange figures advancing towards them, and dazed by the noise and -fluttering rags, the huge, timid creatures hobbled and wriggled their -way up the shingle, wrinkling their noses and barking in terror and -stupidly getting further and further from their native element in their -sole desire to keep away from the men. Wedged together in a -closely-packed mass, the giant seals impeded one another’s progress and -added to their terror until, presently, their retreat was a wild -stampede towards the higher ground some distance from the sea. - -It was a strange and remarkable sight to see these immense, powerful -creatures with their strong, sharp teeth striving to escape the men and -as frightened as a flock of sheep, when any one of the monsters could -easily have crushed a man’s head in his jaws with a single bite. To the -boys, it seemed pitiful and they were really sorry to think of such -harmless, splendid creatures being thus ruthlessly slaughtered merely -for the sake of their oil. But their sympathy for the elephants was not -as great as it would have been had the animals appeared more helpless -and gentle, for despite their timidity, the sea elephants, and -especially the old bulls, were savage, ferocious-looking beasts. -Naturally ugly, even when at rest, they appeared veritable monsters as -their small, wicked eyes gleamed red and bloodshot, their trunklike -snouts lifted above their great red mouths, their huge, sharp teeth -gleamed and snapped and their snarling barks filled the air with a -deafening roar. - -Although they had been assured that the elephants were harmless and had -been eye witnesses of the fact that the men could walk among them, kick -them and even kill them without the least attempt at resistance on the -animals’ part, yet neither Tom nor Jim could summon up enough courage to -approach within reach of the waving, threatening heads and snapping -jaws. But the men had no such fears and when, at last, the herd had been -driven to the selected spot, they went among them, driving the big, -full-grown animals into small bunches and ruthlessly clubbing them over -the heads. - -As the killing began and the heavy bludgeons thumped on the heads of the -elephants, their humanlike sighs and screams, their choking, gurgling -death coughs and the terrorized barks of their fellows were more than -the two boys could stand. Hurrying from the scene of the slaughter, they -made their way past the camp and started up the hillside beyond. It was -hard climbing, for the sharp, volcanic rocks made footing uncertain, the -scant gray moss and lichens and dried stiff grass were slippery and the -hill was steep. Here and there, albatrosses were squatting on the ground -and when the boys approached they merely hissed and struck out with -their strong, hooked beaks, refusing to move. They were such enormous -birds and appeared so vicious with their china-blue eyes and menacing -bills, that the boys had no desire to get at close quarters in order to -see if they had eggs; but they soon discovered that by shooing at the -birds and showing no signs of fear they could force the albatrosses from -their nests and they were greatly elated at sight of the enormous, -rough, brownish eggs in little hollows of the stony ground. - -Amusing themselves with the albatrosses, and taking their time, the boys -reached the summit of the hill and seated themselves upon a rock ledge -to rest. From where they sat, they could look down upon the camp and the -beach and could see the men, still busily killing the elephants. But the -slaughter evidently was nearly over, and presently, they saw the men -stooping over and evidently engaged in stripping the skins and blubber -from the carcasses. In the other direction, they looked down upon a -sloping hillside ending in a small, bowl-shaped valley which the boys at -first sight thought filled with snow; but a second glance showed it to -be covered with great white birds. - -“I wonder what they are,” said Tom. “They don’t look like albatrosses -and they’re not penguins. Let’s go down and see.” - -Rising, the boys were about to descend when their attentions were -attracted by peculiar sounds apparently issuing from the earth under -their feet. - -“What’s that?” ejaculated Jim. “It seems to come right out of the -ground.” - -Getting on their knees, the boys searched everywhere among the rocks, -expecting to find some strange creature in hiding there, but while they -searched diligently, and although the queer grunting sounds continued, -they could find no trace of any living thing. Puzzled, they stopped -hunting and listened, placing their ears to the ground, trying to trace -the sounds, but to no purpose, for the noises seemed to come from all -about and were so mysterious and baffling that the boys began to feel -nervous. - -“It’s the weirdest thing I ever heard,” declared Tom. “I’m beginning to -think the place’s haunted.” - -At last, giving it up as a bad job, the two boys started forward and a -moment later clambered down over a projecting mass of huge irregular -rocks. The next instant they stopped short, for the baffling sounds came -clear and distinct from among the rocks. Approaching cautiously, the -boys peered into the dark cavelike openings and the next moment burst -into laughter. - -“There’s the ghost,” exclaimed Jim, “I wonder what they are.” Far in -among the bowlders were several snow-white birds with pretty pinkish or -salmon-colored bills and bright, beady eyes. Reaching in his arm, Tom -seized one of the creatures, and despite its protests, drew it out and -revealed two handsome brown eggs where it had been sitting. - -“Oh, I know now,” declared Tom. “It’s a sheathbill, don’t you remember -Cap’n Pem pointed them out to us at sea. Look, here’s the sheath on its -bill.” - -Satisfied at having solved the mystery of the strange sounds, and having -identified the bird, the boys released the creature which immediately -fluttered back to its nest, ruffling its feathers and croaking in such -an indignant, offended way that the boys roared with laughter. -Continuing down the hill, the boys approached the first of the great -bird colony in the valley and found they were big, white Molly Mokes and -another species of bird which they had not seen before. - -“They’re some sort of albatrosses,” insisted Tom. “But they’re not like -the others. They’re smaller and have bright yellow beaks and they’re -much whiter.” - -“Yes, and they’ve greeny-brown eyes instead of blue,” added Jim. - -“I’ll bet I know what they are,” Tom announced “I’ve been thinking, and -I remember reading about a kind of albatross called yellow-nosed. These -have yellow noses so I’ll bet that’s what they are.” - -It was a strange sensation for the boys to find themselves surrounded by -countless thousands of the big, white birds which showed not the least -fear, but pecked boldly at the boys’ garments as they picked their way -among the nesting birds. - -As they gained the farther side of the valley they came to a low, rocky -ridge, and curious to see what lay beyond, they clambered up its side -and found themselves once more in view of the sea. - -“Look at those penguins!” cried Jim, as he caught sight of a great flock -of the queer birds. “Gee, but they’re big fellows!” - -“They’re not like the others,” replied Tom. “Say, we _are_ finding a lot -of queer things to-day.” - -“And those don’t look like sea elephants on the beach either,” said Jim. -“They look smaller and different, somehow.” - -“I believe you’re right,” agreed Tom. “Let’s go down and have a look.” - -As they approached the creatures basking upon the shingle, the boys saw -that they were indeed very different from the huge sea elephants, for -they were much smaller, they lacked the long snouts and their bodies -were darker in color and beautifully spotted. - -“Don’t let’s go too near,” exclaimed Jim. “I don’t like their looks.” - -“Oh, don’t be a fraid-cat,” urged Tom. “They won’t hurt us. Of course, -we won’t go among them. I don’t trust them as much as all that.” - -Rather nervously, but anxious to see the odd creatures at closer range, -the boys walked towards the herd of animals and were within a few rods -of the nearest when the giant seal suddenly reared himself up, opened a -huge red mouth filled with enormous, sharp-pointed teeth, and with a -bellowing howl threw himself bodily towards the two boys. Instantly, -with terror-stricken cries, the boys turned and fled, never stopping -until they were well up the hillside. - -“Gosh, but he _was_ fierce!” ejaculated Jim, when they regained their -breath. “I told you we’d better not go near.” - -“You can bet I won’t, next time,” Tom assured him. “But they’re no sea -elephants anyhow.” - -“Let’s go along the beach and have a look at the penguins,” suggested -Jim. “We can keep away from those beasts, back here.” - -Giving the fierce, spotted seals a wide berth the two boys descended to -the beach and strolled towards the penguin colony. Many odd shells and -other interesting things were scattered on the sand, and, as the boys -stooped to pick some up, they noticed many rounded, glittering pebbles. - -“Why, they’re moonstones!” exclaimed Tom, “and thousands of them!” - -There was no question of it. The beach was strewn with the translucent, -handsome stones and the boys busied themselves filling their pockets -with the gems. So intent were they, that they failed to notice a low, -gray cloud about the mountain top which drifted down towards the shores -in little wisps and detached masses until, feeling chilly, Tom looked up -and gave a surprised cry. On every side they were surrounded with an -impenetrable, dense fog and only a small area of the beach about them -was visible. - -Seaward they could see the lazy, green rollers coming mysteriously from -a gray bank. They could hear the muffled cries of birds and the -occasional flapping of wings; but not a sign of the hill or of the -mountains could be seen. - -“Gosh, we’d better be getting back!” exclaimed Jim anxiously. “It’s -getting thicker every minute.” - -Hurrying from the beach, they commenced climbing the hill, but long -before they reached the summit the beach and waves were hidden from view -and the boys seemed shut in as if by a soft, gray wall. - -“We’ll have to be careful or we’ll get lost,” cautioned Tom. “We should -have brought a compass.” - -“What good would that do?” demanded Jim. “We don’t know what direction -the camp is.” - -“No, but we could be sure we were not moving in a circle,” explained Tom -sagely. “But come along, we can find that Molly Moke rookery and then go -up the hill and find the cave where the sheathbills are and go straight -down from there.” - -Striving to keep a straight course by listening to the breaking seas at -their backs, the boys picked their way over the ridge, and descending -the further side, were overjoyed to find themselves among the nesting -Molly Mokes. - -“We’re all right now!” said Tom confidently. “If we walk straight across -and up the hill to the cave we can’t go wrong. Why, I don’t believe we -went over half a mile from camp anyway.” - -Shut in by the dense fog, the boys could hear the disturbed cries of the -thousands of birds about them, but the birds themselves were only -visible when within a few feet and even then they had a strange, ghostly -appearance. Several times the boys actually bumped into them, and they -were constantly compelled to turn to right or left to avoid stepping on -the birds. But at last, they reached the scattered, outlying nests and -found the ground rising before them. - -“Funny, this hill doesn’t seem half as long as it did before,” commented -Jim as they gained the summit. “Say, listen! What’s that?” - -For a moment the two paused, straining their ears to catch a faint sound -that issued from the fog ahead. And then, as the truth dawned upon them, -they gazed at each other in dismay. The noise was the breaking waves. -They were back at the spot from which they had started. They had walked -in a circle and were lost! Presently, however, as they recovered from -the disappointment and shock of their discovery, their confidence -returned. - -“We’ll have to try again,” declared Tom. “We must have got turned around -among those Molly Mokes. I’ve a scheme, Jimmy. When we get there this -time, we’ll separate a little and one of us will walk ahead a few yards -and then stop, and then the other can walk straight to him and then stop -and the other can go on ahead as far as he can be seen and stop and in -that way we might be able to go pretty straight. Anyway, we won’t go in -a circle.” - -“That may help,” admitted Jim, “but we’ll have to kick the birds out of -the way to do it.” - -“Bother the birds!” ejaculated Tom. “We’ve got to get to camp.” - -“I wonder how long fogs last here,” said Jim as once more they made -their way up the ridge. “Perhaps if we just waited a while it would -lift.” - -“I don’t know,” replied the other, “but I heard Cap’n Pem say that -sometimes the island’s foggy for weeks at a time.” - -Once again they reached the Molly Moke rookery and at once proceeded to -put Tom’s plan into practice. By shoving the birds out of their path and -ruthlessly trampling on the eggs, the boys made their way across the -valley in a fairly direct line; but as they gained the slope of the hill -a sudden misgiving seized Jim. - -“Say, Tom,” he exclaimed, “how do we know we’ve crossed in the right -direction? Don’t you remember the hill went all around the valley—it was -like a big bowl—and we may be on the opposite side from where we came -down.” - -“We can’t help that,” stated Tom. “When we get to the top we’ll mark the -spot and walk to the right ’til we find the sheathbills’ cave and if we -don’t find it, we’ll come back and try to the left.” - -Toiling up the hillside, panting with the exertion and soaked to the -skin by the clinging moisture, the two boys at last reached the summit. - -“Perhaps they’d hear us in camp if we yelled,” suggested Jim. - -But their cries seemed muffled in the fog and no answering call came to -them, so, piling several stones in a little pyramid, the two turned to -the right and carefully picked their way along the rocky ridge. - -“We didn’t come over at this place, I know,” said Jim decisively as they -came to a jagged, upstanding mass of rock. - -“No,” admitted Tom. “but it may have been just a little to one side of -the place where we did cross. Come along.” - -In order to pass the ledge, the two boys were compelled to descend a -short distance on the hill and so dense was the fog on the summit that -the rocks disappeared from sight ere they had taken a dozen steps. -Judging that they passed the obstruction, they once more turned up the -slope and tramped on, hoping each moment that they would be in luck and -would come upon the pile of bowlders where they had discovered the -sheathbills. - -“Say, we must have been way off our course,” panted Jim at last. “We’ve -been walking for half an hour and seems to me we’re going down hill.” - -“I thought that too,” replied Tom, “but I guess it’s just the effect of -the fog.” - -For ten minutes more, the boys continued and then, coming to a mass of -fallen rock, they found further progress barred by a bold perpendicular -cliff. - -“Well, we can’t go any further,” observed Tom. “Now we’ll have to go -back and try the other direction.” - -“I’m going to rest first,” insisted Jim. “There’s no use in getting all -tired out.” - -Seating themselves upon a piece of rock, the boys were talking over -their predicament when, suddenly, there was a cracking sound. The boys -felt their seat moving and leaped aside as the mass of rock gave way and -went crashing down the hill. But while the boys had saved themselves -from an injury, yet they had not saved themselves from a tumble, and as -they jumped from the rock their feet shot out from under them and -rolling and sliding, they followed after the stone for a dozen rods -before they could check their headlong course. - -At the same instant they heard a tremendous crash from below followed by -a shout: - -“Hi, there! What’n tarnation’s broke loose? Derned ef the whole mounting -ain’t a-tumbling down!” - -With wild yells the boys leaped to their feet, and regardless of danger, -raced down the hillside. Before they had covered a hundred feet they -reached level ground and plumped full into Cap’n Pem, bowling the old -man over like a ninepin. - -“Avast there!” spluttered the old whaleman. “What in thunderation’s up? -Fust a chunk o’ mounting an’ then you two scallawags! What in Sam Hill -ye in sech a hurry fer? Bear a chasin’ on ye?” - -“No,” stammered Tom. “We were lost. Where are we?” - -“Where be ye?” reiterated the old man. “Where be ye? Why, right -’longside o’ the shack a course. Where’d ye think ye wuz? Derned queer -way ye have o’ comin’ home!” - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -A STRANGE MESSAGE - - -The boys actually had tumbled into camp from the hill behind the shack, -and they joined heartily in the laughter of the men, when they related -their story of being lost in the fog. - -“Shure, an’ Oi wuz a-sayin’ to Misther Potter that maybe yez was lost,” -Mike affirmed, “an’ twas meself what wuz for goin’ afther yez if yez -didn’t turrn up soon.” - -“Gid out!” jeered Cap’n Pem. “Ye’d be a fine one ter go gawallupin’ over -these ’ere hills with that there wooden lig o’ yourn. Know’d the boys -’ud git in ship-shape.” - -“B’gorra thin, Oi could do as well as yez at anny rate,” insisted Mike. - -Cap’n Pem snorted, but forbore a retort and warned the boys against -taking any risks in the future. - -“Don’t ye never go off without a-takin’ a gun an’ a compass,” he -commanded them. “An’ ef ye go out o’ sight o’ camp, mind ye watch the -way ye’re a-goin’ of. ’Tain’t no jokin’ matter ter git lost here. It’s a -heap bigger islan’ than ye think an’ fog’s li’ble ter come on any time.” - -When the boys told of their experience with the big seal-like creatures, -Cap’n Pem laughed uproariously. - -“Them’s sea leopards,” he told them. “Lucky ye didn’t git too clost, -they ain’t like these ’ere elephants. Bite ye quicker’n Jack Robinson, -’bout as fierce as a lion an’ mighty touchy too.” - -“Aren’t they good for anything?” asked Tom. “Do you ever kill them?” - -“Hides is wuth somethin’,” replied the old man, “but ain’t got enough -blubber ter make ’em wuth the danger o’ killin’ of ’em. Time was, when we -used fer to hunt ’em an’ fur seals, too. But ’ain’t nothin’ in it now, -with elephant ’ile so high.” - -Cap’n Pem also explained that the big penguins they had seen were King -Penguins and that the moonstones, though pretty, had little value. - -“Whole beaches on ’em over ter Kerguelan,” he told them. “Took up derned -nigh a bucket full on ’em one trip. Couldn’t sell ’em fer ’nough ter -keep me in terbaccy. Guv ’em all ter the wimmin folks.” - -Boiling was going on when the boys reached camp, and after eating, for -they were ravenously hungry, they watched the operation for some time -and then made their way towards the spot where the men were stripping -the blubber from the last of the dead elephants. Everywhere, the -enormous raw carcasses were scattered about, and, almost hiding them -from sight, were thousands of albatrosses, Molly Mokes and other sea -birds, screaming and quarreling over the feast and tearing the flesh -from the bones with their powerful bills. So bold were the birds that -they frequently swooped down and attempted to carry off pieces of -blubber under the noses of the working men and one man constantly was -kept busy shooing and beating them off. - -“Wouldn’t they clear out if you shot some of them?” inquired Tom. - -“Yep, I expect they would,” replied a boat steerer, “but we need ’em an’ -don’t want to drive away. What’d we do with all them there dead -elephants if ’twan’t fer them birds? Why, they’d smell so ye couldn’t -live on the islan’, an’ a breedin’ plague.” - -“Do you mean the birds will eat them all up?” asked Jim in surprise. - -“Sure thing,” declared the sailor, “less’an a couple o’ days there won’t -be nothin’ but bones left.” - -The boys could scarcely believe that the birds could completely devour -the mountains of flesh before them, but long before the expiration of -the two days only the clean picked bones of the elephants marked the -scene of their slaughter. - -As it was light through the night, the work of boiling was carried on -unceasingly, the men working in watches or shifts, as on board ship, and -by the second day they were ready for another drive and kill. - -Although practically all the large elephants had been slaughtered the -first day, yet there seemed to be no decrease in the numbers which came -up the seashore daily, and the second killing was even larger than the -first. Cap’n Pem and the men were elated, for the great number of -elephants argued well for a full cargo of oil, and the old whaleman -couldn’t say enough in praise of the policy of the British government in -having restricted the killing and extermination of the creatures. - -“Las’ time I was here,” he informed them, “they’d got so pesky skeerce -ye couldn’t make a kill o’ a dozen a week an’ now look at ’em. Jes’ a -crowdin’ o’ thersel’s up, a-waitin’ ter be killed. Looks like as though -they ac’t’ally enj’yed it.” - -Not forgetting Cap’n Pem’s injunction regarding gun and compass, and -usually carrying a lunch with them, the boys spent their days wandering -over the hills, exploring the island, gathering eggs from the more -remote bird colonies, so as not to frighten away the scavengers near -camp, and having a glorious time by themselves. They had discovered -several small ponds among the more distant hills and here, to their -surprise, they found a number of small teal-like ducks. These proved -excellent eating and a most welcome change in the camp diet and the boys -made almost daily visits to the place. On another occasion, they had -found a rookery of the Antarctic fur seals and spent hours watching the -big, gentle-eyed creatures frolicking and playing about. Twice too, they -had clambered far up the mountain side and had gazed forth upon the vast -panorama that was stretched beneath them. Rugged and gray, their own -island spread itself below their feet, and on the horizon—some visible -across lanes of gray sea that from the height seemed narrow, others but -hazy clouds against the sky and others only distinguishable by their -lofty peaks—were many other islands of the group. The boys, who had -spent hours poring over charts of the Antarctic, knew many of them by -name, such as Governor Livingston, Scotts, Clarence and Deception. The -latter was the island to which the _Hector_ had gone and the boys spent -much time in speculation as to the success the men were having there and -how soon the bark would return. - -But best of all, the boys loved to visit the rookeries of albatrosses, -penguins and Molly Mokes that by now were filled with ungainly, -grotesque and mirth-provoking fledglings. - -It was while they were on their way to one of these, several weeks after -their adventure in the fog, that the boys saw a big Wandering Albatross -acting in a most peculiar and unusual manner. The bird was standing upon -a pile of rocks and was spreading and flapping his enormous wings as if -trying to fly, but he would rise only a few feet above the ground before -he again dropped back. Then he would reach down, peck at something in -the rocks as though feeding, and again flap into the air for a short -distance again to repeat the whole performance. - -“What _do_ you suppose he’s doing?” asked Tom in puzzled tones. “He acts -as if he’d found something and couldn’t make up his mind to leave it.” - -“Come along and see,” suggested Jim, and curious to know the reason for -the big bird’s actions, the two turned aside and clambered over the -rock-strewn hillside towards the albatross. - -Much to the boys’ surprise, he apparently paid little heed to their -approach, but continued his remarkable behavior until they were within a -few yards. Then, to their amazement, they saw that the bird was fastened -to the rocks by a piece of rope or line. - -“Why, he’s tied down!” exclaimed Jim. “I wonder who did that.” - -“I can’t imagine,” replied Tom. “But it’s a shame! He’ll just beat -himself to pieces, or die of thirst and starvation. Come on, let’s untie -him.” - -But to release the bird was more of an undertaking than they bargained -for. Every time the boys tried to approach, he would strike viciously -with his enormously powerful wings, hiss like a gigantic snake and lunge -savage, snapping thrusts with his strong, hooked beak. - -“Gee, he _is_ ugly!” cried Tom. “I’ve half a mind to leave him.” - -But having once determined to free the bird, the two were not to be -worsted so easily. Taking off their coats, and with Tom holding his -sheath-knife ready, the two boys made a sudden dash at the albatross, -and while Jim threw his jacket around the bird’s head and held his neck, -Tom protected his head from the blows of the wings, and stooping -quickly, cut the line. Then, leaping back, they watched the great bird -as he flapped upwards with cries of triumph and sailed off out of sight. - -“Ungrateful old brute!” laughed Jim. “Acts as tickled as if he’d got -loose all by himself.” - -“I wonder what he was tied to,” put in Tom. “Hello! Look here, Jim!” -Reaching down in a crevice of the rocks, Tom drew out a bundle, or roll -of frayed and weather-beaten tarred canvas attached to the stout, hemp -lead-line which had bound the albatross. - -“Well, that beats all!” exclaimed Jim as the two boys examined the -package curiously. “It must have been tied to the bird’s leg and got -wedged between the rocks when he alighted. What _do_ you suppose it is!” - -“Search me!” replied the other. “Let’s open it and see.” - -Drawing his knife, Tom proceeded to slash through the rope that was -wrapped and tied about the bundle and then commenced to rip out the -tightly drawn stitches with which it was sewn. - -“Whoever sewed this didn’t intend it to get away in a hurry,” he -remarked as the first layer of heavy canvas fell back and disclosed -another beneath it. - -“Reminds me of the pill-boxes the druggists have,” supplied Jim. “Just -one inside of another right down to a tiny one. Perhaps that’s all this -is.” - -“Nobody’d take the trouble to sew it all up and tie it to a bird’s leg -unless ’twas something important,” declared Tom decisively. “I’ll bet -there’s something mighty interesting in it.” - -Two more layers of canvas were removed, and as the last was pulled away, -the boys saw a brass tube, or cylindrical box, with both ends stopped -with wood. - -“That’s a funny looking thing,” commented Tom as he turned it about. -“Looks like a—gee, I know what ’tis! It’s part of a telescope.” - -“Perhaps there’s something in it,” Jim suggested excitedly. “Open it and -see.” - -After some difficulty, Tom pried out one of the wooden plugs and tipped -up the cylinder, but nothing dropped out. Then, as he peered within it, -he cried out, “Gosh! There _is_ something in there.” - -Inserting his finger in the tube, while the nerves of both boys tingled -with expectancy, Tom drew out a roll of some crinkled, whitish-yellow -material which they thought, at first, was paper. - -“Hurrah! It’s a message!” shouted Jim. “Gee, we’re in luck!” - -Spreading the parchment on a smooth rock, the two boys studied the -indistinct characters upon it, but for some time could make nothing of -them. Gradually, however, they began to recognize letters, and slowly -and with much hesitation and difficulty spelled out the following: - - “Two hoo shal fine these leter for God sak save mee. iam reckt on a - illan west off elyfant illan in the soth shetlans yu kan tel the won - by too piks stikin up on the eas end i am seemans off the brig _ellen_ - of st Helena we was kroosin an see a worship she was a gurman an sink - us an fir on the botes i was hit an wen i cum two i seen nothin I - drifted a long tyme an most starf an dye of thurst wen I seen lan i no - it was the soth shetlans cuss i bin theyre bfour too kil elyfonts mi - bot drift one these ilant an I find a ole hut I bin her long tym an I - am sik mi wun want heel i muss dy if non resku me I amm goin two ty - this to a allybtros whut i haf cot mae god dyrect it too sum crishun - an knot two a hun. yurs respekfuli - - “Sam Holt - - “p. S. i think this is disemper but I do not sur i los trak ov tym - wile i byn sik.” - -For an instant, the two boys sat speechless, absolutely dumbfounded at -the story disclosed by the parchment so miraculously secured. - -“Gosh, he’s right near here!” cried Tom, at last. “Say, we’ve got to -hustle down and tell Cap’n Pem. Perhaps we can rescue him!” - -Dashing as fast as they could over the rough ground, risking broken -bones and bruises, forgetting all except to tell the old whaleman of -their discovery, the two boys jumped, leaped, scrambled and ran, until, -breathless and exhausted, they rushed into camp and hurled themselves on -the old man. - -“Gosh all mackerel!” ejaculated Cap’n Pem. “What’n tarnation’s up now? -Seed a ghos’?” - -“Oh, Cap’n Pem!” panted Tom. “We found a message—a letter—there’s a -man—shipwrecked—on an island.” - -“West of here!” Jim went on as Tom paused for breath. “See, here’s the -message—found it on an albatross. Can’t we save him?” - -“What?” ejaculated Cap’n Pem, while a number of the men gathered about -attracted by the boys’ excitement. “What’s that ye’re a-sayin’? Man -shipwrecked? Found a message on a albatross, eh? Blow me ef ’tisn’t!” - -Then, having recovered themselves, the two boys rapidly told their -story, while the old whaleman studied the message. - -“B’gosh!” exclaimed Mike, “’tis a missage all right, all right. Shure, -b’ys, we’ll be afther a rescuin’ av him.” - -“Derned if we won’t!” cried Pem. “Nobody can’t say as any Yankee -whaleman ever lef’ a shipwracked mate fer to die ’slong’s he could help -it. Dern them Germans’ hides! Wisht I could git at ’em! Here you, Mike, -call all han’s! I’m a-goin’ fer to ask fer volunteers. An’ git the boat -ready fer the v’yge. Stow away ’nough grub an’ water fer a week an’ -med’cines an’ grog, an’ clo’s an’ blankets. Like as not thet there -feller ain’t got none.” - -Then, as Mike stumped off to carry out his orders, Pem bustled about, -giving directions, leaving orders as to work to be done while the boat -was away, and between times, cursing the Germans with quaint oaths. - -“Reckon like as not he’s died long ago,” he muttered half to himself. -“No knowin’ when he writ thet letter.” - -“But it says December,” Tom reminded him. “And this is only the second -week.” - -“Yep, I knows it,” replied the whaleman. “But he says he ain’t no ways -sure an he don’ say _what_ December. Like as not ’twas las’ year or year -afore. ’Spect we’ll have all our trouble fer nothin’.” - -Then, addressing the men who had gathered about, Cap’n Pem told the -story of the boys’ find in a few terse words and called for volunteers -to make the trip. Every hand went up instantly. - -“Bile me ef I didn’t know ’twould be thet way!” cried the mate. “Might -as well saved myself the trouble. Got to pick ye out, anyway!” - -Hurriedly running his eyes over the men, he picked four of the strongest -and best, and all men from New Bedford. Then, after a moment’s -hesitation, he turned to the one-eyed man, Ned. - -“Here, you!” he snapped out. “You’ve been a sojer. Know anythin’ ’bout -doctorin’?” - -“Yes, sir, a little, sir,” replied Ned respectfully. “I was in the field -hospital over there, for a time, sir.” - -“Thought so!” ejaculated the mate. “All right, come on, men, git a move -on!” - -“But can’t we go?” cried Tom. - -“Nope, no place fer youngsters.” Then, as he noticed the crestfallen -look on the boys’ faces, he suddenly relented. - -“Oh, blow me! All right!” he burst out. “Hadn’t been fer ye we wouldn’t -a-been a-goin’. Reckon ye gotta right ter go. Come along!” - -To the accompaniment of lusty cheers from the men, the boat was pushed -off, the five oars took the water, and with a “Give way boys!” from -Cap’n Pem, the rescuers headed for the open sea. Straining at their oars -as though they were going on a whale, the men fairly lifted the speedy -whaleboat through the water, while, in the stern, Cap’n Pem stood -grasping the huge steering oar and ever and anon urging his crew to even -greater efforts. Rapidly the beach was left behind, and swinging the -boat to the westward and rounding a projecting, rocky point, the old -whaleman steered a course for the hazy outlines of a distant island. - -“Reckon thet’s the one,” he remarked. “’Pears to me I recollec’ them -there needles. Used ter call ’em the donkey’s ears.” - -For hour after hour the boat sped on. Elephant Island grew dim in the -distance and more and more distinct became the island ahead. Gradually, -from the mist it took form and shape. The boys could see the rugged, -central volcanic cone; little by little the lower slopes became visible, -and at last, Tom gave a shout of joy, for looming up from the sea at one -end of the island were two steep-sided, conical peaks. - -“Thar she be!” announced old Pem. “Give way, lads! If that poor lad’s a -livin’ he’ll likely be a sightin’ of us purty quick.” - -Half an hour later, the island loomed close ahead and the boys strained -their eyes in an effort to make out the hut in which the castaway had -lived. But not until they were within half a mile of the shore did they -see it; a little, tumble-down shanty of gray, weather-beaten boards and -ragged flapping sail-cloth tucked into a corner of the rocks and so -nearly like them in color that it was scarcely distinguishable. But -search the beach and rocks as they would, they could see no sign of -life, and their spirits fell, for all began to fear that they had -arrived too late, that the bleaching bones of the wounded castaway would -be all that they would find. Running their boat upon the shingle, the -crew leaped out, and led by Cap’n Pem, hurried towards the house, -hallooing as they went. Then, when within a score of paces from the hut, -a crazy, makeshift door swung open and a man stepped forth. And at sight -of him, every one stopped short and gazed in amazement. The man was a -gray-headed, coal-black negro with a wooden leg! - -“I’ll be everlastin’ly dumbswizzled!” burst out Cap’n Pem. “Derned ef we -ain’t shipped another peg-leg!” - -The next instant the old negro rushed forward and threw himself upon the -beach groveling at Pem’s feet. - -“Hi, there! Git up!” cried the whaleman. “We ain’t no Saints! Jes’ -o’nary whalemen. How be ye anyhow? Reckon we’re in time, eh? Feared we’d -fin’ ye dead an’ gone.” - -With tears of emotion trickling over his emaciated, ebon cheeks, and -with wildly rolling eyes and in broken tones, the negro poured out -incoherent thanks and blessings and was so overcome that two of the men -were obliged to carry him bodily into the shack. Here, on an improvised -couch of moss, dried seaweed and bird skins the castaway was placed, and -Cap’n Pem hurriedly poured a stiff draft of whiskey down his throat -while Ned and the men quickly kindled a fire and proceeded to heat -coffee and tinned soup. Between the liquor and the steaming food the old -negro quickly revived and managed to control his emotions somewhat. -Cap’n Pem told him how they had learned of his plight, but by Ned’s -command he was not permitted to talk; although all were filled with -curiosity to learn his story, and the castaway was compelled to content -himself with muttering, “Thank de Lord A’mighty! De Lord shure does -watch over his pore sinners! Oh, Lor’ _is_ I save’ at las’!” - -“Doc,” Ned, as the men called him, declared that the castaway was in no -condition to be moved and that he must have several days of rest and -good feeding before undertaking the trip in the open boat. The wound of -which he had spoken in his message, had partly healed, but he was very -weak from suffering and lack of food and now that he was rescued he -seemed quite content to lie still and be nursed back to health and -strength. Gradually too, he told them of his life upon the island: how -he had managed to eke out a living by catching crabs and shellfish, and -later on by albatross and penguin eggs; and how he had captured the -albatross and had utilized a broken telescope which he had found in the -hut as a box or container for the message. - -“How did you happen to think of sending the message that way, Sam?” -asked Tom. “There wasn’t one chance in a million that any one would find -it.” - -“I seed a ship a-sailin’ away fra El’funt Islan’,” replied the negro, -“an’ I knows as how she must’a’ lef’ men there an’ I knows as how these -albatrosses do smell dead meat for a pow’ful long ways, an’ I thinks -like as not if you was a-killin’ the el’funts this ol’ bird mought go -over yander for de food an’ some man mought see the canvas a-danglin’ -from he laig an’ cotch he; an’ praise the Lord A’mighty, you did.” - -Cap’n Pem was anxious to return to the camp as soon as possible and -fumed and grumbled, although “Doc” Ned declared that three days should -be enough rest for Sam with the good care he was receiving. But when the -third day came, a gale was blowing and lashing the sea to fury and -departure was impossible. - -“Ding-bust the weather!” exploded Cap’n Pem, when on the next day, the -gale still howled about the shack and cold rain and sleet beat like -shrapnel on its roof. “Didn’t I tell ye we’d have bad luck,—arter that -there bo’sun bird come aboard! Wouldn’t be s’prised ef this ’ere -dumfoozled sto’m lasted all summer. Reckon we’ll be shipwracked oursel’s -here!” - -“But we haven’t had bad luck,” Jim reminded him. “_I_ think we’ve had -mighty good luck, to get that message and save Sam.” - -“Hadn’t begun, then,” contended the whaleman. “Got ter have a beginnin’ -sometime. Bet ye we gets wuss an’ wusser from now on.” - -But despite Cap’n Pem’s dismal forebodings, the next day was fine, the -gale had blown itself out, and while the seas still ran mountain high, -they were rapidly decreasing. Two days later Cap’n Pem declared the sea -had moderated enough to set out and with one of the men helping Sam—for -he was still weak—the party launched the boat and headed for Elephant -Island. It was hard pulling against the head sea and as there was no -favorable wind, the sail could not be used and the men strained and -sweated at their heavy oars. But gradually the little island faded into -the distance and each moment Elephant Island loomed nearer and plainer -ahead. At last they gained the lee of the land, and keeping close -inshore, pulled towards the outstanding cliffs which concealed the -harbor. As the boat came abreast of the point the spars of a ship came -suddenly into view. - -“Hurrah! The _Hector’s_ back!” cried Tom. - -“Derned if she is!” exclaimed Cap’n Pem. “That’s a brig. I’ll—” but his -sentence was never finished. From the direction of the shore came the -sounds of a volley of gun shots. - -“What’n tarnation,” roared the old whaleman. “Give way, lads! Lift her! -Fightin’s broke loose yonder!” - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -THE RAIDERS - - -Meanwhile, upon Elephant Island, things had not been going well. For the -first two days after the departure of Cap’n Pem and his boat, the work -of killing and boiling had gone on as usual, although on a smaller scale -owing to the lack of men. Then, on the third day came the terrific storm -which had prevented the rescuing party from returning. Within a few -hours after the screeching, howling gale had first burst upon the -island, the flimsy shacks, erected for summer weather, had been -completely wrecked; the tremendous seas had swept far up the beach and -had carried away the try-works and had smashed and broached many of the -casks of oil, and Mike and his men had been compelled to perform -Herculean labors to save anything from the fury of the tempest. - -By dint of incredible exertions they had managed to construct a rude -shelter from the wreckage and had saved the rest of the oil and most of -the supplies; but when the storm finally abated, the drenched, tired and -shivering men looked upon a scene of desolation. The beach was littered -with staved casks, boards, boxes and ruined supplies. Masses of -wave-driven kelp and flotsam were piled high where the try-works had -stood; the planks and canvas of the hut were scattered about and not a -sea elephant was in sight. - -Mike shook his head as he surveyed the devastated camp. “B’gorra!” he -exclaimed. “Faith an’ ’tis the doin’s o’ the bo’sun burrd—bad cess to -him! An’ be the same token ’tis worrit Oi am over Misther Potter an’ -thim others. Foive days now, an’ divvil a soign av thim. Beloike an’ -they wuz caught in the big wind, ’tis dead they be.” - -“Mister Potter, he put da grub an’ da water for week,” Manuel reminded -him. - -“Shure ’tis thrue ye’re sp’akin’ Manny,” replied Mike in relieved tones, -“an Oim a blessed phool fer thinkin’ Misther Potter’s a lan’ lubber for -to be a-sthartin’ out in the tathe av a storrm. Faith though, but ’twill -be a sorrer sight for thim to say whin they come. An’ not a say iliphant -in sight. B’ Saint Pathrick Oi belave the storrm’s afther drowndin’ av -thim all.” - -Then, ordering his men to pick up everything they could and to endeavor -to get some order out of chaos, the bo’sun with the cook and one man -turned to the demolished hut and endeavored to rebuild it so it would be -fit for occupancy when the boat returned. They were still busily engaged -at this two days later when a shout from one of the men interrupted -them, and gazing seaward they saw a sail above the horizon. For a time -they could not determine whether it was approaching or not, but it was a -square-rigged vessel beyond a doubt and when, after half an hour of -steadfast watching through the glasses, Mike knew that it was heading -towards the island, he shouted, “B’ gorra, lads, ’tis the _Hector_! -Shure she’s ahid o’ toime a wake an’ more. ’Tis good luck she must’a’ -been afther havin’. Three cheers, me hearties! ’Tis homeward boun’ we’ll -be to-morrer!” - -But scarcely had the three hearty cheers died down when Mike’s -countenance fell, for through the binoculars he could now see that it -was not the _Hector_ but a brigantine. - -“Worra be!” he bemoaned. “’Tis disapp’intment, me lads! ’Tis a brig -b’gorra! Now phwat does he want here, at all, at all?” - -Rapidly the oncoming vessel approached and presently all could see that -it was a small brigantine and by her build and rig they knew it was not -an American ship. - -“Phwat in blazes arre the furriners a-buttin’ in here fer!” demanded -Mike and, addressing no one in particular, “Shure ’tis throuble enough -we’re afther havin’ av our own. An’ if it’s afther say iliphants they -be, ’tis none they’ll be foindin’, an’ if they wuz ’tis divvil a bit -Oi’d be afther lettin’ av thim sthop here. B’gob, ain’t they islan’s -enough an’ to sphare widtout a-callin’ on us wid no invetashun?” - -Curious as to why the stranger should be making for the island, for she -flew no signals, the men had ceased their work and stood gathered near -the hut watching the brig. - -“Mebbe he come for get da ’ile,” suggested Manuel. “Eef he see we here -firs’, mos’ like he go da other islan’.” - -“Faith an’ he will, thot!” declared Mike. “’Tis two’s a crowd here. Well -b’jabbers we’ll soon be afther knowin’. He’s dhroppin’ av his anchor.” - -Hardly had the brig swung to her anchor before a boat was lowered and -manned, and six men came rapidly shoreward. - -As it neared the beach, Mike stepped forward, and followed by two or -three of his men, stumped down to the water’s edge. - -“Shure an’ what moight it bay that ye’re wantin’ here?” he demanded as -the boat’s keel grated on the beach. - -The steersman,—a huge, raw boned mulatto in ragged, dirty clothes and -with a great livid scar on one cheek, looked the bo’sun over -contemptuously and his mouth widened in a twisted smile, disclosing -broken, yellow fangs. - -“Whadda matter wi’ you, Pat?” he replied insolently. - -Mike grew purple and his gray whiskers bristled. - -“Kape a civil tongue in yer head, ye dhirty nagur!” he fairly roared. -“B’the Saints, if yez is a-lookin’ fer throuble yez’ll be afther -foindin’ it widout lookin’ far, ye spade-faced, mud-colored, bilge-rat!” - -“Haa!” sneered the other. “Da Irish no like da vees’tor, eh? He no mek -welcom’ da other fellas. Hmm! Eet look laik you have pretty good luck -already. Plenty kill an’ b’il down an’ plenty ’ile mek an’ in cask. Hmm! -You tink you owna dis islan’, Micky?” - -Fairly bursting with rage at the man’s insolence and manner, Mike took a -stride forward with doubled fists, but one of the boat’s crew rose to -his feet, swung his huge oar and aimed a crashing blow at the bo’sun’s -head. Mike sprang aside in the nick of time and as he did so, the men in -the boat leaped ashore, significantly hitching their sheath-knives -forward as they did so, and Mike, realizing the futility of resisting -them unarmed, beat a hasty retreat. Shouting derisive insults at him, -the mulatto boat steerer turned and signaled to his ship, and a moment -later, another boat dropped to the water and came speeding shoreward. - -With his men gathered about him, Mike spluttered and fumed, alternately -cursing the newcomers and berating his men for a lot of cowards for -allowing them to land. - -“B’Saint Pathrick!” he roared. “Arre yez men or jelly-fish to sthand -there an’ see yer bo’sun sassed by a slinkin’ black haythen av a -half-breed Portugee? Shure an’ ain’t the foive av yez an’ mesilf a match -fer thim twilve sn’akin’ rats? An’ ye wid sphades an’ irons an’ guns -handy!” - -“Beggin’ yer pardon, sir,” put in one of the men, “but you’re forgettin’ -’tis a free islan’. It’s not belongin’ to us nor the bark, sir. And -there’s no reason I seen yet, to put ’em off.” - -“Raisin is ut!” fumed Mike. “Raisin! Shure thin do yez be afther -thinkin’ ’tis honest worruk they’re afther comin’ here for? Look at -thim! Howly Saint Pathrick! The dhirty thaves arre afther st’alin’ av -the ’ile!” - -Mike was right. The boats’ crews from the schooner were calmly rolling -the oil-filled casks to the shore, evidently with the intention of -loading them into their boats. And now that the hostile status of the -brig was evident, the _Hector’s_ men no longer hesitated. With set faces -and grim determination they seized the nearest weapons,—blubber-spades, -elephant clubs, irons, and with Mike shouting encouragement and -brandishing a heavy club the five whalemen charged towards the brig’s -boats. Outnumbering the whalemen three to one, the oil pirates stood -their ground, drawing their sheath-knives and seizing their heavy oars -in readiness to repel their attackers. - -But neither sheath-knives nor oars are of much avail against -long-handled, razor-edged, blubber-spades or whale-irons and as one of -the Americans hurled an iron which buried itself in the thigh of one of -the raiders, and the gleaming spades cut down another, the remaining ten -men turned tail, dashed to their boats and with frantic strokes pulled -from shore barely in time to escape the maddened whalemen. Had they -delayed an instant longer, all would have been butchered without mercy, -for the whalemen, already soured, surly and ugly from the destruction -wrought by the storm, had gone murder-mad when they saw their hard-won, -precious oil being boldly stolen from under their noses. - -Even as it was, the Portuguese had not escaped unscathed. The one struck -by the iron was screaming and struggling unable to move from the heavy -iron-pole, while his comrade lay moaning in a pool of blood and with a -great, gaping gash in his shoulder where the spade had struck him. -Shaking weapons and fists at the rapidly retreating boats, and hurling -sneers and insults after them, the victorious whalemen turned their -attention to the wounded raiders. - -“Shure, ’tis no desarvin’ o’ pity yez be!” Mike informed them. “But ’tis -no haythens we arre. B’gorra, Oil bet yez’ll think twoice afore yez arre -afther buttin’ in an’ staylin’ o’ Yankee sailormins’ ’ile ag’in!” - -It was no easy matter to extricate the barbed iron from the fellow’s -thigh and Mike was no gentle surgeon and the man’s agonized howls, as -the bo’sun cut away the flesh and drew out the iron must have made -shivers run down the spines of those on the brig. Carrying the two -wounded raiders to the shack, Mike and his men rendered rough first aid -and gave no heed to what was taking place on the brig until one of the -boat steerers gave a warning shout. Leaving the wounded men, all rushed -out to see three boats leaving the brig and heading towards the shore. - -“Glory be!” cried Mike. “’Tis more av the same med’cine they do be -afther wantin’! An’ b’gorra, ’tis thot same they’ll be afther gettin’. -Come on, yez spalpeens. Shure it’ll take more than twenty av yez to bate -foive Yanks!” - -Considering that two of his men were Portuguese, Mike’s use of the term -“Yankees” was rather amusing, but no one noticed it, and indeed, the New -Bedford Portuguese considered themselves as much Americans as did Mike -himself. - -Again seizing their weapons, the whalemen prepared to greet the invaders -with a warm reception. But as they approached the water-side two of the -men in the forward boat dropped their oars, sprang to their feet and, -seizing rifles, fired point-blank at the advancing whalemen. It was -lucky for Mike and his men that the Portuguese were poor shots and that -their sudden motions rocked the boat; but as it was, the bullets sang -harmlessly over the defenders’ heads. - -Neither Mike nor his men were foolhardy enough to attempt to resist -firearms with their weapons, and judging discretion the better part of -valor, they retreated towards the hut, while the raiders maintained an -intermittent fusillade of bullets. Suddenly there was a dull thud, a -sharp cry from Mike and the bo’sun crumpled up and fell to the ground. - -Seizing him by the arms, his men were about to drag him to safety when -he jerked himself free and rose unsteadily to his feet. - -“Bad cess to thim!” he roared. “’Tis me foine lig they’re afther -sp’ilin’ entoirely! An’ thot costin’ av sivinty-foive bucks! B’gorra, -they’ll be afther payin’ fer it or me name’s not Mike O’Malley!” - -Before they could gain the hut, the marksmen’s aim had become -dangerously accurate and the men were compelled to seek safety behind -the casks of oil that stood near. Here they squatted, ruefully watching -the brig’s crew as they hurriedly proceeded to load the oil barrels into -their boats. - -“Faith, if we had thim guns in the shanty ’twould not be a stalin’ so -aisy they’d be afther doin’!” Mike declared. “B’gorra, Oi’m thinkin’ we -moight be afther sn’akin’ there an’ gettin’ av thim. Will anny av yez -foller me?” - -All four men answered in the affirmative, and throwing themselves flat -on their stomachs, the five wormed their way towards the shanty, their -movements concealed from the raiders by the tiers of oil-filled casks. -In safety they gained the hut and entered, and hastily arming his men -with the boys’ shot guns and two muskets, and providing himself with the -only remaining firearm, a bomb lance, Mike broke open a case of shells -and distributed the ammunition to his men. Then, realizing that the -range was far too great for the shot guns and also that the flimsy -boards and canvas walls of the hut were but a poor protection from -flying bullets, the bo’sun instructed his men to crawl back to the -shelter of the oil-casks. - -Hardly had they done so, when the raiders, having sent aboard to the -brig the last of the casks that had been rolled to the beach, started -forward, intent on securing those behind which the whalemen crouched. -Thinking, no doubt, that the Americans had no firearms, and counting on -their retreating without resistance, the Portuguese advanced without -firing, but holding their guns in readiness. - -Fortunately for them, Mike was far too hot-headed and excited to hold -his fire until the raiders were within easy range, and before they had -proceeded fifty yards, flashes spurted from behind the casks and bullets -and buckshot plowed up the sand and sung through the air about the -Portuguese. Utterly surprised at the unexpected volley, the raiders -hesitated for an instant, and then fired wildly at the pile of casks. -Then, an answering shot spat from the barricade and as two of their -number threw up their hands and plunged forward, the raiders commenced -to retreat, and when a bomb from Mike’s gun burst in their midst, they -flung aside guns and fairly raced towards the boat. - -Leaping in, they shoved off and bent to their oars, while about them -splashed and spattered the bullets of the victorious whalemen. - -And then, from those on shore, a mighty shout went up and the beaten -raiders turned to see a trim, white whaleboat racing towards them from -beyond the point. - -Madly they pulled to reach their brig ere they were overtaken by these -new enemies. Already the first boat had gained the vessel’s side, and -panic-stricken, the crew flung themselves over the ship’s rails, -dropping the painter of their boat and thinking only of safety. But the -second boat was too late. When still far from the brig, the _Hector’s_ -boat was upon them, and, as the raiders glimpsed the grim, heroic figure -of old Pem standing with uplifted iron in the bow, deadly fear gripped -them and with agonized screams they strove wildly to escape. The next -instant the heavy iron hurtled through the air, and as it crashed among -them, the men, with one accord, leaped from their seats and plunged -headlong into the sea. - -“Reckon that finished of ’em!” growled Cap’n Pem grimly. “Sarves ’em -right if I speared ’em like pupusses. Wonder what in tarnation’s the -rumpus is anyhow. Give way, lads!” - -Long before the boat had reached the beach, the brig had slipped her -cable, her yard had been swung, and as the last of the swimmers pulled -himself into her chains, she was standing towards the open sea. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -HOMEWARD BOUND - - -As the boat grated upon the beach and Cap’n Pem and the two boys leaped -ashore, Mike started to relate his story of the raiders and the battle, -but in the midst of his narrative his jaw dropped, he rubbed his eyes -and then suddenly burst into a roar of laughter. - -“Saints presarve us!” he shouted. “Shure an’ ’tis another cripple yez -are afther bringin’,—an’ black as the ace o’ spades! B’gorra ’tis three -av’ a koind we are. An’ what wid the b’yes, ’twill be a foine full-house -we’ll be afther havin’ on the barrk!” - -Then, controlling his mirth with an effort, he related the events of the -raid. - -“Didn’t I tell ye that there bo’sun bird was bad luck!” ejaculated Cap’n -Pem. “Fust the storm an’ then this ’ere raid. How much ’ile’d they git -off with?” - -“But who were they?” queried Tom, before Mike could reply. - -“Jes’ low-down or’nary, black Portugee raiders,” exploded the old -whaleman. “’T’ain’t the fust time they’ve turned the trick. Derned ef I -ain’t sorry I didn’t spear a few on ’em!” - -“Shure, sor, Misther Potter, O’im not countin’ av thim casks they took,” -explained Mike as Pem ceased. “’T’was three boatloads they put aboard -the brig, but b’gorra Oim thinkin’ ’tis not manny. The most av thim wuz -yonder where we druv thim off. An’ faith, Oim afther thinkin’ the storrm -bust more av the casks than the haythens sthole.” - -But the loss of oil was far greater than Mike had imagined, for when -they reached the pile of casks which had served as a barricade, they -discovered that nearly every one in the outer tiers was riddled with -bullets and that the precious oil had leaked out. Of the hundreds of -filled casks which the men had toiled so hard to secure, barely two -hundred were left—not enough to grease their boots with, as Cap’n Pem -put it. - -It was all very discouraging and disheartening, and while Cap’n Pem knew -that, had he not gone to rescue Sam, the loss would not have occurred, -or at least would have been far less, still he refrained from mentioning -it, for to the whalemen the saving of a human life, even if a crippled -negro, meant far more than several thousand dollars worth of oil. Mike -too, was far more disturbed and disgruntled over the injury to his -wooden leg than over the loss of oil or the other misfortunes that had -befallen the whalemen, and every man agreed that it was all due to the -bo’sun bird having rested upon the _Hector’s_ mast. - -In fact, the men, as a whole, were very morose and sullen and not a few, -including Cap’n Pem himself, expressed doubts of the _Hector_ coming -back and declared that if she were wrecked it would be no more than -might be expected. It was useless for the boys to try to laugh at their -forebodings, or to ridicule them out of their superstitions, for their -belief was firmly fixed and the very fact that so many misfortunes had -befallen them was proof, to their minds, that they were right. - -Indeed, as the boys constantly heard the men discussing the matter and -listened to stories of death and disaster following the visits of bo’sun -birds to other ships, they found themselves getting nervous. And when, -after the _Hector_ was a week overdue no signs of her had been seen, the -boys began to fear that something _had_ happened to the bark and that -they would be marooned upon the island for an indefinite time. But -despite their troubles and superstitious fears, the men went back to -their labors and as the sea elephants again began to return to the -island they resumed the killing and boiling. - -In the meantime, the two wounded raiders were on the road to recovery, -although unable to work, but they steadfastly refused to divulge any -information in regard to the brig or the raid. - -“Wall, I reckon ye’ll tell when we git ye back to New Bedford an’ shet -up in jail,” remarked Cap’n Pem. And deciding it was useless to question -them further, he dropped the matter. - -Then, one day, as the boys clambered over the hillside above the camp, -Jim glanced seawards and gave a glad shout. Faint upon the horizon -gleamed the upper sails of a ship. - -“Hurrah!” he cried. “There’s a ship. I’ll bet it’s the _Hector_!” - -“Maybe it’s some other ship,” said Tom. “And perhaps it’s not coming -here at all. Let’s wait and be sure before we tell the others.” - -But the vessel was evidently heading for the island, for gradually sail -after sail rose above the tossing sea and each minute the ship became -more and more distinct, until the watching boys could see that it was a -bark with every sail set. - -“It must be the _Hector_!” insisted Jim. “Come on, Tom, let’s go down -and tell the men.” - -But by the time they had reached the shore, Cap’n Pem had already -sighted the oncoming vessel and both he and Mike were studying her -through their glasses. - -“_Is_ it the _Hector_?” cried Tom. “Oh, do hurry up and tell us!” - -“Looks like her,” admitted Cap’n Pem, “but can’t say yit awhile. Comin’ -dead head-on and can’t make her out.” - -“Shure an’ ’tis the barrk all right, all right,” declared Mike, -decisively. “Oi kin say thot patch on her foretorpsail phwat Oi put -there mesilf.” - -“Derned ef ye kin, ye old liar!” exclaimed Cap’n Pem. “Reckon my eyes is -better’n yourn, an’ I can’t see it.” - -“Thin ye’re oisight’s a-failin’ yez,” replied Mike, with a chuckle, “as -well as yer manners, Misther Potter, sor.” - -But here further argument ceased, for at the moment the bark altered her -course a little disclosing her hull and spars and old Pem slapped his -thigh. - -“Blow me if ’tain’t!” he cried. “Comin’ a sky-hookin’, too! Git busy, -lads, the _Hector’s_ a-comin’! Work lively an’ we’ll be home’ard boun’ -this time to-morrer!” - -Elated at the good news, the men fell to with a will and by the time the -bark shortened sail and slowly worked into the anchorage, everything was -in readiness to be sent aboard. The boys thought they had never seen -anything quite so beautiful as the old bark and a wave of homesickness -swept over them as the anchor plunged into the sea and the _Hector_ -swung to her moorings off the beach. But even before the yards had been -swung or the cable had roared out, Cap’n Pem had manned his boat and the -boys were speeding towards the bark. - -Welcome, indeed, to the boys were the kindly, sunbrowned features of -Captain Edwards, the scarred face of Mr. Kemp, the stolid, -expressionless face of Swanson, the freckled countenance of the boy and -even the rough, unshaven, but well-known members of the crew. It was -almost like being home again to be once more upon the decks of the bark -and the boys could scarcely believe that they had been away from her for -more than two months. - -“How are you getting on, boys?” cried the captain as he shook their -hands heartily. “Got enough oil to fill up, I suppose.” - -Then, turning to Cap’n Pem: “Everything ready to come aboard, Pem? How -many casks you got? Hope you’ve had good luck. Crew we put ashore on -Deception had tough luck. Elephants scarce and whole catch didn’t come -to two hundred bar’ls.” - -But the news that Cap’n Pem brought was far from encouraging and the -face of the skipper became very grave as he listened to the mate’s story -of the raid and the loss by storm. - -“I expect that’s the same ship that’s been over to Deception,” he said. -“The men reported vast quantities of bones from last season. Very likely -they intended killing here, and finding the oil and so few men decided -to raid it and save the trouble of killing and boiling for themselves. -It’s an old trick of some of the island Portugees, and with oil so high -they could well afford to take risks. Glad you got a couple of ’em. -Maybe they’ll tell enough so the gang can be broken up. It’s too bad, -though, the whole catch won’t pay expenses unless we have good luck and -take whales on the voyage. Well, no use crying over spilt milk. I’m -thankful no men are lost. So you found a castaway, eh? If everything’s -ready, lower the boats and get everything off. I’m anxious to get clear -as soon as possible. Don’t like the looks of the glass. I’m afraid we’re -in for a rip-snorter of a blow.” - -Rapidly the goods on shore were loaded into the boats and brought off -and within a few hours of the time when the _Hector_ had arrived, the -last boat load was on board, the boats were at davits, and with the -joyous feeling of being homeward bound the crew bent to the handspikes -and roared the ever-welcome chorus of: - - We’re homeward bound, may the winds blow fair. - Good-bye, fare ye well, - Good-bye, fare ye well! - Wafting us true to friends waiting there, - Hurrah, my bullies, we’re homeward bound! - -Then, as the bark veered to the wind and the great sails filled and the -land slipped away astern, the boys looked for the last time upon the -desolate Antarctic island with its towering mountains, its wheeling -albatrosses, its giant seals and its forbidding shores. - -With every stitch of canvas set, the _Hector_ heeled far over to the -freshening breeze and plunged forward like a steamer through the seas, -with the foaming bow-wave rising to the catheads and acres of yeasty -froth streaming astern. - -Steadily she raced onward towards the north and still no signs of the -approaching storm which the skipper had feared. But the glass was -falling steadily, the clouds scurried in wispy shreds across the sky and -the waves constantly increased in size. - -The following morning, the boys came on deck to find the crew aloft -shortening sail, with only the lower topsails and spanker set and the -bark wallowing sluggishly to the long, oily rollers running in from the -western horizon. - -“Looks like a mighty hard blow a-comin’,” remarked Mr. Kemp to the boys. -“Some wind behind these rollers you can bet.” - -Then, hurrying forward, he barked out orders while the crew scurried -about, lashing down everything movable, securing the boats and making -everything snug. Much to the boys’ surprise the negro, Sam, was the -liveliest and hardest worker of all and despite his peg-leg, he -scrambled aloft like a cat and hopped along on the footropes with the -best of them. - -Cap’n Pem eyed him approvingly. “Derned if he ain’t a proper sailorman,” -he remarked. “Wisht ev’ry gosh-derned man’d lose a leg if ’twould make -’em good as him.” - -By noon, the sky had become a deep, sickly, yellowish-gray, the seas had -increased to mountainous size, and ever and anon, a sudden blast of -cold, chilling wind screeched through the rigging, heeling the bark to -her lee-rails, only to be followed by an ominous calm. By now, the bark -had been stripped to close-reefed topsails and Captain Edwards and old -Pem paced the deck with anxious faces, peering intently into the west, -while at the wheel three men were stationed with lashings ready for -instant use in case of emergency. Along the rails and between the masts, -lifelines had been stretched and everywhere were evidences of -preparations for severe weather. - -Suddenly, from the lookout forward, came a sharp, warning shout and -against the black horizon, the boys saw a streak of milky-white, -gleaming like snow against the inky sea. - -“Hold fast!” roared Cap’n Pem, plunging to the shrouds and bracing -himself. “Git below there, boys! Hurricane’s a comin’!” - -But before they could obey, the screaming wind was upon them. The boys -had a passing glimpse of the steersmen hastily lashing themselves fast, -of the skipper wrapping his arms about a backstay, and the next second, -they were half smothered under a blinding, roaring sheet of snow and -hail. They felt themselves lifted from the deck, their hands were torn -loose from their grip upon the companionway; they were whirled, bumped, -tossed and rolled head over heels and were sure their last moment had -come when, with a resounding thump, they brought up against the mizzen -mast and clung to the belaying pins for dear life. Over and over went -the bark, until it seemed as if her swaying yards would be buried in the -hissing brine and her deck sloped like the roof of a house, while -overhead, with the roar of thunder, howled the gale. Then, when the boys -thought destruction was inevitable, there was a report like a cannon -above them and the great topsail ripped from its bolt-ropes and sped, -like a huge bird, into the murk. Gradually and sluggishly the bark -righted, her bow swung off, and gathering headway, she sped before the -hurricane like a frightened bird. For hour after hour the wind screeched -through the rigging and the _Hector_ tore onwards before the gale, -burying herself under tons of green water, staggering drunkenly to the -summits of the white-crested waves, but gallantly, bravely, weathering -the storm. After the first mad onslaught the worst of the hurricane had -blown itself out and the boys, clinging to the lifeline, had crawled -aft, drenched and half frozen and had taken to the cabin. Then, changing -clothes and buttoning pea-jackets and oil skins about them, they again -made their way on deck, for life was unbearable in the tossing, -groaning, heaving cabin and the boys felt deathly sick as long as they -were below. - -The storm, however, while severe, was not of long duration and by eight -bells the wind had died down, the glass had begun to rise and Captain -Edwards ordered the crew to make more sail. - -Under her increased canvas, the bark made better weather of it and by -night she was sailing easily, but with terrific speed, through the still -heavy seas. By the following morning, the sky was clear and blue, the -wind had died to a good, stiff sailing breeze, the sea had fallen to a -moderate swell and the decks and woodwork glistened like frost as the -dried salt sparkled under a brilliant sun. - -“Gee, but the old _Hector_ is a wonder, isn’t she!” exclaimed Tom, as -the boys reached the deck and gazing about saw that there was not a sign -of damage from the stress the ship had been through. - -“She is, that,” replied the captain. “Ships like her are not built -nowadays and she’s good for another hundred years.” - -“How about your old bo’sun bird, now?” laughed Jim as Cap’n Pem -approached. “According to you we should have sunk yesterday.” - -“Hump!” snorted the old man. “Don’t ’spect one bird kin bring bad luck -f’rever, do ye? Reckon he’d oughta be satisfied with all the -shennanigans he’s kicked up a’ready.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY - - -Day after day, the wind held fair and steady, and the gallant, old bark -hurled herself through the hissing seas as though she knew she was -homeward bound and as anxious to see New Bedford light as were the men. - -The second day after the storm, sail after sail had been piled onto her -and even her stunsails had been set, for the captain’s last hope of -making the cruise a success lay in securing sperm whales, and he drove -his ship at her utmost in order to reach the tropics and the sperm whale -grounds as soon as possible. - -In order to obtain fresh supplies, the _Hector_ again put into Tristan -da Cunha and the boys received a rousing welcome from Paul and Getty. -When the story of their adventures on Elephant Island was told, the -Potter boys thought Tom and Jim the two luckiest fellows in the world, -and they roared with merriment over Mike’s amazement at seeing Sam and -finding him a negro with a wooden leg. But they were just as firm in -their belief that the bo’sun bird was responsible for the ship’s bad -luck as were Pem and Mike, while their grandfather prophesied that, in -his opinion, the bark’s troubles were not yet over. - -“Boun’ to be a death in the bark’s comp’ny,” he declared. “Never knowed -it to fail. Jes’ as soon as that happens the curse’ll be off.” - -“Well, there’ve been plenty of chances to have a death,” Tom reminded -him, “and yet there hasn’t been. Seems to me, if the bird wanted any one -to die he’s missed some awful good opportunities.” - -“Mebbe,” admitted old Lem. “But ye never _can_ tell what fate has in -store fer sailors. I been to sea nigh fifty year an’ I _tell_ ye the -more ye see the less ye knows.” - -But despite their superstitions, the islanders sympathized most heartily -with Captain Edwards and all wished him the best of luck and professed -confidence in his finding whales and filling up with sperm oil. When the -bark hoisted anchor and sailed from Tristan, one member of her company -was left behind, for Sam declared his intention of waiting on the island -for the yearly mail ship which would take him back to St. Helena. - -Three days after the island had dropped below the horizon astern, the -lookout on the _Hector_ reported a steamer’s smoke ahead, and soon -afterwards, the smudge of black was visible to those on deck. - -“Can’t imagine what she is,” declared Captain Edwards. “We’re out of the -track of merchant ships.” - -“Maybe it’s a German raider,” suggested Jim. “Then Cap’n Pem _would_ -crow over us for scoffing at the bo’sun bird.” - -Scarcely had he spoken when Mr. Kemp hailed them from the crosstrees. - -“Warship, sir!” he shouted. - -“Gosh, perhaps you’re right, Jim!” exclaimed Tom. “Say, wouldn’t that be -the limit?” - -“Jest erbout what I’d be expectin’ of,” declared Cap’n Pem. “Onluckiest -cruise ever I seed. Reckon I’ll stick ter shore arter this.” - -“Better wait till you get there,” teased Jim. “If it’s a raider you may -be killed. Some one’s got to die, you know.” - -“Shet up!” retorted the old whaleman petulantly. “Ain’t there ’nough -troubles without a talkin’ ’bout bein’ kilt?” - -But all fears as to the identity of the approaching warship were put at -rest a moment later, when the second mate called down that she was -British and flying signals. - -“Can you read them?” asked the skipper. - -“Yes, sir,” replied Mr. Kemp. - -Slowly he read the flags and called them out, while below, Captain -Edwards ran his finger down the code book and, a moment later, with a -wild yell, he dashed down the book and seemed suddenly to have gone -raving mad. - -Throwing his hat in the air, shouting and laughing, the usually staid -and dignified skipper danced and leaped about and capered like a -schoolboy. Then, leaping to the rail and steadying himself with a grip -on the shrouds, he yelled, “Whoop her up, boys, the war’s over! Three -cheers, my lads—three times three!” And as the good tidings dawned upon -them, the crew gave such rousing cheers that even those upon the warship -must have heard. - -“Up with your ensign, Mr. Potter. Up with Old Glory and salute!” roared -the skipper. “And dress ship! Run up everything you can find!” - -But already the boys had forestalled Cap’n Pem and before the old mate -could reach the flag-locker, Tom was bending the Stars and Stripes to -the halliards and a moment later it rose fluttering to the peak. Three -times he dipped it in salute to the trim British cruiser, and, an -instant later, the Union Jack dipped in return. Long ere the cruiser was -out of sight strings of gay bunting were fluttering up to the bark’s -mastheads and Captain Edwards ordered the _Hector_ hove-to. - -“No more work to-day!” cried he, as the yards were swung and the light -sails furled. “Summon all hands and tell them it’s a holiday, Mr. Kemp. -Serve cigars from the after stores, and tell cook to get up the best -meal he’s ever cooked for the crew. Nothing’s too good for this day!” - -Never had a more boisterous or uproarious day been spent at sea than -that which celebrated the close of the World War on the old _Hector_, -even though the Armistice had been signed two months previously. - -A few days later, a whale was sighted and the spirits of every one rose -as three boats were lowered, Captain Edwards himself going in one. But -despite every effort, not one of the boats succeeded in getting near the -whale until after a long and heart-breaking chase. Then Cap’n Pem got -fast, but before the other boats could come near, the iron drew and the -thoroughly frightened whale disappeared. Crestfallen, the three boats -returned to the bark and once more, yards were squared and the _Hector_ -plunged northwards on her course. Then followed day after day of light, -baffling winds and an oil-like sea upon which the _Hector_ rolled lazily -with canvas slatting idly against the masts and with barely enough -motion to give her steerage way. - -Lolling upon the decks on the fourth day of the sweltering calm, the -boys were gazing idly at the lofty trucks as they slowly swung to and -fro across the cloudless sky, when Tom suddenly jerked himself upright -and stared fixedly at the fore royal yard. - -“Gee, it is!” he ejaculated. “Look, Jim, isn’t that a bo’sun bird up on -the fore royal yard, close to the mast?” - -Jim peered at the spot indicated and for a moment could see nothing. -Then a slight movement caught his eye and he made out the snowy plumage -and long tail feathers of the bird. - -“You’re right!” he assured Tom. “It’s another bo’sun all right. Funny no -one else has seen it.” - -“No one’s looked aloft,” replied Tom. “They’re all busy on deck and even -Cap’n Pem hasn’t bothered watching the sails, it’s been so calm.” - -“Well, don’t let’s tell any one,” whispered Jim. “It’ll just make them -nervous.” - -But the bird had no intention of not having his presence known, and -scarcely had Jim spoken when it uttered several harsh cries. Instantly, -every man’s eyes were turned to the royal yard and at that moment a -second bo’sun bird fluttered down and alighted beside the first. Almost -like a dirge, a deep, moaning sigh arose from the crew. - -“Gosh!” exclaimed Tom. “That must mean twice as much bad luck to come -and three men to die. Cap’n Pem will be——” - -“Thar she blows!” shouted the lookout, and instantly the harbingers of -misfortune were forgotten as the men rushed to their boats. - -Within a mile of the motionless bark, two big sperm whales were swimming -lazily, now and then rolling on their sides, occasionally slapping their -enormous flukes against the water playfully and evidently utterly -oblivious of the enemies so near. Rapidly all four boats were lowered -and went speeding towards the whales, and ten minutes after they had -been sighted both of the creatures had irons in their sides and were -towing two boats each at express train speed. Directly away from the -_Hector_ they sped; one to the west and the other to the north, and in -an incredibly short space of time the boats were out of sight of the -deck. But the lookouts on the mastheads could still see them and -constantly reported their doings to Mike, who had charge of the ship. - -“Skipper’s fin-up!” shouted a lookout presently. “Mister Potter’s -millin’! Now he’s sounded! Breached again! Going in! In his flurry! -Spoutin’ blood! Fin-up!” - -“Hurrah, they’ve killed ’em both!” yelled the boys, who had been -watching from a point of vantage on the main royal yard. “Now who says -bo’sun birds are bad luck!” - -“Faith Oi do,” replied Mike. “’Tis tin good moiles they be an’ wid -noight a-comin’ on. B’gorra, ’tis a foine fix we do be in wid the barrk -becalmed. Shure ’tis aither losin’ o’ the whales or av the ship for -thim, loike as not.” - -Then, as if to prove the ridiculous superstition false, a breath of hot -wind stirred the Hector’s upper sails; another stronger puff filled the -topsails; the glassy sea broke into shimmering crinkled ripples, and ten -minutes later, the bark was gliding swiftly towards the distant boats -before a steady wind. - -Just as the sun was sinking beyond the rim of the sea, the two whales -were alongside and by the time darkness fell, cutting-in was in full -swing and the black smoke of the try-works rose like a pall above the -_Hector’s_ trucks. - -Throughout the night, the following day and the next night, the work -went on without cessation and at the end of the time one hundred and ten -barrels of sperm oil had been stowed in the bark’s hold. - -Once more the captain and men looked hopeful while Tom and Jim teased -old Pem and the others unmercifully over their superstition. At first, -the old whaleman strove to find some argument or excuse to uphold his -belief, but failing in this, he wisely declined to say anything, while -Mike, with Irish wit, declared that three always was a lucky number -whether bo’sun birds or anything else and that he was sure that their -bad luck was over. - -Captain Edwards claimed that he never had had much faith in such things -and was convinced there was nothing in it, while Mr. Kemp admitted that -he never knew of three bo’sun birds lighting on one ship on one voyage -before and therefore didn’t know what it might foretell. But not even -the most superstitious and pessimistic seaman could have found any -reason for saying, “I told you so,” for the weather held fine until -after the bark had crossed the equator and three more whales had been -taken and had added their quota of nearly one hundred barrels of oil. - -Every one was in high spirits and Captain Edwards felt confident that -even if he could not fill up he could secure enough oil to meet the -expenses of the cruise when he reached the West Indian grounds. Once -more, however, ill luck seemed to be with the _Hector_. For week after -week she cruised about, with lookouts constantly at the mastheads, but -never the welcome “There she blows!” sounded from aloft, and once again -the men began to grumble and the skipper lost his smile and jollity. - -“Guess it’s no use, Mr. Potter,” he announced one day. “Might as well -give up. We’re just wasting time and money here,—must be I’m getting too -old for a-whaling.” - -Faint upon the distant horizon, shimmered a small island, and putting -his glasses to his eyes the captain studied it intently for a time. - -“I expect we’d better run over to Monita yonder,” he remarked, half to -himself. “There’s good water there and coconuts. Might as well fill the -casks and let the men stretch their legs ashore before squaring away for -Gay Head.” - -At his direction, the helmsman spun the wheel a few spokes, the bark’s -head swung towards the island and the boys, elated at thoughts of going -ashore, gazed with interest at the little speck of sea-girt land as the -bark rapidly bore down upon it. Soon the nodding palms upon the shores -were visible, the boys could see the rich, green growth upon the low -hills; upon the beach of coral sand they could see the slender thread of -white foam and near one end they made out a small stream flowing across -the beach to the sea. Never, they thought, had they seen such a -beautiful spot as this little West Indian island. They were fascinated -by the wondrous blue and turquoise of the sea. The fact that it was -uninhabited thrilled them with the boyish love of desert islands, and -they were crazy with impatience to get ashore and explore the land -beyond the wave-worn rocks that bounded the beach at either end. - -Half a mile from the shore, the bark came to anchor, and as the boat was -lowered and the boys dropped into it, they uttered cries of wonder and -delight at the marvelous scene which met their eyes as they looked over -the boat’s side. Through the crystal-clear water the bottom, five -fathoms below, was as plain as though they were looking through air. -Half buried in the sand, was the bark’s great anchor with its trailing -cable; huge starfish and sponges of every hue dotted the ocean’s floor; -big purple and violet sea-fans waved gently to an unseen current and -about the many-colored masses of coral, gay-hued fish swam to and fro -like submarine butterflies. - -As the boat grated upon the snowy sand beach, the boys leaped ashore, -and yelling like Indians with the sheer joy of the feel of land under -their feet they raced up the beach. While some of the men rolled the -water casks to the edge of the stream, others proceeded to gather -coconuts, while Cap’n Pem seated himself under the shade of a spreading -tree, and lighting his pipe lay back upon the soft, warm sand. - -Intent upon exploration, the two boys hurried along the beach to the -outjutting rocks—stopping now and then to examine some odd specimen of -marine life cast up by the sea—and scrambling over the sharp limestone, -they found themselves at a little semicircular cove bordered by a second -beach. - -A few yards from them, a large, irregular grayish object was bobbing -about at the edge of the water and thinking it some strange fish or -animal, the boys hurried to it. Much to their surprise, they found it to -be a mass of curious, porous material unlike anything they had ever -seen. - -“It looks like pumice-stone,” commented Tom. “But there isn’t any -volcano here.” - -“And it’s soft,” announced Jim who had poked it with a bit of driftwood. - -“Must be some sort of sponge, I guess,” said Tom. “Let’s pull it ashore -and look at it.” - -Bringing sticks from the fringe of brush along the beach, the boys tried -to drag the stuff ashore, but it broke or pulled apart easily and the -sticks could get no hold on it. - -“Funny stuff,” remarked Tom, as he stooped to examine a small lump he -had dragged up with his stick. “Something like water-soaked bread. -Hello! Hasn’t it got a funny smell.” - -“And here’s a piece of horn or something in it,” exclaimed Jim. “Say, -let’s take this piece back and ask Cap’n Pem about it. They must have -some coconuts down by now.” - -Picking up the small piece of the material which had so aroused their -curiosity, they made their way back over the rocks and found the old -whaleman snoring. - -“Oh, Cap’n Pem!” cried Tom, poking their friend gently in the ribs. -“Look here, what’s this stuff?” - -“Lemme be!” ejaculated the old man. “Derned ef ye _ain’t_ a nuisance. -Why can’t ye ’muse yersel’s? What ye want, anyhow?” - -“We want to know what this is,” explained Tom, holding out the lump of -greasy, gray stuff they had found. “There’s a big pile of it yonder and -we never saw anything like it.” - -Impatiently Pem raised his head, glanced at the object Tom held out, and -the next instant leaped to his feet as if a bomb had exploded under him. - -“Jumping Jehosephat!” he shouted as the boys gazed at him in amazement. -“Where’n tarnation’d ye git it? Got a lot on it, ye say! Well, I’ll be -everlastin’ly biled! What is it? Sufferin’ cats, don’t ye know? It’s -ambergris, boys, ambergris, an’ wuth five hundred dollars a poun’ ef -it’s wuth a cent! Come ’long, where in Sam Hill is it?” - -“Ambergris?” cried Jim as the two boys hurried towards their find, with -Cap’n Pem stumping at his top speed beside them, “and worth five hundred -dollars a pound! Hurrah! We’ve got a fortune, Tom. There must be a ton -of it.” - -But although there was far less than a ton of the valuable material, -there was enough to make the old whaleman’s eyes fairly bulge from their -sockets, and, calling on the boys to help, he plunged into the water to -his armpits and feverishly rolled and dragged the mass of ambergris -beyond the water’s edge. Then, floundering about in the shoal water, the -three gathered a number of smaller masses which had broken loose, and -hunted over every corner of the beach and rocks searching for more, -while Cap’n Pem constantly uttered exclamations of wonder and -congratulations to the boys. - -“Better’n a full cargo o’ ’ile!” he declared. “Why, ding-bust me! Ye’ve -got nigh onto two hunderd pound here, an’ that’s a hunderd thousan’ -dollars—jes’ as good as two thousan’ bar’l o’ ile. Derned ef ye ain’t -millionaires! Reckon they’re bein’t no more. Run over and fetch the men, -Tom, and hev ’em bring some o’ them casks.” - -When at last the ambergris was safely secured in the casks and in the -boat, everything else had been forgotten, and hastily throwing in the -coconuts, Cap’n Pem and the two boys were pulled to the bark. Carefully -and with constant cautioning from Cap’n Pem the casks of treasure from -the sea were lifted on board and carried aft, where, to the wondering -eyes of the skipper and the others on board, the boys’ find was -exhibited. - -“But it’s not ours,” declared Tom, when the captain congratulated the -boys on having made a fortune. “It belongs to the ship. We’re officers, -you know and we won’t take more than our lay.” - -Despite the captain’s protests, the boys were firm in their decision and -at last the other gave in. - -“Well, have it your way if it pleases you,” agreed the captain. “The -ambergris weighs a little over 300 pounds so your share of that alone -will be about $3,000, each. Looks as if the _Hector_ wasn’t so unlucky -after all. If we’d taken three thousand barrels of oil—besides what we -have—it wouldn’t have been worth more than those casks. You’ve saved the -day, boys.” - -“Reckon I’ll have ter knuckle down about them there bo’sun birds,” -chuckled Cap’n Pem. “Mebbe three on ’em does mean good luck, jes’ as -Mike said.” - -“Shure an’ didn’t Oi tell yez ’twas a full-house we’d be afther havin’ -aboord ship?” exclaimed Mike. “An’ b’gorra, ’tis harrd to bate -thot—burrds or no burrds!” - -“Or perhaps it was your wooden leg,” laughed Tom. “Dad said the bark was -as likely to go to sea with a wooden-legged mate as to come back with a -load of ambergris, and it’s done both. Gee, won’t we have the laugh on -him, though!” - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DEEP SEA HUNTERS*** - - -******* This file should be named 61867-0.txt or 61867-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/1/8/6/61867 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - diff --git a/old/61867-0.zip b/old/61867-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 46750c5..0000000 --- a/old/61867-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/61867-h.zip b/old/61867-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ac69977..0000000 --- a/old/61867-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/61867-h/61867-h.htm b/old/61867-h/61867-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 16cf569..0000000 --- a/old/61867-h/61867-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5267 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> -<head> -<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> -<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Deep Sea Hunters, by A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt) Verrill</title> - <link rel='coverpage' href='images/cover.jpg' /> - <style type="text/css"> - /* headings */ - h1 { text-align:center; font-weight:normal; page-break-before: always; - font-size:1.4em; margin:2em auto 1em auto; } - h2 { text-align:center; font-weight:normal; page-break-before: always; - font-size:1.2em; margin:2em auto 1em auto; } - body { margin-left:8%;margin-right:8%; } - p { text-indent:1.15em; margin-top:0.1em; margin-bottom:0.1em; text-align:justify; } - /* tables */ - table.toc { } - table { page-break-inside: avoid; } - table.tcenter { margin:0.5em auto; border-collapse: collapse; padding:3px; } - td.c1 { text-align:right; padding-right:0.7em; } - td.c2 { font-variant:small-caps; } - /* breaks */ - hr { border:none; border-bottom:1px solid black; width:40%; margin:1em auto;} - /* ebookmaker chunk triggers */ - div.section { margin-top: 4em; } - div.chapter { margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.4em; } - /* pandoc tweaks */ - .poetry { margin:0.7em auto 0.7em 2em } - .poetry p { text-indent:0; margin-top:0.5em; margin-bottom:0.5em; } - - - h1.pgx { text-align: center; - clear: both; - font-weight: bold; - font-size: 190%; - margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - word-spacing: 0em; - letter-spacing: 0em; - line-height: 1; } - h2.pgx { text-align: center; - clear: both; - font-weight: bold; - font-size: 135%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - word-spacing: 0em; - letter-spacing: 0em; - page-break-before: avoid; - line-height: 1; } - h3.pgx { text-align: center; - clear: both; - font-weight: bold; - font-size: 110%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - word-spacing: 0em; - letter-spacing: 0em; - line-height: 1; } - h4.pgx { text-align: center; - clear: both; - font-weight: bold; - font-size: 100%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - word-spacing: 0em; - letter-spacing: 0em; - line-height: 1; } - hr.pgx { width: 100%; - margin-top: 3em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - height: 4px; - border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ - border-style: solid; - border-color: #000000; - clear: both; } - </style> -</head> -<body> -<h1 class="pgx" title="header title">The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Deep Sea Hunters, by A. Hyatt (Alpheus -Hyatt) Verrill</h1> -<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no -restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: The Deep Sea Hunters</p> -<p> Adventures on a Whaler</p> -<p>Author: A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt) Verrill</p> -<p>Release Date: April 19, 2020 [eBook #61867]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DEEP SEA HUNTERS***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4 class="pgx" title="credit">E-text prepared by Roger Frank<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/deepseahuntersad00verr"> - https://archive.org/details/deepseahuntersad00verr</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<hr class="pgx" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<h1 style='font-size:0; visibility:hidden'>The Deep Sea Hunters</h1> - -<div style='margin:1em auto; width:70%; max-width:451px;'> -<img src='images/frontis.jpg' alt='' style='width:100%;height:auto;' /> -</div> - -<div class='section'> - <div style='text-align:center; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;'> - <div style='font-size:0.9em;'>BY A. HYATT VERRILL</div> - </div> - <div style='text-align:center; margin-top:0.5em; margin-bottom:0.5em'> - <div style='display:inline-block; text-align:left;'> - <div style='font-size:0.9em;'>THE DEEP SEA HUNTERS</div> - <div style='font-size:0.9em;'>THE BOOK OF THE MOTOR BOAT</div> - <div style='font-size:0.9em;'>ISLES OF SPICE AND PALM</div> - </div> - <div style='font-size:0.9em; margin-top:2em;'>D. APPLETON AND COMPANY</div> - <div style='font-size:0.8em;'>Publishers New York </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='section'> - <div style='text-align:center; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;'> - <div style='font-size:1.2em;'><i>The</i></div> - <div style='font-size:1.4em;margin-bottom:1em;'>DEEP SEA HUNTERS</div> - <div style='margin-bottom:2em;'><i>ADVENTURES ON A WHALER</i></div> - <div>BY</div> - <div style='margin-bottom:0.7em;'>A. HYATT VERRILL</div> - <div style='font-size:0.8em;'>AUTHOR OF “THE REAL STORY OF THE WHALER,” “ISLES OF</div> - <div style='font-size:0.8em;'>SPICE AND PALM,” “THE BOOK OF THE MOTOR BOAT,” ETC.</div> - <div style='margin-top:2em;'>D. APPLETON AND COMPANY</div> - <div>NEW YORK : : 1922 : : LONDON</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='section'> - <div style='text-align:center; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;'> - <div>COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY</div> - <div>D. APPLETON AND COMPANY</div> - <div>PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='section'> - <table class='toc tcenter' summary="" style='margin-bottom:3em'> - <thead> - <tr> - <th colspan='2' style='font-weight:normal;padding-bottom:1em;'>CONTENTS</th> - </tr> - </thead> - <tbody> - <tr><td class='c1'>I.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-i-the-boys-make-a-bargain'>The Boys Make a Bargain</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>II.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-ii-outward-bound'>Outward Bound</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>III.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-iii-there-she-blows'>There She Blows!</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>IV.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-iv-a-narrow-escape'>A Narrow Escape</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>V.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-v-strange-visitors'>Strange Visitors</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>VI.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-vi-an-island-quite-out-of-the-world'>An Island Quite Out of the World</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>VII.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-vii-how-capn-pem-lost-his-leg'>How Cap’n Pem Lost His Leg</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>VIII.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-viii-elephant-island'>Elephant Island</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>IX.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-ix-spinning-yarns'>Spinning Yarns</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>X.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-x-lost'>Lost</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>XI.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-xi-a-strange-message'>A Strange Message</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>XII.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-xii-the-raiders'>The Raiders</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>XIII.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-xiii-homeward-bound'>Homeward Bound</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class='c1'>XIV.</td><td class='c2'><a href='#chapter-xiv-the-boys-make-a-discovery'>The Boys Make a Discovery</a></td></tr> - </tbody> - </table> -</div> - -<div class='section' id="chapter-i-the-boys-make-a-bargain" style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em;'> -THE DEEP SEA HUNTERS -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2>CHAPTER I<br />THE BOYS MAKE A BARGAIN</h2> -</div> - -<p>“Oh, Tom!” cried Jim Lathrop, as he dashed into his chum’s den, “what do -you think? They’re fitting the <em>Hector</em> out for a cruise!”</p> - -<p>“Come on, I don’t believe it. You can’t fool me that way,” replied Tom, -tossing aside his book. “What’s the joke? Why the old <em>Hector</em> wouldn’t -float—she’s had grass growing out of her seams for years.”</p> - -<p>“Honest, they are, though,” asserted Jim. “If you don’t believe it come -along and see.”</p> - -<p>Grabbing his cap, Tom hurried out with his friend, and the two boys ran -down the shady, sleepy streets of old Fair Haven towards the water front.</p> - -<p>It was little wonder that Tom was incredulous of Jim’s news, for, to the -boys, the ancient whaling bark <em>Hector</em> was as much of a fixture as the -village church or the town hall. As long as they could remember the old ship -had lain on the mud flat beside the abandoned old whaling docks, her dingy, -weather-beaten sides rising far above the rotting stringpieces of the wharf; -her spars, gray from countless storms and years of sunshine, sagging and awry; -her tattered and frayed standing rigging slack and her deck warped and with -open seams. Built nearly one hundred years ago, the <em>Hector</em> had for -generations been the pride of the great New Bedford whaling fleet, but, long -before either of the boys had been born, she had been towed to her resting -place upon the Fair Haven flats and abandoned to the elements.</p> - -<p>But to the boys of the village she had been a source of never failing -amusement. Upon her decks they had played pirate, buccaneer and whaler by -turns. Within her tumble-down deck houses imaginary mutineers and freebooters -had massacred innumerable officers. From her broad, stout crosstrees the boys -had peered forth at countless treasure islands, and within her dark and musty -hold they had languished in chains or had stowed away on imaginary -voyages.</p> - -<p>Somehow, upon the old ship, the boys seemed actually to live in the -stirring days they reacted, for old Capt’n Pem, the dock watchman, had spent -many an afternoon spinning yarns of his youthful whaling days while seated on -the heel of the <em>Hector’s</em> bowsprit. He had related stories of cannibal -attacks, of mutinies, of boats stove in and ships rammed by frantic whales. -The boys had listened breathlessly to his accounts of men drifting in open -whaleboats for thousands of miles after being towed out of sight of their -ships by whales, and as he had served as mate on two voyages of the -<em>Hector</em>, the boys had but to close their eyes to see the characters he -described and the exciting events in which he had taken part. Moreover, Jim, -or, as his friends called him, “Jimmy,” had found the old log of the -<em>Hector</em> in the Historical Society’s museum across the river in New -Bedford, and the boys had read it word for word and had found it more -fascinating than any book of fiction, for they knew every inch of the old bark -as they did their own homes. They knew the very yardarm from which a mutineer -had once been hung; they could still see the holes made by the bullets of -Chinese pirates in the stout cabin door; they searched for and found the very -bunk wherein the mate had been pinned down by the spear of a Solomon Island -cannibal, and the criss-cross cuts where poor “Crazy Ned” had cut his “baccy” -on the fo’c’sle steps were still visible. Tom, too—who was forever reading -books on strange, far-away lands—had told the other boys of the places the old -ship had touched on its many cruises. He painted vivid word pictures of the -desolate Croisettes, of little-known Gough Island and volcanic Kerguelan in -the storm-lashed Antarctic. He described the queer penguins and broad-winged -albatrosses, the palm-fringed coral isles of the tropics, the swift proas of -the Malays, the frozen wastes of the Arctic and the blistering doldrums, until -he and his friends could transport themselves at will to any part of the -world, or any spot in the seven seas, merely by clambering on to the -<em>Hector’s</em> warped old decks and setting sail in make believe on a three -years’ cruise.</p> - -<p>And, best of all, the boys’ parents encouraged them, for they all were of -old whaling stock and had almost as much fondness for the old <em>Hector</em> -and the past glories of the whaling fleet as did the boys. Moreover, the boys’ -fathers were not slow to notice that, by playing about the old bark and -listening to Cap’n Pem’s yarns, the boys were absorbing a vast amount of -useful knowledge of the sea and of seamanship, as well as of foreign lands and -people. They had learned to climb aloft, to run up the ratlines and to man the -yards like real sailors, and they acquired a full command of nautical terms, -orders and phrases. And in this old Cap’n Pem had been their instructor. He -had shown them how to knot, splice and bend ropes; he had made them repair the -rotting ratlines and footropes; he had insisted that they must be “proper -sailor men” in their play; and, in order to teach them how to swing and square -the yards, clew up the sails and otherwise “navigate” the old hulk, he had -helped them rig braces, halliards, clewlines and other running rigging from -odds and ends stowed in his cozy little home at the head of the wharf. Under -his tutelage the boys had learned how to box the compass, how to steer, how to -give orders for trimming sail, and both Tom and Jim had gone a step farther -and had learned how to “shoot the sun” and work out latitude and -longitude.</p> - -<p>Often, the old seaman would take a part in the boys’ fun himself; sometimes -as captain, at other times as able-bodied seaman, which he always took as a -huge joke, remarking with a chuckle that, “I’ve seen a mighty queer lot o’ -timber a-callin’ o’ theirsel’s sailors; but I’ll be stowed if I ever seen a -wooden-legged A. B. afore.”</p> - -<p>But despite his wooden leg, Cap’n Pem managed to get about as lively as any -of his young friends, and he would tail on to a brace and roar out some -deep-sea chantey with the boys joining in the chorus, with as much vigor and -heartiness as though the <em>Hector</em> were once more plowing her way -through blue seas instead of being high and dry on a mud flat.</p> - -<p>But neither Cap’n Pem nor the boys had ever dreamed of the <em>Hector</em> -going to sea in reality. From her opened seams, grass and weeds were growing -luxuriantly; within her hold the tide rose and fell exactly as it did outside -and, as the old salt vowed that New Bedford whalers were built to last -forever, the <em>Hector</em> seemed doomed to be a permanent landmark at the -end of the elm-shaded street.</p> - -<p>So, as the two boys hurried to the dock, Jim found it hard work to convince -Tom that they were about to lose their wonderful playground.</p> - -<p>“I just went down to see if you or any of the fellows were there,” -explained Jim, “and I found a whole crowd of workmen. They had a truck full of -rope and tackle and paint and tar and everything. Some of them were on board -and others on the dock and they’d already taken off a lot of the old rigging -and were tearing the grass and stuff out of the seams. Cap’n Pem was there too -and I asked him what they were doing and he chuckled and said, ‘Didn’t I tell -ye, Jimmy, a New Bedford ship weren’t never too old to go a-cruisin’? They’re -a-fittin’ of the <em>Hector</em> fer a v’yge.’”</p> - -<p>“I’ll bet he was just jollying you,” declared Tom. “Perhaps they’re going -to fix her up and take a movie of her, just as they did on the <em>Viola</em>, -you know. Perhaps that’s what Cap’n Pem meant—a movie voyage. Why, Jimmy, the -<em>Hector</em> couldn’t go to sea.”</p> - -<p>“Well, we’ll soon know,” replied Jim. “Look at that now! They’re taking -down her yards.”</p> - -<p>The boys had now reached the dock, and sure enough, as Jim had said, a -crowd of laborers were busy on the wharf and on the <em>Hector</em>, and the -sound of hammers and axes, of loud orders, and the creak of tackle blocks -awoke echoes which the dock had not heard for generations.</p> - -<p>Already nearly all the yards of the old ship had been taken down and were -laid upon the dock where men were planing and cutting them; the grass and -weeds had been removed from the cracks in the planking and men were busy -cutting and tearing out the old caulking. The ragged shrouds were being taken -off and, on a hanging stage under the bowsprit, carpenters were working on the -massive stem.</p> - -<p>“Gosh! It does look as if you’re right,” admitted Tom, as the two boys -stopped, and with wonder, gazed upon the bustling scene. “Oh, there’s Cap’n -Pem! Let’s go and ask him all about it.”</p> - -<p>Approaching their old friend, the boys plied him with questions.</p> - -<p>“Sure, they’re a-fittin’ of her out fer a cruise,” he avowed, seating -himself on one of the yards. “Reckon ’iles so almighty sky high—what with this -’ere war an’ all—that old man Nye jest couldn’t resist the temptation o’ -fittin’ out fer a cruise.”</p> - -<p>“Where’s she goin’?” he continued in answer to the boys’ queries.</p> - -<p>“Gosh hanged ef I know! Any seas mos’ likely. Ain’t nary one o’ the chaps -here as knows nothin’ ’bout it. Jest had orders ter overhaul the ol’ -<em>Hector</em> an’ git her ship-shape an’ ready fer sea. Jake Potter’s gang -’tis. Ain’t seed Jake or I’d know more erbout it.”</p> - -<p>“But aren’t you surprised?” asked Tom. “When Jim told me, I wouldn’t -believe it. Why, it don’t seem possible. How on earth can that old hulk -float?”</p> - -<p>“Surprised?” chuckled the old salt. “Say, son, time ye git as ol’ as I be -an’ been to sea fer a matter o’ forty year, ye won’t find nothin’ to surprise -ye. ’Sides, what’s so surprisin’ ’bout a good ship goin’ t’ sea after a bit o’ -rest? Float? Course she’ll float. Why, boys, I’ve been a-cruisin’ fer sparm in -the western ocean an’ jammed in the ice in Behring Sea fer five years in a -ship what was jes’ punk ’longside o’ this ’ere <em>Hector</em>. Float! Why, -bile me down fer blubber, if she ain’t a floatin’ long after these ’ere -new-fangled, sawed-timber jimcracks o’ ships what the gov’ments a-buildin’ of -has been scrapped fer a hundred year. Why, boys, don’t ye know the ol’ -<em>Hector</em> well enough to know she’s jes’ as sta’nch an’ sound as the day -she was built? Long’s her timbers ’re sound an’ her keel an’ garboard strake’s -not rotten, she’s all right; an’ I’ll bet my wooden leg ’gainst a chew o’ -baccy thet she’s as sound as a trivet to-day.”</p> - -<p>“But won’t it cost more to fix her up than to build a new ship?” asked -Jim.</p> - -<p>The old skipper shook his grizzled head. “No, sirree,” he declared. “Ships -is mighty costly these days, an’ ’sides, where ye goin’ ter find any one thet -knows how ter build a proper whale ship? Why, blow me, ye can’t find a man -what knows a blubber-hook from a fluke-chain nor a clumsy-cleat from a -scrap-hopper outside o’ New Bedford. Course she’ll need a bit o’ tinkerin’, -few new planks an’ riggin’; a bit o’ caulkin’, and like as not, some new -spars. But shucks, that ain’t much. Reckon’ they’ll have her all fine an’ -dandy an’ ready fer sea inside a month.”</p> - -<p>“But how are they going to caulk her and fix her here in the mud?” inquired -Tom. “Won’t they have to tow her over to the dry dock?”</p> - -<p>Cap’n Pem roared with merriment.</p> - -<p>“Bless yer heart, no!” he cried when he could control his laughter. “Didn’t -ye ever see a ship hove-down? But o’ course ye haven’t. Why, they’ll jes clap -a tackle on to her mastheads and heave her down till they git to her bottom, -easy as eatin’ pie.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I’ll like to see that,” declared Tom. “I should think it would pull -the masts out or crack her wide open.”</p> - -<p>“Nary a mite,” the captain assured him. “Whale ships is made fer hard work -an’ knockin’ about, not fer looks. Course there ain’t many o’ these ’ere -schooners nowadays what’ll stand fer it; but ye jes wait an’ see how the ol’ -<em>Hector</em> takes it.”</p> - -<p>For the rest of the afternoon, Tom and Jim, in company with a number of boy -friends who joined them, stood upon the dock watching with interest, and not -without pangs of regret, the rapid dismantling of the bark.</p> - -<p>“Reckon ’tis kind o’ hard on ye kids,” remarked Cap’n Pem, when one of the -boys expressed his sorrow at losing the old ship. “Durned if I don’t hate ter -have her go myself. Kind o’ like losin’ of an ol’ friend. Jest hope I’ll be -spared ter see her comin’ hom’ ag’in. Bet she’ll be full up and with a shark -tail on her jibboom.”</p> - -<p>Not until the laborers knocked off work did the boys turn from the dock -towards their various homes, and by then, the <em>Hector</em> had been -stripped bare of her rigging; huge pieces of rotten wood had been cut from her -stem; planks had been torn from sides and decks; her cabin and galley had been -ripped out; and, as Tom remarked, she looked more like a wreck than ever.</p> - -<p>As Jim lingered to talk with Tom before the latter’s home, Mr. Chester -drove up in his car, and instantly the two boys told him the wonderful news of -the bark.</p> - -<p>“Yes, boys, I heard about it,”’ he replied. “Mr. Nye was in the office -to-day to see about outfitting. He’s fitting the <em>Hector</em> out for a -voyage to the South Shetlands for sea elephant oil. Come in and have dinner -with us, Jimmy, and I’ll tell you both all about it.”</p> - -<p>“Gosh, that’s way down by the South Pole,” exclaimed Jim as the two boys -followed Tom’s father into the house. “Say, Tom, what are sea elephants? You -never told us anything about them.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t exactly know myself,” admitted the other. “Seems to me I did read -something about them in some book; sort of a giant seal, I think, but I don’t -understand how a whaler can go after them for oil.”</p> - -<p>Tom’s father, however, soon explained all about sea elephants, the gigantic -seal-like creatures with trunklike noses, which dwell in the Antarctic seas -and upon the desolate islands there.</p> - -<p>Formerly, Mr. Chester told them, the sea elephants congregated in herds of -countless thousands upon the shores of the South Shetlands, Kerguelan, the -Croisettes and other Antarctic islands, but as they were stupid creatures and -had never seen men, they fell an easy prey to whalers who killed them for -their blubber. So rapidly were they slaughtered that they would soon have -become as extinct as the Dodo or the Great Auk, if the European governments, -who owned the islands, had not taken steps to protect them and prevent hunting -them.</p> - -<p>“Then how can the <em>Hector</em> go after them?” asked Tom.</p> - -<p>“Because, owing to the war, there has been such a shortage of oil that the -British government has given permission to hunt them under special license,” -replied Mr. Chester.</p> - -<p>“Do you really think the old bark ever will get there?” asked Jim.</p> - -<p>“I haven’t a doubt of it—unless she’s sunk by a submarine. Those old ships -were built to last forever, as Captain Pem says, and Nye’s had the -<em>Hector</em> looked over and her timbers and most of her planking are -sound. It will be a far more difficult matter to find a crew than to get the -bark into seagoing shape.”</p> - -<p>“Golly, wouldn’t that be a dandy cruise to take!” exclaimed Tom. “Just -think of seeing penguins and albatrosses and sea elephants and icebergs and -everything!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and think of really going whaling on the old <em>Hector</em>!” cried -Jim.</p> - -<p>“Sea elephanting, you mean,” laughed Tom. “Say, father, will they call the -crew ‘sea elephant men’?”</p> - -<p>“They’ll do considerable whaling too, I expect,” laughed his father, “and -no matter what a whaleman does he’s still a whaler—even when they went to -Africa after slaves in the old days and never hunted whales.”</p> - -<p>“Then ’twould be all the more fun—if they hunted whales, too,” declared -Tom. “Gee, I do wish we could go along. Couldn’t we go as part of the crew or -something, Dad? You always said we’d ought to go on a real cruise, you -know.”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense,” said Mr. Chester. “You two boys would be a nuisance, and -besides, even if Nye would let you go, and I didn’t object, and the captain -gave his consent, your mother and Jim’s parents would be worried to death. The -ship might be sunk by a submarine, and she’ll probably be away for a year or -more and where we never could hear from her. Besides, you’d be sick and tired -of the trip before it really began. You don’t realize what a whaling cruise is -like. Go over and see Nye to-morrow and he’ll tell you a few truths that will -make you change your views about a whaling life being a lark.”</p> - -<p>“Well if we don’t, and Mr. Nye will let us go, and Jimmy’s folks will let -him go, and the captain will sign us on, then will you let me go?” teased -Tom.</p> - -<p>“There are altogether too many ‘ifs’ in that,” laughed Mr. Chester, “but -I’ll make a bargain. If Nye and his skipper are fools enough to let you two go -and all the other ‘ifs’ are eliminated I’ll give my consent on one condition, -and that is, that old Captain Pem is the mate.”</p> - -<p>“Hurrah!” cried the boys in unison.</p> - -<p>Mr. Chester chuckled.</p> - -<p>“I’m perfectly safe in making that bargain,” he declared. “There’s about as -much chance of a wooden-legged mate on a whaler as there is of the -<em>Hector</em> coming back with a load of ambergris!”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-ii-outward-bound">CHAPTER II<br />OUTWARD BOUND</h2> -</div> - -<p>The boys scarcely could wait to finish their breakfasts, so anxious were -they to see the owner of the <em>Hector</em>. Arriving in New Bedford across -the harbor, they at once hurried to Mr. Nye’s office, only to find that he was -not in and was not expected for an hour.</p> - -<p>“Let’s go over to the museum,” suggested Tom, and the two boys hurried -downstairs, turned into a waterfront street, and a few moments later, reached -the Old Dartmouth Historical Society with its wonderful whalers’ museum.</p> - -<p>Here they always found plenty to interest them and the time passed quickly -as they studied the fascinating exhibits of whaling weapons and utensils, old -prints, log books, and, best of all the half-size model of a New Bedford -whaling ship complete in every detail.</p> - -<p>As they were about to leave the building and passed by the office, they -noticed the genial curator talking with a man whose back was towards them.</p> - -<p>“Hello, boys!” called the curator, “I understand you’re about to lose your -ship. Where are you off to now?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Tom, “but we’re going to try and go on her. We’re going to -see Mr. Nye now and ask him if we can.”</p> - -<p>The curator laughed.</p> - -<p>“Want to turn real whalemen, eh? How about your parents’ consent?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, they’ve consented,” replied Jim, “that is, Tom’s father said he could -go if Mr. Nye and the captain were willing and if Cap’n Pem went as mate and -my folks said they’d agree to that, too.”</p> - -<p>“Well, well!” chuckled their friend. “So now you’re going to ask Nye and -try to get him to ship old Pem just to help you, I suppose! Well, there are -worse mates than he’d make. Come in here, boys, I want you to meet an old -friend of mine.”</p> - -<p>As they entered the office the stranger turned and the boys saw he was a -clean-shaven, leather-faced old man with a merry twinkle in his keen, blue -eyes.</p> - -<p>“Captain,” said the curator, “here are a couple of boys who want to ship on -the <em>Hector</em>, Jimmy Lathrop and Tom Chester. You know Chester, the ship -chandlery and hardware man, Tom’s father. How do you think they’ll do for -whalemen? Boys, this is Captain Edwards of the <em>Hector</em>.”</p> - -<p>Shaking hands cordially, the old whaleman considered for a moment.</p> - -<p>“Hmm,” he said at last, “what’s your rating, boys, A. B.’s, boat steerers, -coopers, cooks, cabin boys, navigators or just ordinary deck hands?”</p> - -<p>The boys laughed.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” admitted Jim. “Anything, if we can go, except cooks or -coopers or boat steerers.”</p> - -<p>“Then you’ve had previous experience, eh?” asked the captain striving to -maintain a grave face. “What ships have you been on?”</p> - -<p>“The <em>Hector</em>,” promptly replied Tom, with a grin. “We’ve been -everything on her from stowaways to captain.”</p> - -<p>Captain Edwards burst into a hearty laugh. “So you’re some of the -youngsters that have been using my ship for a playground, eh?” he exclaimed. -“And now you’d like to take a real try at the game. And your dads said you -could if I’d take old Pem for mate, eh?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” said Tom, “and father said that was just about as likely as for -the <em>Hector</em> to bring back a load of ambergris.”</p> - -<p>The captain and the curator burst into hearty laughter.</p> - -<p>“That’s pretty good!” declared the old skipper at last. “But stranger -things <em>have</em> happened to whalemen, boys. Many a ship’s brought home a -mighty good cargo of ambergris and I’ve sailed with a wooden-legged captain, -let alone a mate.”</p> - -<p>“These boys can navigate,” put in the curator. “Cap’n Pem’s taught them -nearly all there is to know about handling a ship, except going to sea.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed!” exclaimed the captain with new interest. “Now, boys, let me ask -you some questions.”</p> - -<p>For the next half hour Captain Edwards plied the boys with queries on -seamanship, navigation, ropes and rigging, handling sails, nautical and -whalemen’s terms, and in fact, everything he could think of. Then, banging his -fist on his knee, he exclaimed, “Why, hang it all, Frank! These two kids could -get second officer’s tickets to-morrow, if they were old enough. Boys, come -along over to Nye’s office.”</p> - -<p>“Gosh! I’d forgotten about seeing him,” cried Tom as he and Jim rose and -hurried out with the captain.</p> - -<p>Arrived at the ship owner’s office, the boys quickly told Mr. Nye of their -desire to go on the <em>Hector</em> and repeated the conditions on which their -parents had consented. Then, when they had finished, the captain drew the -owner to one side and conversed in low tones with him for a few moments.</p> - -<p>“Well, boys,” said the <em>Hector’s</em> owner, resuming his seat, “I have -no objection if Captain Edwards hasn’t, and he tells me he’d be glad to take -you, as you might be useful. You see, it’s mighty difficult to get a crew of -any sort now and navigators are scarce as hens’ teeth. Of course, he wouldn’t -count on you as full-fledged officers; but he thinks you’d be more useful than -ornamental and that two husky, wide-awake boys who really know the old -<em>Hector</em> from stem to stern would be worth their keep—might help in -breaking in the green hands, you know. Of course, you’d find it a mighty rough -life—not all beer and skittles by any means—and a dirty job too. But I was -younger than either of you when I first went on a cruise and it did me a pile -of good—made a man of me and taught me a lot—and hard work never hurt any boy -yet. Yes, as far as I’m concerned, and Captain Edwards too, you’re more than -welcome on the <em>Hector</em>; but, of course, that doesn’t mean you’re -going. Don’t forget old Pem is one of the conditions, and I’ve never had a -wooden-legged mate on one of my ships yet!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, darn!” exclaimed Jim, “I think they might let us go, anyway.”</p> - -<p>“I’m not going to be discouraged yet,” declared Tom. “I’ll bet I can tease -dad into letting us go, even if Cap’n Pem isn’t mate.”</p> - -<p>But despite his statement, the two boys felt downhearted and discouraged -the rest of the day, for it was even worse to have the captain’s and the -owner’s consent and still be unable to go on the cruise than it would have -been had their parents refused to listen to their pleas in the first place. -And that evening, when Tom endeavored to wheedle his father into withdrawing -the conditions he had made, he found him obdurate. While he was still arguing, -Jim and Mr. Lathrop called and the latter declared that he, too, would stick -to his original conditions. Very disconsolate were the two boys as they sat -down to dinner, for they realized now that their cause was hopeless, that in -giving their conditional consent their parents had known they were perfectly -safe.</p> - -<p>But presently their spirits began to revive and they were chatting and -laughing as gaily as ever. Then, when the meal was nearly over, the door bell -rang and the servant announced: “A gentleman to see you, Master Tom. He said -to tell you he was mate of the <em>Hector</em>. He’s waiting in the -library.”</p> - -<p>“Mate of the <em>Hector</em>!” exclaimed Tom in puzzled tones, “I wonder -what he wants. I didn’t know Captain Edwards had a mate yet. I’ll bet he’s -come to tell us he’s mate just so we’ll know there’s no chance. Gee! I think -Mr. Nye might have taken Cap’n Pem just for our sakes.”</p> - -<p>“Nye’s sending the bark after oil, not to please you boys,” Mr. Chester -reminded him as he left the room.</p> - -<p>As Tom reached the library and glanced within, he started as if he had seen -a ghost and stood speechless, staring with unbelieving eyes at the figure -seated in the big Morris chair.</p> - -<p>“Reckon I did surprise ye!” chuckled Cap’n Pem. “Jest signed on fer mate o’ -the ol’ <em>Hector</em> an’ kinder thought——”</p> - -<p>What he was about to say was drowned in the wild yell Tom let out as, -turning, he dashed down the hall.</p> - -<p>“Jim!” he shouted as he burst open the dining room door. “Jim! We’re going! -It’s Cap’n Pem and he’s mate of the <em>Hector</em>! Hurrah! Hurrah!”</p> - -<p>Leaping from his chair, Jim tore into the library with his friend, both -yelling like Indians and prancing about the old sailor until he thought they -had gone stark, staring mad.</p> - -<p>“Avast there! Lay off!” he cried. “What in the name o’ tarnation’s the -matter with ye?”</p> - -<p>Presently in disjointed sentences, the two boys managed to explain the -cause of their excitement.</p> - -<p>“I’ll be blowed!” exclaimed the old whaleman. “So that’s how the land lays, -eh? So you’re the two third mates ol’ man Edwards was talkin’ erbout. Wondered -what in Sam Hill he wanted two fer. Well, well, so we’re goin’ fer to be -shipmates, eh? ’Spect Nye wuz jest jollyin’ of ye all the time. He knowed I -wuz a-goin’ last night. Cap’n Edwards wuz over ter see me an’ wanted fer me -ter go, but I wuz a leedle mite skittish ’bout this timber leg. Then, this -arternoon, he come over ter see the ol’ <em>Hector</em> an’ he sez ter me, -Pem, he sez, ye’ve jes’ gotter sign on. ’Lessen ye do I won’t have no other -nav’gator erlong. Can’t git ’em ’lessen you come too. So I jes’ signed on then -an thar.”</p> - -<p>“Hurrah for Captain Edwards!” shouted the boys. Then, as their parents -entered the room, Tom cried: “Now what do you say, father? I’ll <em>bet</em> -you’re surprised. Isn’t it bully, though!”</p> - -<p>Mr. Lathrop coughed and covered his mouth with his handkerchief and Mr. -Chester strove to conceal a smile and winked at his friend.</p> - -<p>“Well, wonders will never cease,” he replied. “Luck seems to be with you, -boys. I hope it will last through the cruise. And it will be some cruise, eh, -Lathrop? Mate with a wooden leg, two boys for third mates, an eighty-year-old -ship and Heaven alone knows what kind of a crew!”</p> - -<p>“Don’t ye fear erbout the crew, Mr. Chester,” spoke up Cap’n Pem. “That’s -my job an’ my name ain’t Pem Potter if I don’ git ’em, if I have ter bust open -the jail or the poor house an’ take the critters inside.”</p> - -<p>The others laughed. “I shouldn’t be surprised if they’d prove better than -anything you’ll get elsewhere,” chuckled Mr. Lathrop. “The war’s taken every -able-bodied man there is. You won’t find the crowd of park loafers and bums -that used to form the bulk of whaling crews.”</p> - -<p>“Who said anythin’ erbout able-bodied men?” exclaimed the old seaman. “Jes’ -so long’s they’ve got two feet an’ two han’s it’s all I ask. Give me three -months at sea with ’em an’ I’ll make whalemen outer anything what’s human. But -I reckon I’ll be h’istin’ to’sails an’ gettin’ under way. I gotter be mighty -busy from now on.”</p> - -<p>Bidding them all good night, and with a parting injunction to the boys to -report at the owner’s office and sign articles in the morning, old Cap’n Pem -left the house and went stumping down the street on his wooden leg and so -overjoyed at the prospect of being once more on a cruise that he broke into a -rollicking old chantey.</p> - -<div class='poetry'> -<p>Now who d’ ye think’s the chief mate o’ her?<br /> -  Blow, boys, blow!<br /> -A big mu-latter come from Antigua!<br /> -  Blow, my bully boys, blow!</p> -</div> - -<p>Long after he was out of sight, the boys could hear the chorus wafted to -them on the soft night breeze.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p>The next few weeks were busy ones for the two boys. They signed on as -members of the <em>Hector’s</em> crew, although there were difficulties to be -overcome in doing that, for they were too young to secure navigators’ -licenses. Finally it was arranged that they should be rated as “boys” and as -such were entitled to “lays” of 1/100 of the ship’s catch or, in other words, -one barrel of oil out of every hundred, for whalers never work for wages, and -when all this was attended to, the boys felt like real whalemen. Then, at -Captain Edward’s suggestion, they worked daily at the <em>Hector</em>, -sometimes on the rigging, and still oftener looking after the gear of the -whale boats and the supplies which were being rapidly gathered together in -readiness for the day when the bark would be ready for sea. It was a -never-ending wonder to the boys to find what an enormous quantity of stores -were required. As Tom put it, there was enough to supply a city and they could -not believe that such a vast amount was necessary. Indeed, when the boys came -to total up the lists of stores which they checked off, they discovered there -were over seven hundred different articles and that the total cost was nearly -one hundred thousand dollars. It seemed a stupendous undertaking to stow all -this away and the ship itself appeared a hopeless tangle of rigging, fittings -and odds and ends. But gradually order came from chaos. The <em>Hector</em> -was spick and span with a fresh coat of paint; her tall, tapering spars rose -high above the docks; her massive yards were in place; her rigging taut and -well tarred; and, at last one day, a fussy, little tug came hurrying across -the harbor, and with a huge, new flag flying from her mizzen gaff and strings -of bright bunting everywhere, the stout old ship was towed from her berth and -moored in the stream. To the elated boys, standing upon the clean, smooth -decks it seemed impossible that the stately vessel whose shining masts and -spars towered above their heads could be the same weather-beaten, dingy, -dilapidated hulk which for so long had lain upon the mud flat and had formed a -playground for them and their comrades.</p> - -<p>Soon lighters were alongside; the countless stores were rapidly put aboard; -the immense sails were bent to the yards; and all was ready for the voyage, -save the crew.</p> - -<p>Old Cap’n Pem had had his hands full getting enough men together to man the -ship and do the work when they reached the hunting grounds, and he vowed, that -never in all his experience had he seen such a good-for-nothing, worthless lot -of human derelicts as the sharks had offered him.</p> - -<p>“Bet ye, ye’ll see some fun when we git out o’ soundin’s an’ start to break -’em in,” he declared. “Mebbe ye boys think as I’m a mighty easy-goin’ ol’ cuss -but I reckon ye’ll think I’m a snortin’, tough ol’ bucko mate when we git to -sea. Treat ’em rough’s the only way ter handle of ’em. Ain’t nary one of ’em -thet knows a marlin spike from a scuttle-butt I’ll bet.”</p> - -<p>“Why, aren’t they sailors?” asked Jim.</p> - -<p>“Sailors!” cried the old whaleman. “Sailors! Well I’ll be scuttled! Course -they ain’t sailors. Why, bless your hearts, no whaler cap’n’d ship sailors if -they paid their passage. Jest scum they be—gutter sweepin’s an’ bums on’y -worse ’an usual ’cause o’ the war.”</p> - -<p>“But if you don’t have sailors, how can you sail the bark?” asked Tom. “And -why don’t you want sailors anyway?”</p> - -<p>“The mates an’ the four boat steerers sail the ship,” explained the old -fellow. “Thought I told ye all ’bout sech things long ago. An’ the cooper an’ -steward lend a han’, providin’ they’re needed, an’ arter we’ve broke in the -greenies they’ll han’le the ol’ bark. Why don’ we want sailor men? ’Cause -sailors ain’t any use ’board a whaler. Fust place they growl an’ cause -trouble, secon’ place they desart at the fust po’t an’ third place they won’t -work fer lays. Now I gotter be a-gittin’ along an’ lookin’ arter things. The -ol’ man’s given orders we’re a sailin’ at ebb tide to-morrer, so ye boys be on -han’ before ten.”</p> - -<p>Despite their eagerness to go on the cruise, and their excitement, still -the boys felt a touch of homesickness and a lump in their throats as they bade -good-by to their parents and their boy friends, the following morning, and -realized that they would not see the quiet, shady streets of Fair Haven or -their own comfortable homes for twelve long months or more.</p> - -<p>When they reached the <em>Hector</em> they found Captain Edwards, the -second mate, the four boat steerers, the cooper, the cook and a carpenter on -board. The second mate, or officer, was a long, lanky, down-east fellow with a -ghastly scar across one cheek and which they learned had been received when -his ship had been sunk by a German U-boat a few months previously. The boat -steerers were all Portuguese from the Cape Verde Islands; the cook was a -coal-black negro from Jamaica; the cooper was a blond-headed Swede and the -carpenter a tiny, dried-up, white-haired Irishman. Soon after the boys were -aboard, two boats approached loaded with men and with old Cap’n Pem in the -first. Running alongside, the men scrambled and clambered onto the deck and as -they stared stupidly about, the boys thought they never had seen such a rough, -unkempt, disreputable-looking lot of men. Sixteen in all, there was not one of -their number who was not ragged and dirty. They were of every age, color and -nationality from a tousled-headed, pop-eyed “boy” to a gray-headed, red-nosed, -old rascal fully sixty, and several were negroes. But they had scant time to -look about at their new surroundings for scarcely was the last one on board, -before the second mate began to give orders, hustling the new hands about, and -putting them to work, and while some were inclined to loaf and others were -surly and answered back, the majority fell to and evidently did their best to -follow instructions, although it was plain that the mate’s words held little -meaning for them. Then the capstan was manned, a tug drew alongside and, as -the boat steerers joined the men at the handspikes and walked the heavy cable -in, their voices broke into the old, old chantey of Sally Brown:</p> - -<div class='poetry'> -<p>“Oh, Sally Brown of New York City,<br /> -  Aye Sally,—Sally Brown,<br /> -Of pretty Sal this is a ditty,<br /> -  I’ll spend my money on Sally Brown!”</p> -</div> - -<p>So sang the men as the great anchor rose slowly to the catheads, and a -moment later, the tug’s propeller churned the water and the boys saw the docks -and buildings of New Bedford slipping slowly astern. The crowd on the piers -and moored ships shouted and waved hats and handkerchiefs. The tug gave a -farewell toot and the boys’ voyage had begun.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-iii-there-she-blows">CHAPTER III<br />THERE SHE BLOWS!</h2> -</div> - -<p>No sooner had the bark commenced to move down the harbor, than a magic -change appeared to take place. At the wheel, one of the boat steerers stood -staring ahead and deftly gave the spokes a twirl as he kept the -<em>Hector</em> to the tug’s course. Back and forth on the quarter-deck strode -Captain Edwards, hands behind back and hat pulled low over his eyes. At the -break of the poop, stood old Cap’n Pem, his ancient, peaked cap jammed on one -side of his head, his shirt sleeves rolled to the elbows and his bushy brows -drawn together in a frown. Below him, stood the lanky second officer, Mr. -Kemp, barking out sharp, quick orders. From the galley, a slender column of -smoke rose upwards, showing the cook was already at work. The crew were busy -here and there under the directions of the boat steerers and the carpenter was -wedging down a hatch cover. It was evident that strict discipline was now in -order and the boys, resolved to do their part and to act as though they were -bona fide members of the crew, commenced coiling down ropes that trailed -across the decks. As they did so, Mr. Kemp grinned and Cap’n Pem winked at the -skipper who stopped an instant in his stride to glance at the busy boys.</p> - -<p>Then, Cap’n Pem’s voice roared out orders to loosen sails and the two boys, -anxious to show their skill and knowledge, as well as their willingness, ran -nimbly up the ratlines and were the first out on the yards. One by one the -great topsails were unfurled and halliards were manned.</p> - -<div class='poetry'> -<p>“They call me Hanging Johnny,<br /> -  Away-e-Oh!<br /> -They call me Hanging Johnny,<br /> -  So hang, boys, hang.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Thus roared the men, and, as the boys joined in the chorus, the heavy yards -rose slowly, the sails were sheeted home, and as the bark passed the harbor -mouth and caught the fresh offshore wind, the tug cast off her lines, blew a -parting blast on her whistle and the <em>Hector</em>, under her own canvas, -headed towards the open sea.</p> - -<p>The breeze was fair and steady and under topsails and to’gallant sails the -bark swept smoothly on, a crinkle of white water under her forefoot, a yeasty -wake trailing off astern and the soft hum of the wind in her taut rigging and -great billowing sails. The boys, who had never been to sea except in steamers, -thought they had never experienced anything so delightful as the sensation of -sailing without the throb and noise of engines and the mess and dirt of smoke -and cinders, and they were sure that they had never seen anything so beautiful -as the huge, white sails straining at their braces, gleaming like silver in -the sun, softly purple in the shadows and swaying majestically across the blue -summer sky as the boys gazed upward at them in admiration.</p> - -<p>Dim and hazy in the distance, were the hills and shores; a mere smudge of -smoke marked New Bedford; to port lay Martha’s Vineyard; and straight ahead -was the broad Atlantic.</p> - -<p>But the two boys had been too well trained by Cap’n Pem to idle away the -time admiring the pyramids of snowy sails overhead, or the gentle rise and -fall of the deck beneath their feet, but busied themselves about the ship, -coiling down ropes, explaining orders to the green crew, lending a hand here -and there and making themselves generally useful. Presently, Mr. Kemp -approached. “Mr. Potter’d like Mr. Chester and Mr. Lathrop to step aft,” he -said.</p> - -<p>For a moment the boys hesitated, puzzled, and then, despite every effort, -laughed, for the officer’s formal method of addressing them struck them as -very funny. They had never dreamed that they would be treated other than as -boys and to be spoken to as officers was a distinct surprise.</p> - -<p>Quickly recovering themselves, however, the two hurried to the poop where -the old whaleman was standing.</p> - -<p>“What is it, Cap’n Pem—?” began Tom, but he was instantly interrupted by -the other. “Mr. Potter, sir!” corrected the old man with a twinkle in his -eyes.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, what is it, sir?” inquired Tom, trying hard to hide a grin.</p> - -<p>“Cap’n Edwards wants ye an’ Mr. Lathrop to git ready fer to take -observations, sir,” replied Cap’n Pem. “He says as how he’d like fer ye two -youngs—Oh, gosh-ding it all what’s ther use! I’ll be blowed ef I kin keep it -up. Call me Cap’n Pem ef ye like. I’m a-goin’ ter call ye young scallywags or -anythin’ else same’s I allers has. Well the ol’—Cap’n Edwards I mean—wants ter -hev ye shoot the sun an’ work out the position so’s he kin see how much ye -know. It’s pretty nigh eight bells now, so hustle down inter my cabin and -fetch up them two sextants there, an’ git busy.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, Mr. Potter!” chuckled Jimmy, as the two boys dived down the -companionway.</p> - -<p>Regaining the deck, the two boys took up positions and commenced squinting -through their instruments, while the old whaleman watched them critically. -Unnoticed by them, Captain Edwards also drew near, and even Mr. Kemp ceased -swearing at his crew long enough to glance at the two, for it was a novel -sight to see two boys standing on the poop of a whaleship and handling -sextants like old hands.</p> - -<p>“Eight bells!” cried Tom presently. “Eight bells!” echoed Jim, and at their -words the eight mellow notes rang out from the bronze bell below.</p> - -<p>Hurrying down to the cabin, the boys commenced to work out their latitude -while, on deck, Cap’n Pem slapped his thigh and chuckled. “Han’led them -sextants jes’ as well as me or you could!” he declared addressing the skipper. -“Bet ye, ye kin depen’ on ’em jes’ as well as any orcifer ye’d find. Jes’ wait -’till they give ye their figgers. They’ll be purty clost to kerect or I’m a -Dutchman!”</p> - -<p>“Here are the figures and position, sir,” said Tom as he appeared from the -companionway and handed two slips of paper to the captain.</p> - -<p>Captain Edwards glanced at them and a satisfied smile spread over his -wrinkled, tanned face. “Your longitude is right,” he said, “and there’s only -thirty seconds difference in your two positions. Neither is out quite a -minute—or less than a knot—and that’s mighty close work for the first -observation you’ve ever taken aboard a ship at sea. You’ve done very -well—er—Mr. Chester and Mr. Lathrop. From now on, you may consider yourselves -as third and fourth officers and entitled to lays of one in fifty each. I -shall expect you to take observations daily.”</p> - -<p>“Told ye they’d be derned near _k_erect!” cried Cap’n Pem.</p> - -<p>“But, captain, can’t we help with the work just the same, if we are -officers?” asked Tom. “It’s lots of fun.”</p> - -<p>The captain rubbed his chin reflectively. “Third and fourth mates usually -have to work a bit,” he replied. “Yes, I guess ’twon’t ruin ship’s discipline -if you’re boys most of the time and officers when I need you. But don’t get -too familiar or friendly with the crew.”</p> - -<p>“What in Sam Hill’s the matter now!” exclaimed Cap’n Pem a few moments -later, when angry shouts from Mr. Kemp were heard.</p> - -<p>Following their old friend to the break of the deck, the boys saw the -second officer shaking his fists and yelling at a ragged man who stood before -him with a vacant, noncomprehending expression on his face, and moving and -wiggling his fingers in a curious manner.</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter, Mr. Kemp?” called the captain.</p> - -<p>The second mate turned and glanced up. “It’s this greenie, sir,” he -replied. “Just up from the foc’sle, an’ jus’ stands here and looks silly, -twiddlin’ his thumbs. Don’t answer back or nothin’ and won’t obey orders. -Don’t know if it’s some new kind of jag or if he’s just plain crazy.”</p> - -<p>“Aye tank he bane daf an’ doomb, sir,” put in the cooper, approaching and -touching his cap. “Aye haf daf an’ doomb coosin bane twoggle fingers same vay. -Mebbe Aye bane able talk mit him.”</p> - -<p>“Reckon Ole’s right,” agreed Cap’n Pem.</p> - -<p>“Try it and see, Swanson,” ordered the skipper.</p> - -<p>Standing before the man, the cooper moved his big, knotted fingers, and -instantly, a look of understanding passed over the other’s features and his -hands moved swiftly.</p> - -<p>Presently, the Swede turned towards the watching officers. “Yas,” he said -“he bane daff an’ doomb. He say he bane shanghaied. He never bane sailor man -before.”</p> - -<p>“’Spect like enough he was shanghaied,” growled Cap’n Pem, “but we can’t -help that none. What we goin’ fer to do with him, Cap’n? Blow me if I ever run -afoul o’ a dummy han’ on a whaleship afore.”</p> - -<p>“He can work just as well if he is deaf and dumb,” replied Captain -Edwards.</p> - -<p>“Yes, but how’n tarnation’s he goin’ fer ter take orders?” exploded the old -whaleman. “’Twouldn’t do no harm if ev’ry one o’ the critters was dumb. Wish -t’ they was. But a deaf han’ ain’t worth nothin’. Dern the shark what shipped -him!”</p> - -<p>“Swanson,” called the skipper, “take charge of this man. You’re the only -one can talk to him. Teach him what you can and make him work at something, -sharpening spades and irons, or anything else.”</p> - -<p>No further incidents of note occurred during the day and the following -morning the boys came on deck to find the <em>Hector</em> out of sight of land -and rolling majestically to the long, blue swell of the ocean.</p> - -<p>“Reckon this is a purty good day to begin breakin’ in the greenies,” -remarked Cap’n Pem at breakfast. “Have the starboard boats cleared and ready -to lower, Mr. Kemp. It’s mighty good weather for breakin’ of ’em in to the -oars arter we’ve had a bit of a set-to with ’em in the riggin’.”</p> - -<p>When they reached the deck, Cap’n Pem had Mr. Kemp summon the green men -aft, and standing at the break of the poop, he gave them a short harangue on -what was expected of them.</p> - -<p>The boys felt really sorry for the men, for, with few exceptions, all were -deathly seasick, and terribly frightened at their surroundings. Every time the -bark rolled, they uttered doleful groans and clutched wildly at the nearest -backstay or shroud, and when the old whaleman spoke of going aloft and the -poor fellows glanced up at the soaring, lofty mastheads, their faces blanched -with terror.</p> - -<p>As Cap’n Pem finished speaking, the second mate ordered the men into the -rigging. For an instant, they stood hesitating, terrified at the mere thought -of climbing the ratlines rocking back and forth to the roll of the bark. But -as Mr. Kemp started towards them, a rope’s end in one hand and a belaying pin -in the other, the men fled before him, and flattening themselves against the -shrouds, crawled up for a few feet above the deck. Only two went further, the -pop-eyed youth who the boys had noticed and a huge, gorillalike negro, both of -whom ran nimbly to the to’gallant crosstrees and seated themselves as -comfortably as if they had been sailors all their lives.</p> - -<p>Only one man had remained on deck, a gray-headed old reprobate. “Here you!” -yelled Mr. Kemp with an oath, “Get aloft there and be durned quick about -it!”</p> - -<p>“Not a bit!” replied the old fellow insolently. “’Tis none av thim monkey -shines Oi’ll be afther tryin’, an’ me wid me wooden lig!”</p> - -<p>The second mate, who had started forward with belaying pin raised -threateningly, stopped short and dropped his arm. “Well I’ll be—,” he began -and then, turning, he shouted, “Mister Potter, here’s another of ’em—first a -dummy an’ next a timber leg! Them sharks must have thought we was a floatin’ -horspittel!”</p> - -<p>“What’s that ye’re sayin’?” shouted old Pem. “What’s this erbout a timber -leg?”</p> - -<p>“This old cove here,” explained the other, “says as how he can’t go aloft -cause he’s got a wooden leg.”</p> - -<p>Old Pem was fairly bristling. “Sojerin’!” he yelled. “Git erloft there, ye -ol’ bum!” and then, forgetting himself in his excitement, he added, “Ye ain’t -no more one-legged than I be!”</p> - -<p>“B’gorra Oi’d be hopin’ not,” burst out the other. “Faith, an’ Oi’d like to -see yez a shinnyin’ up thim ropes wid a lig like this, ye ould omathon!”</p> - -<p>As he spoke, he drew up his trouser leg and exhibited the artificial limb -beneath.</p> - -<p>“Sass me back, will ye!” roared the old whaleman, purple with rage. “By -blastarnation, ef ye wasn’t a cripple I’d skin ye alive!”</p> - -<p>“Cripple yerself,” shouted back the other. “Come down out of that an’ Oi’ll -lick the stuffin’ out av yez, ye ould shellback!”</p> - -<p>The boys fully expected to see Cap’n Pem dash down to the deck and rush at -the impudent old fellow, but instead, he suddenly doubled up and roared with -hearty laughter.</p> - -<p>“I’ll be keelhauled!” he cried. “Ef this isn’t the dod-gastedest crew what -ever sailed on a whale ship. Reckon misery loves comp’ny. Two timber-legs an’ -a dummy! Mr. Kemp, muster them hands aft an’ see how many more derelicts ye’ve -got ermong ’em.”</p> - -<p>Grinning at the comical scene they had just witnessed, the crew gathered -about and the second officer went over them one by one, questioning them, -pounding them on backs and chests, slapping their arms and legs and ordering -them to run and jump about, while, on the poop, the two boys and old Pem, as -well as the skipper, stood and watched the procedure with amusement. Presently -the second mate turned. “Here’s a chap with a glass eye,” he announced, -indicating a sallow-faced, little man, “but I guess t’others are all -sound.”</p> - -<p>“Reckon so long’s his other eye’s good he don’t matter,” said Pem. “Go on -with yer men, Mr. Kemp an’ put that one-legged ol’ shamrock to deck work till -we’re ready fer the boats. Mebbe he’ll do fer a shipkeeper anyhow.”</p> - -<p>For several hours, the “greenies” were kept on the jump, compelled to climb -the rigging to the topsail yards, taught the standing and running rigging, -made to understand what to do when an order was given. But while they were, as -Cap’n Pem had put it, “treated rough,” there was none of the real brutality -shown which the boys had expected from the tales they had heard and read of -whalers. Indeed, both Tom and Jim agreed that Mr. Kemp was wonderfully patient -and the few blows that were struck did not appear to trouble the tough crew in -the least. When Tom spoke of this to Captain Edwards the latter remarked that -such treatment as they were receiving was probably far gentler than anything -they had ever experienced before.</p> - -<p>Strangely enough too, the active work appeared completely to cure the men -of seasickness, while their first terror of going aloft was rapidly overcome, -although they still hugged the shrouds and held on with might and main -whenever the bark rolled.</p> - -<p>The boys were much amused at Cap’n Pem, for the old whaleman had painted -himself as a hard-fisted, slave-driving mate when at sea, whereas, in reality, -he was far easier on the men than the second officer, and several times he -cautioned the latter against using unnecessary violence.</p> - -<p>“This ’ere ain’t no ol’ time whaleship,” he cried. “I’ve seed a-plenty o’ -bulldozin’, bucko mates an’ I tell ye ’tain’t no use to smash a man up. Might -jes’ as well let ’em take their time a’ larnin’ as to spend it mendin’ of a -busted leg or stove-in head. Course, if any of ’em needs it, ye can give ’em a -good lickin’. They gotter know who’s boss, but we don’ want broken bones nor -murder.”</p> - -<p>At last, the second mate seemed satisfied with what he had accomplished and -ordered the topsail backed, and as the bark was hove-to and rested motionless -on the sea, the two starboard boats were lowered and the green hands were -ordered into them. Even the one-legged Irishman was compelled to embark, -although he protested vigorously. With two of the boat steerers in each boat -and with Mr. Kemp in charge of one and Cap’n Pem in the stern of the other, -the fun began. Not a man in the crowd, with the exception of the boy and the -big negro, both of whom had evidently served on ships before, had ever touched -or handled an oar in their lives. And when, under the orders of the two mates, -the fellows attempted to pick up and use the heavy ash oars, the result was so -comical that the two boys burst into peals of laughter and even Captain -Edwards chuckled. Constantly fouling one another’s oars, catching crabs, -losing their oars overboard and getting in one another’s way, the men -struggled valiantly and apparently thought it a regular lark. Indeed, after -their terrifying session with the rigging, their instruction in boat handling -must have seemed mere child’s play, and at each mishap the men roared and made -fun of each other. Moreover, the mates and boat steerers took the matter -good-naturedly, making biting and sarcastic remarks, but patiently striving to -teach their men how to row. Much to the boys’ surprise, the crowd of human -derelicts did wonderfully well, and after an hour’s work, managed to conquer -the oars sufficiently to keep fairly good time with their strokes and actually -to propel the big, thirty-foot whaleboats.</p> - -<p>Very soon the breeze freshened, a choppy sea began to rise and the boats -were hoisted to the big wooden davits, the yards were swung and the -<em>Hector</em> plunged onward through the deep-blue waves towards the distant -Azores.</p> - -<p>Thereafter, on every calm day, the boat drill was continued, and day after -day, the men were sent aloft and taught to furl and reef sails, to swing the -yards, to tail onto braces, sheets and halliards and to do the thousand and -one things necessary to the handling of a square-rigged vessel. Most of the -men learned rapidly, after they had once overcome their landsman’s dread of -going aloft, and while a few were so utterly lacking in intelligence that they -couldn’t learn the difference between a “main brace and a belaying pin,” as -Mr. Kemp put it, yet all learned to handle the boats and seemed to take keen -enjoyment in this part of the work, each boat’s crew constantly striving to -outdo the other and holding hard fought races whenever opportunity offered. -Moreover, the men had improved vastly in appearance. They had grown brown and -strong; their muscles had developed; they had discarded their dirty shore rags -for clean dungarees and went about lightly and surefootedly on newly acquired -“sea legs” in their bare feet. From the boat steerers and mates, they had -learned a number of chanteys and whalemen’s songs and whenever any work was -done, the deep bass of the big negro, Sam, could be heard leading the chorus -of some old-time, deep water chantey.</p> - -<p>A few days after they had dropped land from sight, the captain had a man -constantly perched on the topgallant crosstrees, keenly scanning the horizon, -and Cap’n Pem explained to the boys that they were likely at any time to sight -a sperm whale and that the skipper had no intention of letting one slip -by.</p> - -<p>“Sparm ’ile’s mighty high,” said the old man, “’an sperm’ceti’s higher an’ -t’ain’t no use a lettin’ good dollars slip by. ’Sides, this ere gang’s gotter -be taught whalin’ an’ the sooner the better.”</p> - -<p>The two boys also took turns at maintaining a lookout from the crosstrees, -each filled with hopes of being the first to sight a whale. But the days -slipped by, vast beds of yellow “sargassum” or “gulf weed” dotted the indigo -sea and the bark was rapidly approaching the islands and no sign of a whale -had been seen.</p> - -<p>Then, one day, as Tom swept his eyes about the vast circle of restless -water, he caught a glimpse of a faint, indistinct mist rising a few feet above -the sea, like the spray from a breaking wave. The next moment, a vast, black -object lifted for an instant in the trough of a sea and, at the top of his -lungs, Tom shouted: “There she blows!”</p> - -<p>Scarcely were the words uttered, when all was excitement below and Cap’n -Pem’s voice bellowed, “Where away?”</p> - -<p>“About three points on the port bow,” shouted Tom.</p> - -<p>Then followed a moment of breathless waiting, with all eyes strained in the -direction Tom had indicated, until once more the tiny column of vapor rose in -air and the whale’s flukes showed for a brief moment before he sounded.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-iv-a-narrow-escape">CHAPTER IV<br />A NARROW ESCAPE</h2> -</div> - -<p>No sooner had the whale been sighted than all was bustle and hurry. Orders -rang out sharply and rapidly; the men sprang to their tasks; the great yards -swung and the bark was hove-to; and, in an incredibly short space of time, two -boats had been lowered and were fairly racing across the waves, propelled by -the five huge oars in each.</p> - -<p>The two boys were woefully disappointed at not being allowed in the boats; -but they realized that they would only be in the way, and that in the serious -and dangerous attack on the whale, they had no place. From their perch on the -crosstrees, however, they had a splendid view of all that was going on, and -watched, fascinated, as the boats rapidly drew near the whale which was now -swimming lazily along the surface of the sea. Presently, the boys saw the -Portuguese boat steerer in Cap’n Pem’s boat, draw in his oar and step to the -bow of the boat where, with hair tossing in the wind and naked to the waist, -he stood with the heavy harpoon, or “iron,” poised and ready to strike. To the -waiting boys it seemed as if the boat was about to bump into the immense, -black bulk of the whale which rose, like the bottom of a capsized ship, far -above the tiny boat. Closer and closer drew the little craft, the boys with -bated breath watching every move and expecting each instant to see the iron -dart forward and bury itself in the monster, when, without warning, the -enormous flukes rose high in air, the whale disappeared in a boil of green and -white foam, and with a crash that reached the boys’ ears, the mighty flukes -struck the sea and hid the boat in a shower of spray.</p> - -<p>“Sounded, by gum!” shouted Captain Edwards from the poop.</p> - -<p>“Yah, he bane sound!” echoed the cooper. “But aye tank Mr. Potter bane get -him yust da same.”</p> - -<p>The two boats now rested motionless, waiting for the reappearance of the -whale, every man with bent back ready to give way the instant their quarry -“breached”; the boat steerers in the bows standing like bronze statues, and -old Cap’n Pem in one boat and the second mate in the other grasping their -enormous steering oars and peering intently ahead. Even before the boys saw -the faint column of vapor that marked the rising whale, they saw the mate’s -boat leap forward, and as the bulk of the creature’s body broke through the -water, the iron flashed forward and buried itself in the whale’s side.</p> - -<p>“Fast!” yelled the captain.</p> - -<p>Instantly, the boat steerer sprang back, Cap’n Pem dropped his oar and -scrambled nimbly forward, the boat steerer seized the oar and took the mate’s -place and old Cap’n Pem crouched in the bow.</p> - -<p>Then commenced such an exciting scene as the boys had never dreamed of. -Hardly had the two men changed places in the boat when the whale threw himself -bodily from the sea, a veritable giant of a creature, snapping his enormous -jaws together as he did so, and the next second he was off like an express -train, while behind him, the frail boat tore through the sea in a cloud of -foam as it was hurtled by the terrified mountain of flesh to which it was -fast. Straight away the huge creature sped, until the boat was a mere speck -upon the horizon.</p> - -<p>“Keep ’em in sight, lads! Keep ’em in sight!” yelled Captain Edwards, and -leaping to the shrouds, he climbed quickly aloft and stood beside them on the -crosstrees.</p> - -<p>“Sounded again!” he exclaimed presently, and then, “headin’ this way!” -Rapidly now the boat increased in size with the threshing flukes of the -cetacean now and then visible, and headed apparently directly for the -<em>Hector</em>.</p> - -<p>As he approached the other whaleboat, the men bent to their oars, the craft -leaped towards the stricken whale and as he rushed by, within a score of feet -another iron was hurled and with both boats fast the whale sped on. But the -second iron from Mr. Kemp’s boat had turned him in his mad course and he tore -past the stern of the <em>Hector</em> within fifty feet—so close, in fact, -that the boys could see the expressions on the men’s faces, could see the gear -within the boats and caught the sound of Cap’n Pem’s shout as the gallant old -whaleman waved a hand and yelled up to them.</p> - -<p>“Derned near rammed us!” exclaimed the skipper. “Would have if Kemp hadn’t -struck and turned him!”</p> - -<p>Scarcely had he spoken when, so suddenly that the two boats overran the -spot where he had been an instant before, the whale sounded and as the line -rushed out through the bow-chock until it smoked, the tub-oarsmen doused it -with water and Cap’n Pem and the second mate seized the ever-ready hatchets -and held them poised to cut the lines in case of need. Everything now was -taking place close to the ship and the watchers on the crosstrees seemed to -look directly down into the two boats. Fathom after fathom of the line whirred -over the boat’s bows as the whale dived straight for the ocean bottom and it -seemed as if the whole three hundred fathoms in each boat would be exhausted -ere the creature ceased sounding.</p> - -<p>Then, to the watchers’ ears, came Cap’n Pem’s shout of “haul line!” and -rapidly as hands could work, the dripping hemp was drawn in and coiled in its -tub, and the boys, realizing the whale was coming up, watched breathlessly for -his appearance. Suddenly he breached so close to the ship that, as he spouted, -the spray drifted across the bark’s decks and the vessel rolled to the wave he -created as he reared his gigantic head far above the sea and brought it -crashing down. Then for a space, he lay quiet, and silently and cautiously the -mate’s boat drew closer and closer to the monster and the boys held their -breath as they saw Cap’n Pem grasp the long, keen lance and they realized that -the old whaleman, disdaining new-fangled methods, planned to kill the whale by -the old-fashioned lance which must actually be shoved into the animal’s -side.</p> - -<p>“Dern him!” whispered the captain. “Why don’t the old fool use the bomb -lance? Does he want to be stove?”</p> - -<p>Now the frail boat was within a few feet of the wounded whale. Cap’n Pem -straightened up, grasped the lance firmly, braced himself, leaned slightly -forward and, with a sudden lurch and a grunt which was audible to those on the -bark, he drove the long-bladed lance deep into the creature’s side. Instantly, -with a sweep of the oars, the boat darted back, and not a second too soon. -Lashing the waves into a churning, boiling, seething mass of froth and foam, -spouting blood which reddened the sea, lifting his great flukes and smashing -them down in thunderous crashes, rearing his stupendous head and dropping it -like a falling house, snapping, biting, sweeping to right and left with his -immense jaw with its row of gleaming teeth, the whale went into his death -flurry. Dodging the sweeps of his flukes, escaping by a hair’s breadth the -terrible jaws, tossed about like chips on the crimson waves raised by the -writhing titan beside them, the boats’ crews strove like madmen to preserve -their lives and boats, while the skipper shouted and screamed from the -crosstrees. The boys’ hearts beat like trip-hammers and the men on deck yelled -in excitement. Then, with a final, convulsive shudder, the gigantic creature -rolled over and lay still. From the boat came the glad, triumphant cry of “Fin -out!” the whale was dead. Grabbing his old cap from his head, Cap’n Pem looked -up and waved it towards the captain and the boys in the crosstrees, his -features flushed with excitement and victory, a broad grin on his face.</p> - -<p>“Reckon I ain’t fergot how ter kill a whale, eh, boys!” he shouted. “Ain’t -had so much sport fer twenty year!”</p> - -<p>The excitement was now over, and climbing down from their lofty perch, the -boys went to the bark’s starboard rail and watched the process of getting the -dead whale alongside. Quickly and deftly the two boats’ crews worked, getting -a chain around the dead whale’s flukes, while, aboard the bark, spades and -blubber hooks, hoisting tackle, cutting tackle and the other appliances for -cutting in the whale were being made ready. The carpenter and his assistants -were busy rigging the cutting stage to be slung under the ship’s gangway. The -huge kettles for boiling the blubber were brought out, shavings and wood were -placed in the try works ready for firing, and by the time the carcass of the -whale was alongside, everything was in readiness for cutting in the blubber. -Leaping onto the whale, one of the boat steerers quickly cut a hole in the -blubber between the whale’s eye and his fin and in this, inserted a huge, iron -hook attached to a tackle which led up to the mast. Then, standing upon the -cutting stage, the men, armed with their long-handled spades, prepared to -start the work. At this moment, the deaf mute, who had been sent aloft to -clear the tackle, came down the shrouds with a rush, and unceremoniously -yanking the busy Swanson from his work, whirled him about and began -gesticulating wildly.</p> - -<p>“Hi there!” yelled Cap’n Pem. “Get that dumb fool outer here. What’s he a -thinkin’ on?”</p> - -<p>“Yaas, sir,” replied the big Swede. “He say dere bane whale yust off der -quvarter.”</p> - -<p>“He does!” exclaimed the mate. “Run aloft, Mr. Kemp, an’ see if he knows -what he’s a-talkin’ erbout.”</p> - -<p>Reaching the crosstrees, the second officer glanced rapidly around and the -next instant his startled shout caused every one to drop work and tools and -scramble to the decks.</p> - -<p>“Whale!” screamed Mr. Kemp. “It’s a German sub!”</p> - -<p>With anxious faces the crew scrambled up the rigging, striving to get a -glimpse of the U-boat while the boys and Cap’n Pem rushed to the after deck -where Captain Edwards already stood, searching the sea with his glasses.</p> - -<p>For a space the boys could see nothing and then Jim’s sharp eyes caught the -slender periscope of the underseas boat and the tiny trail of white behind -it.</p> - -<p>“There ’tis, Tom! Look! Just beside that big patch of weed!” he cried.</p> - -<p>“Dern their dirty hides!” exclaimed old Pem. “Fetch me a bomb lance, boys. -I’ll show ’em!”</p> - -<p>“No!” commanded the captain, “we can do nothing. Possibly they may spare us -if they see we are a whaleship and have no oil aboard. Get the other boats -over, Mr. Potter. If we’re sunk we have enough boats to save all hands, thank -Heaven.”</p> - -<p>Turning, the mate bawled the orders to the crew, and, badly frightened as -they were, and realizing their helplessness, the men flew about the work of -getting more boats in the water. Meanwhile, the submarine had gradually -emerged from the water and now floated with her deck awash, and her conning -tower and superstructure well above the sea. Presently, from a hatchway, a -uniformed figure appeared, stared at the <em>Hector</em> through his glasses -for a space and raised a megaphone to his lips. Then, thin but clear across -the intervening sea, the anxious watchers on the bark heard the fateful words, -“Take to your poats! We’re apout to sink dot shib!”</p> - -<p>Panic-stricken, the crew rushed to the waiting whaleboats and commenced to -pile into them, the Portuguese and negroes leading, and all fighting and -striking in a mad attempt to be first to reach a place of safety, for, while -fearless in attacking the giants of the seas and cheerfully facing death a -dozen times a day in the pursuit of their calling, yet these men were -terrified out of all reason at the thought of being blown to atoms by a -torpedo. There were more than enough boats for all, but like frightened sheep, -the men all dashed for one boat. Hurrying to the deck, the captain and mates -strove to restore order, shouting, and threatening, but all to no avail. The -men were insane with terror. And then, suddenly, a wild figure sprang among -them, gray hair flying, eyes blazing, a boarding-knife in one hand, a heavy -iron bar in the other.</p> - -<p>It was the one-legged Irishman, and before his impetuous onslaught the -crowd fell back.</p> - -<p>“Wan at a toime, ye spalpeens!” he screeched. “Take it aisy now! B’gorra -ye’re a foine bunch! Shure there’s enough boats an’ to sphare! Tumble into -thim in order now—six in aich, mind ye, an’ Oi’ll shtick the furst thot -rushes! Howly St. Pathrick, but it’s foine cowards, yez arre! Shure ’tis no -sinse ye have, at all, at all!”</p> - -<p>Presently the boats were manned, the doughty little Irishman clambered into -one with the two boys and Cap’n Pem at his heels. Mr. Kemp took his place in -another and Captain Edwards, last to leave the bark, leaped into the third as -painters were cast loose and the men bent to their oars. Scarcely had they -taken a dozen strokes from the doomed ship when there was a deafening -explosion. An upleaping mountain of water enveloped the <em>Hector</em>, and -the next moment the boats were almost swamped in a descending avalanche of -water, blood, flesh and blubber.</p> - -<p>Frightened, dazed, choking and spluttering the boys looked about. Rocking -to the force of the explosion, with water pouring in cataracts from her -scuppers, but apparently unhurt, the bark towered above the sea.</p> - -<p>“Well I’ll be—,” began Cap’n Pem, but his words were cut in twain by a -shout from Mr. Kemp.</p> - -<p>“Destroyer a-comin’!” he yelled.</p> - -<p>Instantly, all eyes were turned from the bark to where, half-hidden by the -great bow-wave thrown up by her passage, and with black smoke belching from -her four funnels, a lean, gray destroyer came tearing through the sea. Leaping -to their feet, tossing hats in air, waving their ponderous oars, the men -cheered wildly and then, realizing that the <em>Hector</em> was still afloat -and that all danger from the submarine was over, they swung their craft about -and pulled madly back to their ship. Even before they had gained the bark’s -side they were tossing on the wake of the rushing destroyer, and, in rapid -succession, came the heavy detonations of her depth-bombs.</p> - -<p>Clambering over the <em>Hector’s</em> side, the boys and men gazed about in -amazement, for the moment utterly at a loss to understand by what miracle the -ship was still afloat. Then, rushing to the gangway, old Cap’n Pem gave one -glance over the side and let out a lusty shout. “Well, I’ll be blowed!” he -yelled. “I’ll everlastin’ly be keelhauled! Derned if that critter didn’t save -the ship! They jes’ blowed the whale to smithereens!”</p> - -<p>Every one hurried to his side and peered over. It was perfectly true. The -torpedo had struck the whale, blowing it into a thousand fragments, scattering -blubber, flesh and blood over decks, sails and sea, but leaving the bark -uninjured. The mountain of meat and bone had saved the ship! As they stood -speechless, awed into silence by the miraculous escape of the bark, no one -noticed the destroyer, which had drawn near, until a hail from her bridge -reached their ears.</p> - -<p>“Bark ahoy!” shouted an officer. “Shall we stand by? Are you badly -injured?”</p> - -<p>Captain Edwards cupped his hands and was about to reply, but before he -could speak old Pem sprang onto the rail, and grasping a backstay with one -hand shook his fist at the spot where he had last seen the submarine. “No!” he -roared. “No, by heck! We ain’t hurt none, but them sneakin’ thieves jes’ -robbed us out o’ a hund’ed bar’ls o’ ’ile!”</p> - -<p>The tension was broken, every one roared with laughter and even the -destroyer’s officers shook with mirth at the old whaleman’s words.</p> - -<p>“Did you get the sub?” shouted Captain Edwards when the merriment -subsided.</p> - -<p>“Can’t be sure,” came back the answer. “There’s so darned much whale oil on -the water, there’s no way to tell. The sea’s slicked with grease for half a -mile round. Want us to convoy you to Fayal?”</p> - -<p>“Guess not,” yelled back the skipper. “Reckon you scared ’em off if you -didn’t get ’em. Guess we’ll risk it.”</p> - -<p>“All right, then,” replied the other. “Better not loaf about after whales, -though. Two or three subs about and you’re easy game hove-to. Good luck!”</p> - -<p>A moment later, the destroyer was tearing towards the west, and by the time -the <em>Hector’s</em> yards were squared and she was once more on her course, -a mere smudge on the horizon was all that marked the little craft which had -arrived on the scene in the nick of time.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-v-strange-visitors">CHAPTER V<br />STRANGE VISITORS</h2> -</div> - -<p>Four days after their exciting experience with the U-boat the boys saw the -hazy blue mountains of the Azores looming above the horizon, and all through -the day they watched with intense interest as the beautiful panorama of the -islands was spread before them. But the winds were light and baffling in the -lee of the land, and it was daylight the next morning when, at last, the bark -dropped anchor in the harbor of Fayal. Here, Captain Edwards was to take on -fresh vegetables and fruits, and he hoped also to obtain additional men, for -while he had enough for ordinary whaling it was his intention to land parties -on several of the far southern islands and to have enough to insure a large -catch of sea elephants and a full cargo of oil as quickly as possible, in -order that he might return to New Bedford while the high price of oil still -prevailed.</p> - -<p>As the bark was to be in port several days, the two boys had a splendid -opportunity to see the town and the island, and as soon as the port -formalities were over, they were pulled ashore in one of the boats with Cap’n -Pem accompanying them.</p> - -<p>It took some little time for Tom and Jim to become accustomed to the -feeling of solid ground under their feet once more, and both were highly -amused at the strange sensations they underwent as they walked up the quaint, -old street leading from the quay. After many days of constantly pitching and -rolling decks, which had become so familiar to them that they seemed perfectly -natural and steady, the two boys were surprised to find that the street -appeared to roll and toss, and they staggered along like drunken men. Cap’n -Pem remarked that they had not got their “land legs” yet and he vowed that -many a time, after a long voyage, he had been deathly “land-sick” when he -first went ashore.</p> - -<p>The picturesque town, with its old world buildings, narrow, steep streets, -jutting balconies and brilliant color, fascinated the boys who had never -before been away from the States, and they grew wildly excited over the -feathery, waving palms, the luscious tropical fruits and the many strange -sights which greeted them at every turn. Cap’n Pem, who had visited the -islands many times, showed them all the sights about the town and took them on -a long jaunt through the lovely island with its neatly kept fruit orchards and -gardens, its lofty green mountains, its tumbling cataracts and its rich -valleys. Then, at last, the time came to leave, and with a dozen more men -added to the crew and with an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, live -poultry and sheep and with every available cask filled with fresh, spring -water, the <em>Hector’s</em> anchor was weighed, the great white sails were -spread and the bark quickly dropped Fayal astern.</p> - -<p>Heeling to the fresh trade wind, with every sail set, with a smother of -foam sweeping past her lee rail and a turquoise wake stretching far astern, -the gallant old ship plunged southward, burying her staunch, bluff bows to the -catheads in the blue sea, shaking tons of water from her streaming decks as -she lifted to the long Atlantic rollers; every sheet, brace and sail straining -and her taut rigging humming like harp strings.</p> - -<p>“Like ter see one o’ them derned submarines cotch us now!” chuckled old -Pem, as the boys, fascinated by the sight, gazed alternately at the great -pyramids of canvas and the swiftly passing foam to leeward.</p> - -<p>“What’s she making!” asked Tom.</p> - -<p>The old whaleman glanced aloft and then astern. “Reckon ’bout ten knots,” -he replied.</p> - -<p>“And a sub can make over twenty,” laughed Jim. “I hope we don’t see -one.”</p> - -<p>“Wall, o’ course I ’spose they <em>could</em> cotch us,” admitted old Pem, -“but I’ll be blowed if I don’t wisht I’d tried a bomb lance on that there chap -back there. Bet I could a-fetched him! Reckon them boats ain’t no tougher than -a bull sparm whale.”</p> - -<p>“Next time we see one we’ll ask Captain Edwards to lower a boat and let you -tackle it with an iron and a lance,” laughed Tom, “but I’ll bet you won’t get -a boat’s crew to go with you.”</p> - -<p>“Jes’ the same,” argued the old whaleman, “ye got ter admit I saved the -ship. Ef I hadn’t a killed that there whale an’ got him ’longside where’d we -been, eh?”</p> - -<p>Captain Edwards, who had approached unseen, laughed. “I expect one-legged -Mike would claim he saved us,” he remarked. “At any rate, he showed the stuff -that’s in him and that he can handle men. I’m going to make him bo’sun.”</p> - -<p>Cap’n Pem scratched his head. “Derned if I ever heard tell o’ a one-legged -bo’sun,” he declared. “Jes’ the same, I never heard tell o’ a peg-legged mate -afore, neither. Reckon ye might as well keep it up. Sort o’ got the habit I -reckon.”</p> - -<p>Day after day, the wind held steady and the bark tore on under full sail -with never a hand laid to sheet, brace or tackle, and day after day, the -drilling of the men continued, until it seemed to the boys that there could be -nothing more for them to learn. They had been taught the running and standing -rigging; they had been forced aloft until all but one or two could straddle -the royal yards or cling to the swaying, heaving footropes “with their toe -nails” as Mr. Kemp put it; and when all this had been mastered, they were kept -busy at splicing, making chafing-gear, serving and parcelling, taring down and -a thousand and one other jobs on deck. And in this work, the wooden-legged -bo’sun, Mike, proved himself invaluable. For while he could not go aloft, yet, -he seemed to know everything else about a ship even better than old Pem -himself. Then one day, the truth came out, and while talking with the boys, -for whom he had developed a great fondness, he divulged the fact that for many -years he had served in the navy, and that he had lost his leg in the battle of -Manila on Admiral Dewey’s flagship.</p> - -<p>“Knowed he was a sailor man all the time,” declared Cap’n Pem when the boys -told him the news. “Couldn’t fool me! Jes’ as soon’s I seed him grab a han’ -spike, I knowed it.”</p> - -<p>“Well, what’s dumb Pete?” laughed Jim, “and one-eyed Ned? I suppose you’ll -say you knew they were sailors, too!”</p> - -<p>“Nope,” chuckled the old whaleman, “never will be. Dunno what Pete wuz, but -he’s a fust class blacksmith now. Reckon Ned wuz a sojer.”</p> - -<p>Several times, whales were sighted and boats were lowered in chase, for the -<em>Hector</em> was out of the track of regular trade and the captain had -little fear of meeting hostile U-boats, but luck seemed to be against the -whalemen and no catch was made.</p> - -<p>“Ain’t a mite s’prised ’ile’s so high,” declared Cap’n Pem. “Never did see -sparm whales so skittish—git gallied soon’s we lower away. Reckon they’re -skeered o’ the war.”</p> - -<p>“Been shot at too much,” vouchsafed Mr. Kemp. “Every chaser an’ destroyer -that sighted a whale took pot shots at ’em, thinkin’ they might be subs.”</p> - -<p>But whatever the reason, the whales proved so universally shy that at last -the skipper vowed he’d not lower for another, even if it scratched its back -against the bark’s planking, and gave all his attention to hurrying towards -his distant goal.</p> - -<p>The Cape Verde Islands had been left far astern, the bark for several days -had been drifting almost motionless upon a polished, oil-like sea with idle -sails flapping and tackles creaking as the ship rolled to an invisible swell, -and the boys’ observations told them they were nearing the equator. Then one -morning, they noticed that something mysterious was going on among the crew. -They gathered in little knots and conversed in low tones and more than once -the men approached Mr. Kemp, or the one-legged bo’sun, and after a few words, -went away grinning.</p> - -<p>“What are the men up to?” Tom asked their old friend, Cap’n Pem. “If they -weren’t so good-natured and didn’t talk to Mr. Kemp and old Mike I’d think -they were planning a mutiny.”</p> - -<p>The old whaleman chuckled. “Don’t ye go askin’ too many questions,” he -replied. “Reckon ye’ll know long ’bout day arter to-morrer.” And despite -teasing and questioning, the old man refused to say anything more. The boys -then turned their attention to the bo’sun and Mr. Kemp, but with no better -results, and every time they started to go forward Cap’n Pem or the second -mate found some reason for calling them aft.</p> - -<p>They were still wondering about it, and watching the crew from the break of -the after deck, two days later, when muffled cries and grunts were heard and -the crew rushed forward and peered over the rail. The next moment, a weird -figure appeared clambering up the bark’s side as if he had just emerged from -the sea. A long, tow-colored beard descended to his waist, his long hair fell -over his shoulders, his blue togalike gown was dripping water and covered with -bits of seaweed, while upon his head was a golden crown and in one hand he -held a three-pronged spear.</p> - -<p>“Gosh!” exclaimed Jim. “Who on earth is that?”</p> - -<p>“Derned if ’tain’t old Father Neptune hisself!” cried Cap’n Pem who stood -near. “Reckon he’s come aboard ter ’nitiate ev’ry one what’s never crossed the -line afore.”</p> - -<p>Following close at Neptune’s heels came two other figures, one, a huge -black man bearing an immense wooden razor, the other dressed as a woman -wearing a crown and carrying a trident. Surrounded by the crew Neptune -approached the after deck, where Captain Edwards had now joined the boys and -the mates, and addressing the skipper, declared that he had come aboard to -initiate those who never before had crossed the equator, and asked the -captain’s permission to proceed with the ceremony. While he was speaking, a -number of men had appeared, all dressed in grotesque costumes, and had placed -a huge tub of water, a chair and a pail on the deck. Immediately the fun -began. Seizing one of those who stood nearest, two of Neptune’s retinue -dragged him to the chair and held him firmly in place despite his struggles, -while a third liberally plastered his face with the thick flour paste from the -pail. Then the negro with the razor stepped forward and with slashing strokes, -“shaved” the protesting initiate, whereupon his chair was abruptly tipped up -and he was tumbled headlong into the tub of water.</p> - -<p>Every one roared with laughter, in which the spluttering victim joined, and -Neptune’s assistants started for the next man. But the crew were now prepared -and ran and dodged about the decks and up the rigging until one slipped and -fell, to be immediately pounced upon and carried to the “barber.” With all -their attention centered on the comical sight and almost choking with -laughter, the boys had failed to notice two men who had stealthily approached, -until they were suddenly grabbed, and with loud shouts of glee from their -captors, were carried to the deck.</p> - -<p>They had already noticed that those who protested and struggled the most -received the greatest attention from the barber and so, wisely deciding to -make the best of it and take their turns good naturedly, they submitted -without resistance. Partly owing to this, and partly to the fact that they -were mere boys and belonged aft, they were treated to a mere dab of the paste -brush and a single stroke of the razor and were carefully ducked only to their -ears in the tub.</p> - -<p>As nearly all members of the crew were “greenies” who had never been to sea -before, it took several hours to capture and initiate all, but at last it was -over and Neptune’s “daughter” handed each one a card bearing the name of the -bark and the date, and certifying that the holder had been duly initiated and -enrolled by Father Neptune.</p> - -<p>Captain Edwards then ordered refreshments served all around, the decks were -cleared, and throughout the day, the men frolicked and skylarked to their -hearts’ content while those on the after deck roared with laughter at their -antics or applauded vigorously as some one started a chantey or a whaleman’s -song to the music of a violin and a concertina with all hands joining in the -chorus. The boys vowed it was as good as any vaudeville show they had ever -seen. Even Captain Edwards dropped his accustomed dignity and gravity to join -in the hilarity, and calling to the mate, cried out, “Give ’em a real good -whaleman’s song, Pem. Fun’s over at eight bells and it’s pretty near that -now.”</p> - -<p>“Blowed ef I will,” replied Cap’n Pem. “Ain’t sang a derned word fer years. -Give ’em one yerself Hen.”</p> - -<p>“All right, Pem,” laughed the skipper, “I’ll give ’em one if you’ll give -’em another. That’s fair. Go ahead, Pem, yours first.”</p> - -<p>“Wall,” muttered the old whaleman, “reckon ef the Cap’n tells me to, I’ve -gotter do it.” Walking to the break of the deck, he raised his hand, cleared -his throat and commenced to roar out the words of a famous old whaling song. -Instantly the men were hushed and motionless, listening to his deep, bass -voice as he sang:</p> - -<div class='poetry'> -<p>Come, all ye bold seamen who are cruising for sparm.<br /> -Come, all ye jolly, bold seamen that have rounded Cape Horn,<br /> -For our cap’n has told us, an’ we hope he says true,<br /> -That there’s plenty o’ sparm whales on the coast o’ Peru.</p> - -<p>The first whale that we raised, it was late in the day,<br /> -Which caused our bol’ cap’n these kind words to say,<br /> -“Get ye down to your hammocks an’ there quietly lay.<br /> -We’ll raise him in the mornin’ at break o’ the day.”</p> - -<p>’Twas early next mornin’ just as the sun rose,<br /> -That a man at the masthead sung out, “Thar she blows!”<br /> -“Where away?” shouts the skipper, an’ the answer from aloft,<br /> -“Three p’ints on the lee bow an’ ’bout three mile off.”</p> - -<p>“Then call up all han’s and be o’ good cheer,<br /> -Get your lines in your boats an’ your tackle-falls clear.<br /> -Hoist an’ swing fore and aft, stan’ by each boat’s crew,<br /> -Lower away, lower away, when the mainyard swings to.”</p> - -<p>Now the cap’n is fast an’ the whale has gone down,<br /> -An’ the chief mate lies waitin’ his line to bend on.<br /> -Now the whale has come up, like a log he did lay.<br /> -It can never be said that he gave us fair play.</p> -</div> - -<p>Amid the uproarious applause that followed, Cap’n Pem beat a hasty retreat -and the Captain rose and stepped forward.</p> - -<p>“My turn now, boys,” he shouted, “and then the fun’s over,” and with his -words ringing far across the silent tropic sea, he sang:</p> - -<div class='poetry'> -<p>’Twas a love of adventure and a longing for gold,<br /> -And a hardened desire to roam,<br /> -Tempted me far away o’er the watery world,<br /> -Far away from my kindred and home.</p> - -<p>With a storm-beaten cap’n so fearless and bold,<br /> -And a score of brave fellows or two,<br /> -Far away to the hardships, the hunger and cold,<br /> -Sailed this fearless and jovial crew.</p> - -<p>Have you ever cruised on Diego’s bold shores,<br /> -That are washed by the Antarctic wave?<br /> -Where the white-pluméd albatross merrily soars<br /> -O’er many a poor whaler’s grave?</p> - -<p>Did you ever hear tell of that mighty sperm whale,<br /> -That when boldly attacked in his lair,<br /> -With one sweep of his mighty and ponderous tail<br /> -Sends the whaleboat so high in the air?</p> - -<p>Did you ever join in those heart-wringing cheers,<br /> -With your face turned towards Heaven’s blue dome<br /> -As laden with riches you purchased so dear<br /> -You hoisted your topsails,—bound home?</p> -</div> - -<p>Deafening were the hand clappings and shouts of approval that followed, and -then, as the eight silvery notes of the bell pealed out across the waves the -one-legged bo’sun leaped forward.</p> - -<p>“Three cheers for the foinest cap’n phwat iver sailed a whaleship!” he -cried. Rousing were the huzzas that followed, and once again the Irishman -raised his voice. “An’ three more for our fri’nd Misther Potter phwat saved -the barrk—a foine, brave whaleman aven if he has a wooden lig! An’ three -toimes three fer Misther Kemp, phwat makes ye into foine sailor min—aiven if -he bates the loife out o’ yez to do it. An’ three more for thim b’yes—the -foine thurrd an’ fourth mates!”</p> - -<p>“And now, men, three times three for the <em>Hector</em>, a full cargo and -a short voyage!” cried the skipper, as the lusty cheers died down. And never -were more heartfelt hurrahs heard upon a whaler than those which responded to -his words.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-vi-an-island-quite-out-of-the-world">CHAPTER VI<br />AN ISLAND QUITE OUT OF THE WORLD</h2> -</div> - -<p>Apparently Father Neptune was anxious to show his appreciation of the -welcome he had received on the <em>Hector</em>, for the day after his -appearance, a light breeze sprang up. Taking advantage of every catspaw, under -a perfect cloud of canvas and with stunsails set, the bark slipped through the -calm sea and out of the doldrums into the southern trade winds. Then, once -more, she bowled along on her long run to Tristan da Cunha, her next stop. -Although the boys had left New Bedford in the autumn, they now found that it -was spring south of the equator and the captain explained to them that he -hoped to reach the South Shetlands in time to fill up with oil during the -short Antarctic summer, and leave for the north before winter set in.</p> - -<p>The days passed by uneventfully, but ever with something new or unusual to -interest the two boys. Daily they saw strange birds; long-tailed white -“bo’sun” birds, boobies and “Mother Carey’s chickens” and many another. Cap’n -Pem told them that the “bo’suns” were unlucky and if one alighted on the ship -it meant a death aboard, but that the Mother Carey’s chickens were good -omens.</p> - -<p>“Stormy petrels, some calls ’em,” said the old whaleman. “Ye can’t git a -sailor ter hurt ’em fer love o’ money, but I reckon ef ye’d like ter see one -of ’em clost to, ’twon’t do no harm fer me ter ketch some o’ the chicks an’ -let ’em go again.”</p> - -<p>“Catch them!” exclaimed Tom. “How can you catch one of those birds?”</p> - -<p>“Easy as is,” replied Pem. “Jes’ run down an’ fetch me up a reel o’ black -thread an’ a couple o’ ol’ corks an I’ll show ye.”</p> - -<p>Tying each cork to a piece of thread, the old whaleman cast them over the -stern and let out about a hundred feet of thread to each of the corks dancing -in the bark’s wake where the petrels were flitting constantly back and forth. -Scarcely had he done so, before one of the birds became entangled in a thread -and, at its shrill cries of alarm, its comrades hurried towards it and in a -moment several of the birds were hopelessly entangled. Rapidly pulling in the -threads, the old man placed the frightened but unhurt birds upon the deck.</p> - -<p>“There ye be,” he chuckled as he disengaged the thread from their wings and -legs. “New kind o’ fishin’, eh?”</p> - -<p>“It’s the funniest way of catching birds I ever saw,” declared Tom. “Oh, -look out! They’ll get away!”</p> - -<p>“Don’ worry ’bout that,” laughed Cap’n Pem. “The chicks can’t fly offen a -level deck, ’ceptin’ they get a start by rollin’. Legs is too weak ter hol’ -’em up.”</p> - -<p>Much to the boys’ surprise, they found that this was a fact, and that the -petrels were practically helpless on the deck until the ship lurched or rolled -and gave them an opportunity to rise. The birds seemed very tame and -unsuspicious and greedily snapped up and devoured bits of food offered them. -After playing with them for a time, the boys tossed them into the air and, an -instant later, they were flitting back and forth with their fellows as if -nothing had happened.</p> - -<p>The next day, the boys were preparing to take their observations when an -exclamation from the helmsman caused them to look up just in time to see one -of the long-tailed “bo’sun birds” fluttering about the mizzen crosstrees as if -about to alight.</p> - -<p>“Eet mean some one he die!” exclaimed the Portuguese at the wheel. Taking -one hand from the wheel he hastily crossed himself.</p> - -<p>“Shet up, you!” exploded Cap’n Pem, and then, anxiously, “Mebbe ’twon’t -light. Bad luck if he does, dern him!”</p> - -<p>By now, every one on the ship was watching the hovering bird; the greenies, -curiously; the seamen, with fear expressed on their faces, while even Captain -Edwards looked more troubled and serious than the boys had ever before seen -him.</p> - -<p>The eyes of the big negro sailor rolled wildly; the pop-eyed boy’s eyes -seemed about to burst from his head; the Irishman, Mike, was nervously -hitching up his trousers and frowning at the beautiful bird and the Swedish -carpenter was holding his crossed fingers in air as if invoking a charm. Not a -word was spoken as every eye was fixed upon the innocent creature seeking a -spot to rest and when, an instant later, it settled gently upon a ratline and -commenced to preen its snowy feathers, a great sigh rose in unison from a -score of hairy throats.</p> - -<p>“Bad luck for us!” ejaculated Cap’n Pem decisively. “Never knowed it to -fail!”</p> - -<p>“Mebbe nothin’ more’n bad weather,” commented Mr. Kemp optimistically.</p> - -<p>Captain Edwards shook his head and said nothing, while, on deck, the crew -conversed in hushed but earnest tones and glanced apprehensively at the -resting bird. Then, as the boys resumed their interrupted observations and the -eight strokes of the bell pealed out, the bird lifted its white wings, soared -from its perch and was soon out of sight.</p> - -<p>“Wusser an’ wusser!” prophesied Cap’n Pem lugubriously. “Bet ye we don’t -get no ’ile or a man goes overboard or suthin’ serious happens. Lef’ at eight -bells too—that’s the time it’s goin’ ter happen! Reckon I oughn’t a cotched -them chicks yisterday!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, come, Cap’n Pem!” laughed Tom. “You don’t really believe that, do -you?”</p> - -<p>The old whaleman looked at him a moment frowning.</p> - -<p>“’Course I does!” he snorted. “Ask Mike or any o’ the crew!” Still -muttering he stumped off. In a few hours, however, the incident seemed to have -been forgotten and no one mentioned it again.</p> - -<p>A few days later, the boys saw a school of huge black and white creatures -with enormous fins upon their backs which they thought were some sort of -whale.</p> - -<p>“Killers,” said Mr. Kemp, when the boys pointed them out. “Kind of a -po’poise, or grampus or whale, I dunno which, and jes’ about the all-firedest -savage critters there is. I’ve seed ’em tackle a bull whale an’ tear him all -to bits right afore my eyes. That’s why we call ’em killers,—’cause they kill -an’ eat whales.”</p> - -<p>But despite a sharp lookout that was maintained, no whales were sighted and -the bark kept steadily on her course. Then, one day, the boys saw an enormous -white bird sailing towards them close to the surface of the sea. It was the -first albatross, and with fascinated eyes the boys watched it, as with -motionless wings, fully ten feet from tip to tip, the beautiful creature -sailed along in the bark’s wake, skimming the crests of the waves, swinging to -right and left, dipping down to pick up some bit of offal thrown overboard; -now rising until it was a mere speck in the sky, anon speeding ahead of the -rushing ship as easily as though she were standing still and then dropping -astern again to take up its wonted place. Every morning the bird was there. -Long after darkness fell, the boys could see its ghostly white form against -the heaving, black sea, and they wondered if it slept on the wing or ever -slept at all. Then another appeared, and another and another, until a score or -more of the wonderful creatures were constantly in sight. And then, at last, a -dim, hazy-blue shape loomed like a cloud upon the horizon above the heaving -sea and the boys looked upon the strange, unfrequented islands of Tristan da -Cunha.</p> - -<p>Rapidly the islands took form and shape as, under her press of canvas, the -bark drove onward. Up from the restless waves rose three vast pyramids, their -summits hidden in low-hung, threatening clouds, while below, stretched -gray-green slopes and rugged hills, cut with black gorges and ravines and -fringed with beating, high-flung surf.</p> - -<p>“My, but that’s a wild-looking place!” exclaimed Tom. “Is there a town -there, Captain Edwards?”</p> - -<p>“No real town,” replied the skipper, “but a number of people, about one -hundred and fifty, I suppose, and mighty nice folk, too. It’s a remarkable -island, boys, and the most remarkable thing about it are its inhabitants. They -are mostly descendants of British soldiers who were stationed on the island -when Napoleon was a captive on St. Helena. Tristan’s just about half way -’twixt St. Helena and South America and the Britishers were a bit afraid some -one might try to rescue Napoleon, so they placed a garrison over here on -Tristan. You may think it’s a mighty poor-looking spot, but the Tommies grew -so fond of it, they wouldn’t leave and settled down and their descendants have -been here ever since. Funny thing, too, mighty few of ’em ever leave to live -anywhere else and if they <em>do</em> go off to see the rest of the world they -always come back. But a good part of ’em are whalemen’s families. Seems to be -something about the place that makes folks fall in love with it, and ever -since Yankee whaleships have been comin’ here, whalemen have been desertin’ -and joining the colony.”</p> - -<p>“But what do they do for a living?” asked Jim. “I should think it would be -just the loneliest place in the world. Do they have a king or a president, or -what?”</p> - -<p>“They raise cattle and garden truck mostly,” replied Captain Edwards. -“That’s why we whalemen stop here—to get fresh vegetables and eggs and beef. -The land’s fertile and the climate ain’t bad and they raise about the best -potaters and vegetables I ever saw. No, they don’t have any king or president -or any sort of government,—just get along neighborly and nice with elders to -guide ’em and seem to do a heap better and be a lot happier than any republic -or kingdom you’ll find. And they ain’t a mite wild or uncivilized or -uneducated either,—have churches and schools and everything, even if the only -folks they ever see are whalemen and a British cruiser or ship that calls once -a year with mail and supplies. Whenever she comes in, the folks have all their -letters and orders ready and send them off and a year later they get the goods -and the answers. Wonder how folks in the States would get on if they could -only go shopping once a year and had to wait another year to get the -things!”</p> - -<p>“Gee, that’s a high mountain!” exclaimed Tom. “Will we have time to go -ashore, Captain?”</p> - -<p>“Plenty o’ time,” the skipper assured him. “We’ll be here a couple of -days—have to give the folks time to get the supplies together and down to the -shore, and you can go all over the place in that time if you’re as much like -goats as the boys here are. Yes, pretty good-sized mountain, that—over 8,000 -feet high and an old volcano.”</p> - -<p>By the time the captain had finished speaking, the island loomed close -ahead and the boys could see tiny houses and buildings scattered about on the -sloping hillsides. The coast seemed forbidding and barren with heavy surf -breaking everywhere; but as they drew nearer, a covelike harbor appeared, and -cautiously feeling his way in, and constantly scanning landmarks on the shore, -Captain Edwards piloted the bark towards the island until the sky-piercing -cone of the volcano appeared to overhang the <em>Hector’s</em> masts.</p> - -<p>At braces and halliards stood the crew, ready for instant action when the -order was given to swing the yards. In the bows stood the second mate and his -men ready to let the anchor go, and, to the boys, it seemed as if the bark -would pile herself upon the rocks before the captain’s voice roared out the -orders, the yards swung to the crash of slatting sails and the creak of -tackle; the roar of chain and the splash of anchor were flung back in -thundering echoes from the cliffs, and the <em>Hector</em> swung motionless -before the out-of-the-world island.</p> - -<p>Long before the bark had come to anchor, boats were putting off from shore, -and in a few moments, a miniature flotilla surrounded the <em>Hector</em>. -Much to the boys’ surprise,—for somehow, despite what the captain had told -them, they had expected to see roughly clad, unkempt, swarthy people—the men -who were in the boats were fine-looking, rosy-cheeked, bronzed-skinned young -giants, neatly clad in blue dungaree or serge and differing in no way from men -who might be seen at any seaport in New England.</p> - -<p>Laughing and talking, they clambered up the bark’s sides and came aboard, -greeting Captain Edwards and others by name, shaking hands with every one and -speaking with a peculiar accent that seemed to be a cross between cockney -English and down-east Yankee,—impossible to describe.</p> - -<p>All were very friendly and plied the skipper and every one else with -questions about the war, about affairs in the States, about the cruise of the -<em>Hector</em> and a thousand and one other things. Captain Edwards produced -a huge bundle of papers and magazines and a packet of letters for them, and -presently a sturdy, tow-headed youth approached the boys.</p> - -<p>“My name’s Paul Potter and this is my brother, Getty,” he announced, as a -younger, freckled-faced boy joined them. “You’re the first American boys I’ve -seen in four years.”</p> - -<p>“My name’s Tom Chester and this is Jim Lathrop,” said. Tom. “We’re from -Fair Haven. Are you any relation to Cap’n Pem? His name’s Potter, too.”</p> - -<p>“Shouldn’t be a bit surprised,” replied Paul, “Gran’ther was a New Bedford -whaleman and there are lots of Potters here.”</p> - -<p>“Yep, an’ plenty o’ Chesters and Lathrops, too,” put in Getty. “Say, tell -us all about the war an’ what’s goin’ on. We be’nt heard nary word for nigh a -year.”</p> - -<p>“Has America gone into it?” added Paul. “Last we heard was when our ships -licked the Germans over t’ Falklands. One of them called in here to parse the -news.”</p> - -<p>Willingly, Tom and Jim related all the most important news of the war which -had taken place since the islanders had last heard from the outside world, and -the four boys were soon fast friends. Then the Potter boys asked about the -cruise and the trip down.</p> - -<p>“Wisht us might go ’long,” declared Getty. “I’d like for to see a whale -killed, wouldn’t you, Paul?”</p> - -<p>“Rather!” agreed his brother. “And I’d jolly well like to go to the South -Shetlands ’long of you boys. We’ve ne’er been offen Tristan, you know.”</p> - -<p>“Dad’s been there,” Getty reminded him. “Mind when he told us ’bout yon -elephants?”</p> - -<p>“Aye, Dad’s been most all places,” assented Paul. “Went to New York onct -and Lunnon, too. He’s school marster now.”</p> - -<p>At this moment Cap’n Pem approached. “Ready to stretch legs ashore?” he -inquired. “See ye’ve found chums a’ready. Reckon ye didn’t fin’ ’em savages, -did ye?”</p> - -<p>“Not a bit,” laughed Tom. “They’re named after you, Cap’n Pem. This is Paul -and Getty Potter.”</p> - -<p>“Well I’ll be squeejiggled!” exclaimed the old man. “Glad ter know ye, -lads. What’s yer dad’s name?”</p> - -<p>“Henry Potter,” replied Paul. “He says he’s American, ’cause gran’ther was -a New Bedford whaleman.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll be derned!” cried Cap’n Pem. “What’s his name,—’tain’t ol’ Lem Potter -o’ the <em>Greyhoun’</em>, is it?”</p> - -<p>“Aye, sir, ’tis so,” Paul assured him.</p> - -<p>“Well, I’ll be holy-stoned an’ everlastin’ly keelhauled!” shouted the -whaleman, “ef ye ain’t my own fambly! Why, bless yer hearts, I ain’t been here -in nigh thirty years an’ las’ time I touched ’twas in the ol’ -<em>Leonidas</em> an’ Lem’s kid wasn’t knee high to a grasshopper. Kain’t -b’lieve he’s growed up an’ got kids like you! Lem’s my secon’ cousin ye know. -Got los’ from the <em>Greyhoun’</em> an’ made Tristan an’ jes’ settled down -an’ married one o’ the lassies here. Come ’long all o’ ye. I jes’ gotter git -ashore an’ go a-gammin’, boys.”</p> - -<p>“I wondered if you weren’t relations to Cap’n Pem,” chuckled Tom as the -four boys and the old man made their way to where Paul’s boat was moored.</p> - -<p>“And I expect we’ll find members of our families there, too,” added Jim. -“Say, this is a regular little New Bedford, isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>But while the boys found plenty of Chesters and Lathrops, as their new -friends had stated, they were all old English families, and the two boys were -rather disappointed that they could not boast of having relatives on the -queer, mid-ocean island.</p> - -<p>They found the place very interesting, with its winding, crooked paths, and -houses built of beach pebbles like the fishermen’s cottages in England, and -they were tremendously surprised at the variety and luxuriance of the -vegetables growing in tiny, irregular gardens sheltered among the huge -volcanic boulders. Reaching the Potter residence, the four left Cap’n Pem -chatting and gossiping with his white-headed cousin, Lem, and with Paul and -his brother, climbed up the steep hillside.</p> - -<p>Far up on the mountain slope the boys threw themselves upon a little patch -of soft, gray moss and gazed down at the panorama of the island far below, -with the <em>Hector</em>, looking like a toy ship against the deep green -water, and the cottages so much like piles of brown rocks that they appeared -mere portions of the landscape. Already, the people were busy gathering the -vegetables and cattle for the bark and the boys could hear their shouts and -could see them hurrying about like busy ants.</p> - -<p>“What do you do to amuse yourselves?” asked Tom, at last.</p> - -<p>“Us have plenty to do,” Paul replied. “There’s the gardens to be planted -an’ cared for an’ the cattle an’ fishin’ an’ gathering kelp, and betimes we -egg or hunt.”</p> - -<p>“What do you gather kelp for?” asked Jim.</p> - -<p>“And what do you hunt and egg?” inquired Tom.</p> - -<p>“Kelp’s for to fert’lize the gardens,” explained Paul. “Grows big here, -twenty fathom long sometimes, an’ after storms it looses up and gets adrift -an’ us gathers it an’ rots it for the land. Goats is what we hunt, plenty o’ -wild ones here, an’ betimes we go sealing an’ fishing. I like egging best. -It’s more exciting.”</p> - -<p>“How do you go egging?” asked Jim.</p> - -<p>“Us goes down the cliffs on a line,” replied Paul. “It’s too early season -now or we’d show you.”</p> - -<p>“No ’tain’t,” contradicted Getty. “Plenty gulls has eggs to To’gallant -Rock. Let’s go.”</p> - -<p>“Want to?” asked Paul.</p> - -<p>“We’d love to,” replied Tom. “Come on.”</p> - -<p>Hurrying down the mountain side, Paul ran home and met the others with a -long rope and a basket in his hands while Getty led the way around a corner of -the hill and along a faintly marked pathway.</p> - -<p>Presently, they reached the edge of a precipitous cliff and commenced -climbing down over the sharp, irregular rocks with the sea roaring against the -base of the precipice several hundred feet below.</p> - -<p>“Gosh, I guess Cap’n Edwards was right when he said we needed to be goats,” -panted Tom.</p> - -<p>“I’d rather have wings,” replied Jim.</p> - -<p>Disturbed by the boys’ appearance, thousands of the sea birds rose from -their resting places, and with loud cries and screams, whirled and circled -about in a perfect cloud until the air seemed filled with them. Soon the boys -came to a spot where the rock extended out in an overhanging ledge and, lying -on his stomach, Paul peered over the edge.</p> - -<p>“I see a-plenty,” he announced, as he drew back. “Want to look?”</p> - -<p>Crawling cautiously forward to the brink of the ledge, Tom and Jim looked -over and involuntarily drew quickly back. Although they had been accustomed to -standing on the lofty crosstrees of the <em>Hector</em> and helping the crew -on the yards far above the tumbling sea, they had never felt dizzy or ill at -ease, yet, as they glanced over the verge of the precipice, their toes and -fingers tingled and they had a vivid, agonizing sensation of pitching over the -cliff. Upon the masts or yards there was always something tangible to connect -them with the ship, but here, on this overhanging ledge, there was nothing but -space between them and the heaving green sea that roared and thundered about -an isolated, perpendicular mass of rock that jutted from the water for several -hundred feet directly beneath the spot where they stood.</p> - -<p>“Whew!” exclaimed Tom. “That’s the first time I ever felt nervous.”</p> - -<p>“Me, too,” declared Jim. “Gosh! Can you fellows look over there?”</p> - -<p>The two islanders laughed. “Us ain’t nervous,” stated Paul. “Reckon we’re -used to it. Come on, look at To’gallant Rock an’ you can see the birds -a-sittin’.”</p> - -<p>Determined not to be outdone by the two others, Tom and Jim again drew -themselves to the edge of the cliff, and by the exertion of all their will -power, managed to look down at the mass of rock and at the thousands of sea -birds which covered it.</p> - -<p>“But I don’t see how we’re going to get to them,” said Tom as all drew back -from the edge. “We can’t get down there and no boat could land on the rock if -we did.”</p> - -<p>Paul and his brother gazed at the speaker in amazement.</p> - -<p>“Us goes down on the line,” announced Getty at last. “It’s easy.”</p> - -<p>This time it was Tom’s turn to be astonished. “You don’t mean to say you -boys really go down there on a rope!” he cried.</p> - -<p>“Watch us,” replied Paul with a chuckle. Uncoiling the long rope he had -brought, he quickly knotted a bowline in one end, and walking a few yards -inland, took a turn and a couple of half-hitches around a stout, wooden stake -that was firmly wedged among some rocks.</p> - -<p>“Stand by and help me hold the line,” he directed the two boys as his -brother adjusted the bowline about him and attached the basket to the -rope.</p> - -<p>Filled with amazement that any mortal would dare to be lowered over the -cliff on the slender line, the boys braced themselves against the rocks and -took a firm grasp of the rope as Getty, a broad grin on his freckled face, -threw himself upon the ground, and wriggling backwards, let his legs and body -drop over the verge of the cliff. For an instant he held on by one hand. Paul -and the boys drew the rope taut, and at Getty’s cry of “Lower away!” they -slowly paid out the line.</p> - -<p>“Guess he’s pretty well down,” remarked Paul, after many feet of the rope -had slipped over the edge. “Just hold fast a minute and I’ll see.” Walking to -the verge, he called down to his brother and the boys could hear Getty’s reply -thin and far away.</p> - -<p>“Easy now and stand by when I give the word,” ordered Paul, and, a moment -later, “Hold fast! Ease off a bit! All right! Come on and see him.”</p> - -<p>Leaving the rope, which was now slack, Tom and Jim joined Paul and peered -down. There, far below them, and crouching on a narrow shelf on To’gallant -Rock, was Getty, rapidly gathering the sea-birds’ eggs and fighting off the -screaming birds that half hid him as they wheeled above his head. From where -they were watching, Getty looked like a mere speck and the rock appeared so -smooth and perpendicular that it seemed impossible that any human being could -find foothold upon it. But even as they looked, Getty stood up, and flattening -himself against the rocks, commenced walking around the precipice above the -thundering surf. The boys held their breath, expecting each moment to see him -miss his footing and fall dangling at the end of the rope, but he calmly -continued on his way, stooping now and again as he reached a nest, until at -last, looking up, he waved his hand to the boys at the summit of the -island.</p> - -<p>“Got his basket full up,” announced Paul. “Come on, let’s haul him up.”</p> - -<p>Gathering in the slack of the rope, the boys strained and pulled, one of -them constantly holding the slack with a turn around the stake, until -presently, they heard Getty’s voice, and making the line fast, Paul hurried to -the edge of the cliff, leaned over, and lifted up the basket full of eggs. A -moment later, Getty pulled himself up on the rope and onto the solid -ground.</p> - -<p>“Gee, but you <em>have</em> got nerve!” cried Jim. “I wouldn’t do that for -anything.”</p> - -<p>“Would if you lived on Tristan,” laughed Getty. “Dad says as folk can get -used to anything, ’cept dying. All us boys go down to To’gallant Rock.”</p> - -<p>“’Tain’t arf so bad’s Ol’ Snorter,” added Paul. “Got to swing right in -under there, first out an’ then in like, an’ the rope gets a-twistin’ most -fearful. Folk don’t let us boys try that.”</p> - -<p>“An’ when a body’s through an’ comin’ up a body must jump off an’ swing out -on the line,” supplied Getty. “Want to see it?”</p> - -<p>“No, thanks,” Tom assured him. “I’ve seen enough, if there’s anything worse -I’ll take your word for it.”</p> - -<p>As the boys walked back towards the Potter home, the two islanders told -many a story of their life and while Tom and Jim could not understand how any -civilized people could be content to dwell in the place year after year, yet -they admitted that there was a fascination about the island life.</p> - -<p>Cap’n Pem was still at the cottage and welcomed the boys vociferously.</p> - -<p>“Was jes’ a-tellin’ Lem ’bout you two scallywags,” he cried. “What ye been -up to now? Egging, eh? Well, fresh eggs is allers mighty good. What’s that? -Let these two kids o’ Hen’s stump ye! Didn’t the skipper tell ye every one on -Tristan’s a goat! Jes’ the same, I’ll bet ye can lick ’em at navigatin’! How -about it, boys?”</p> - -<p>“Reckon they could,” admitted Paul. “Us can use a sextant though. Dad -taught us.”</p> - -<p>“I’ve been a-swappin’ yarns with Lem ever since I got here,” chuckled the -old whaleman. “When two ol’ sailormen git to gammin’ arter thirty year there’s -a tarnation lot to chin erbout. Derned if I hadn’t jes’ been tellin’ ’bout the -<em>Hector’s</em> crew o derelicts. Thought Lem’d bust hisself a-laffin’ ’bout -havin’ a mate an’ bo’sun both with timber legs an’ a dummy an’ a one-eyed chap -aside. Reg’lar home fer cripples, eh?”</p> - -<p>“Shucks!” laughed the old islander. “Ye be’nt no cripple, Pem Potter. Why, -I sw’ar to goodness, ye’re a better man an’ mate wi’ one leg than many a body -wi’ twain. Aye, if ye had none at all ye’d still be middlin’ hard to beat. -’Tis the head an’ heart that makes a body a man, lad, not the legs.”</p> - -<p>Then, turning to Tom and Jim, he continued, “Pem tells me ye laddies are -main daft o’er yarns o’ the sea. Did he e’er tell ye o’ how he lost his -leg?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir,” replied Tom promptly. “We never asked him about it.”</p> - -<p>“Then, do. Belike he’ll yaw an’ jibe an’ luff a bit, but ’tis no yarn to be -ashamed on.”</p> - -<p>“Do tell us about it?” begged Tom. “You’ve told us lots of yarns about -other men so tell us about yourself.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll be derned ef I will,” declared Pem. “Ef this dod-gasted ol’ shellback -farmer o’ a cousin o’ mine wants ye to know ’bout my dumb foolishness, jes’ -git him to tell ye. Reckon he knows more ’bout it than I do, anyway.”</p> - -<p>“Well won’t you tell us then, Mr. Potter?” asked Jim. “I guess Cap’n Pem’s -too modest.”</p> - -<p>“Aye, that I will,” assented the other. “But first, ye laddies’ll eat. ’Tis -humble fare we offer, but fresh an’ wholesome. So sit ye down. Ah, here’s -Henry!”</p> - -<p>While they had been talking, Paul and Getty’s mother had been preparing the -table and the savory odor of appetizing food filled the little room, and as -Lem finished speaking a tall, stalwart man appeared in the doorway. Greeting -his visitors cordially, the schoolmaster welcomed the boys to his home and the -island and apologized for not being on hand before, explaining that he had -been on a visit to a family on the other side of the hill and had just heard -of the <em>Hector’s</em> arrival.</p> - -<p>He spoke with only a slight accent and was evidently well educated. The -boys now understood why Paul and Getty should use such good English with only -occasional lapses into the Tristan vernacular.</p> - -<p>Never had the boys enjoyed a meal better than that which they ate in the -little stone cottage on Tristan da Cunha, for the fresh vegetables and meat, -the home-made biscuits and fresh butter, the milk and gulls’ egg omelette, the -crisp, fried fish and the luscious ripe berries were a marvelously welcome -change from the ship’s fare. And as they ate, the boys had an opportunity to -glance about at the room and its furnishings. At one side was a huge, stone -fireplace. Above it was a narrow shelf bearing an American clock, a number of -handsome sea shells and several carved whales’ teeth, while over it, were hung -a long-barreled gun and a whale lance. On one side of the room, were shelves -covered with books and magazines, with the model of a whaleship on the top -shelf, and hanging on the walls were a number of pictures of ships, marine -scenes and landscapes evidently taken from illustrated magazines and neatly -framed in dark wood. The furniture was plain but good. Bright chintz curtains -hung at the windows and everything was spotlessly clean.</p> - -<p>Although there were no luxuries, there was every comfort and the boys could -scarcely believe they were on this far-away speck of land in the middle of the -Atlantic, and not in some sailor’s cottage on Cape Cod or Nantucket.</p> - -<p>During the meal, the conversation was all of the outside world:—the war, -the whaling business, gossip of old friends and acquaintances and inquiries -about the prices of clothing, supplies and many other matters. Paul’s father -had not been in the States for many years and he could scarcely credit the -changes which Tom and Jim described to him. Both boys had visited New York a -few weeks before they sailed, and the islanders listened spellbound as they -told of the sky-scrapers, the subway and the countless other marvels of the -metropolis. As Tom said afterwards, it was like talking to inhabitants of -another planet, for the things which seemed so commonplace to the two American -boys were as fascinating as fiction to the Tristan da Cunha family. Although -they had seen pictures of motor cars, airplanes, tall buildings and such -things, still, to listen to those who actually had seen them, was very -different. The two boys had never before realized that there were civilized, -white, English speaking people in the world who had never seen any of the -things which were such a familiar part of their own every day lives. But when, -at last, the meal was over and the talk veered to the <em>Hector</em> and her -voyage, the boys reminded old Lem of his promise to tell them the story of -Cap’n Pem’s lost leg.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-vii-how-capn-pem-lost-his-leg">CHAPTER VII<br />HOW CAP’N PEM LOST HIS LEG</h2> -</div> - -<p>“’Long ’bout forty-five years aback,” began the old man, as all gathered -about to hear his story, “I were secon’ mate o’ the <em>Greyhoun’</em> bark, -out o’ New Bedford—Cap’n Ezra Clapham, master—an’ boun’ for the Pacific arter -sparm whales. Ev’rythin’ went fine an’ we rose whales mos’ from the time we -was out o’ soundin’s. Ne’er did see so pesky many in all o’ my life. By the -time we was ’round Cape Horn we was that full up the Old Man put in at -Valp’raiso an’ transshipped the ’ile. Reckon thet must ’a bust the luck, -’cause we cruised hither an’ yon fer nigh six weeks an’ ne’er raised a whale. -Had a right smart crew too, an’ good as I e’er seen. But I tell ye, it begun -for to look as if we’d be a-cruisin’ fer the res’ o’ our lives an’ rot at sea -’thout gettin’ ’nough ’ile ter grease our boots. Aye, an’ ’twas fair hard work -a-keepin’ that crew busy, I tell ye. Ev’ry tooth aboard the bark’d been -scrimshawed an’ ev’ry mite o’ bone made inter knick-knacks. There weren’t a -mite o’ ol’ rope or canvas that hadn’t been made inter chafin’-gear an’ Chips -couldn’t fin’ a splinter o’ wood thet so much as needed a tenpenny nail or a -dab o’ paint. Men jes’ spent the time a-s’archin’ fer whale an’ many’s the day -I’ve seed the riggin’ an’ mas’heads that full o’ men a-lookin’ fer a blow thet -ye’d swored the ol’ <em>Greyhoun’</em> was a mannin’ o’ her yards fer show, -like as does the ol’ frigates. Bimeby, ’long erbout nine week out o’ -Valp’raiso, we seen a sail, an’ runnin’ down to her, we foun’ she was the -<em>Mohawk</em> out o’ Salem. Course we had a-gammin’ an’ the -<em>Mohawk’s</em> folk—they was purty nigh full up an’ home’ard boun’—spun a -yarn ’bout a mad whale what they’d riz a couple o’ week afore. Tol’ how as the -cap’n’s boat had struck an’ was fas’ when the critter turned an’ run fer the -boat, an’ grabbin’ it in his jaws chewed it to smithereens. Then long comes -the mate’s boat an’ picked up the men an’ the secon’ and third mates’ boats -went in an’ both boats got fas’. Well, thet jes’ made the whale wusser an’ -wusser, an’ a swingin’ o’ his jaw to sta’board an’ port, he chawed both boats. -Cordin’ to the yarn, the ol’ bull now had six irons in him, but thet didn’t -bother him a mite, an’ no sooner was the nex’ boat fas’ than he stove thet. -Meantime, two spare boats was on han’, a-pickin’ up the other’s crews, when -the ol’ whale jes’ rushed ’em an’ sounded, a-leavin’ four stove boats an’ -a-takin’ o’ seven irons an’ twelve hundred fathoms o’ line to Davy Jones fer -souv’neers. Aye, an’ ye can jes’ bet our men druv the barbs inter the -<em>Mohawk</em> folk a-laffin’ at ’em fer a-losin’ o’ a bull whale, arter -they’d got seven irons in. One o’ our chaps—a young boat steerer—’lowed he’d -like ter see the whale he’d let get away with <em>his</em> iron and lines, an’ -ev’ry one o’ the crew o’ the <em>Greyhoun’</em> was that sore at not havin’ -raised a whale fer so long thet they jus’ prayed fer a chanct ter run athwart -the hawse o’ the <em>Mohawk’s</em> mad whale.</p> - -<p>“An’ by gum, we did! Three days arter leavin’ the <em>Mohawk</em>, we -raised a whale ’bout four p’ints offen the sta’board bow and the cap’n an’ -mate lowered. But I’ll be blowed ef thet whale’d wait fer ’em to go on, but -jes’ as soon as he spied the boats he come arter ’em head up an’ tail over the -dasher, so to speak, a-roarin’ an’ a fumin’ with his jaws wide open, an’ -gettin’ the mate’s boat fust, he stove thet and turned fer the cap’n’s. Jes’ -took one nip and there weren’t ’nough lef’ o’ thet boat fer to make toothpicks -outen. Then a-droppin’ o’ the boat, the pesky bull swung ’roun’ an’ grabbed -the mate. Jes’ as luck’d hev it, the bark weren’t far, an’ soon’s I see what -was happ’nin’ I lowered an’ started a-yellin’ ter the third mate ter foller -an’ pick up the cap’n’s crew. Jes’ got ter the mate in the nick o’ time an’ -hauled him in purty well chawed an’ mussed up, when the whale breached ’bout -quarter o’ a mile ahead. My boat steerer was the cock-sure cuss I told ye of -an’ ’fore I could say a word the crew was a-pullin’ like mad an’ we was -a-goin’ on. ’Course I didn’t stop on ’em—didn’t want no boat steerer or crew a -tellin’ me I was scart o’ any bull whale—an’ purty soon the boat steerer puts -down his oar and pulls offen his jacket and takes up the iron, fer we was -close on an’ the ol’ bull didn’t seem fer to see us.</p> - -<p>“Nex’ minute the young chap struck, an’ by gum, afore ye could say Holy -Mac’rel thet dumb-gasted boat steerer had another iron inter the critter! -Dunno whether ’twas the s’prise o’ bein’ struck ’twict ter onct or what, but -the fight all seemed ter go clean out o’ the whale and he jes’ sounded like a -lump o’ lead. Jes’ as soon as he’d put the secon’ iron in, the boat steerer -tumbled aft an’ I jumped fo’ward an’ o’ course the two lines was a-whirrin’ -out o’ the bow-chock like steam an’ a jumpin’ like livin’ snakes o’ steel -outen their tubs. Jes’ as I passes the tub-oar, I hear a sort o’ yell and a -groan an’ I swings ’roun’ in time to see the boat steerer a-floppin’ roun’ an’ -a-flyin’ forrard with a kink o’ the secon’ line ’roun’ his leg. Nex’ secon’ -there was a flash o’ steel an’ a dull thud an’, think I, some one’s cut the -line, an’ I see what I took ter be a ol’ boot splash overboard. ’Course ’twas -all over in the shake o’ a lamb’s tail, an’ jes’ then the whale was a comin’ -up to breach an’ I didn’t give no heed ter it. ’Spected the whale fer to turn -on us, but he’d got ernough o’ fightin’, I reckon, and started off to the -west’ard as if he’d a forgotten sumpthin’. Didn’t steer no straight course, -though, an’ milled an’ twisted an’ turned; an’ thet there boat steerer -<em>was</em> a wonder. Swung the boat quicker’n the whale an’ never shipped a -drop till ’bout fifteen minutes arter gettin’ fas’, we drew in an’ druv home -the lance an’ without a flurry the ol’ bull spouted blood an’ went fin-up. An’ -jes’ as he done it I heerd a rattle an’ thud, an’ lookin’ ’roun’ I seed the -boat steerer all a heap in the starn. When I got to him I jes’ give one -almighty yell an’ drapped down an’ couldn’t believe my own eyes. Thet there -youngster had chopped off his own leg an’d been a-steerin’ o’ the boat with a -bleedin’ stump fer fifteen mortal minutes! When he cum to, the fust thing he -says was, ‘Did ye git that there mad whale?’ An’ when we told him he jes’ -grinned an’, sez he, ‘Told them <em>Mohawk</em> lan’ lubbers I’d git him or -lose a leg, an’ I did.’ An’ thet’s how Pem come fer to lose his leg.”</p> - -<p>Cap’n Pem flushed purple to his grizzled hair. “Lem, ye ol’ lyin’ -shellback!” he burst out. “’Twant me what kilt the bull an’ ye know blamed -well ’twas jes’ fer to save my life I done it. Anyhow, what’s the use -a-talkin’ ’bout things what was done forty year ago?”</p> - -<p>But the boys and the assembled company would not listen to his -protestations or denials and vowed he was a real hero.</p> - -<p>Now that the subject of whaling adventures had been started, various -stories of marvelous escapes and incredible heroism were told, for several of -the islanders who had gathered at the Potter cottage, were old whalemen who -had left their perilous calling to settle down for the rest of their lives on -Tristan da Cunha. They told of ships sunk by infuriated whales which blindly -rushed at the vessels and stove them in. They related tales of being locked in -the Arctic ice floes and of the awful loss of the whaling fleet in 1871, when -thirty-two ships were crushed and destroyed and over twelve hundred people -made their way in open boats through freezing, stormy seas for eight hundred -miles in order to seek safety in the vessels which awaited them. They spun -many a yarn of weird, uncanny happenings at sea, of premonitions, St. Elmo’s -fire and derelicts; of mutinies and acts of violence, and all were true; for -the whalemen, unlike his merchant sailor brother, has plenty of facts to draw -from without the need of weaving tales from imagination.</p> - -<p>“Aye, an’ that ’minds me o’ the cap’n o’ the <em>Pole Star</em>,” mused one -gray-bearded old islander after one of the others had told a story. “Ye’ll -mind she was a-whalin’ in the Ar’tic. The cap’n struck a right whale an’ was -fas’ when his boat were stove an’ the whale tackled the cap’n. I was boat -steerer i’ the mate’s boat an’ seen the whole thing. The Ol’ Man were a -pow’ful fine swimmer an’ used fer to boast on it, an’ ’twere sure lucky fer -him he were, b’gosh! Fust time the whale started fer him, he dove under an’ -come up t’other side o’ the whale. Us couldn’t get in near, the whale was a -kickin’ up of sech a rumpus, fust striking wi’ its flukes an’ then a risin’ of -its head an’ a slammin’ of it down like er capsized mountain, an’ all the time -the skipper a-divin’ an’ a dodgin’ an’ a swimmin’ fer his life. Two or three -times I seen the whale’s flukes lift the cap’n clean out o’ water an’ time an -ag’in I seed the head come down an’ druv him clean out o sight. Each time us -thought ’twas all over, but somehow or tother the skipper didn’t get hit -square an’ kep’ a-fightin’. ’Course us didn’t know it at the time, but all the -while the skipper was a-tryin’ to git his sheath-knife into the whale’s nose -to tarn him—ye mind a right whale’s nose’s so plumb tender he’ll turn tail an’ -run if ye so much as touches of it—but the knife got stuck an’ he had a mortal -time a drawin’ on it, what betwix’ swimmin’ an’ a dodgin’ o’ flukes an’ head. -Bimeby, though, he got it out, an’ edgin’ roun’—ye mind a right whale can’t -see ahead—he swum in front o’ the whale and druv the knife home. Jumpin’ -Jehosephat! Ye’d oughter a seed that there whale skihoot off! Bet he ain’t -stopped a-goin’ yit, an’ thet was back in seventy-three. An’ us picked up -skipper nary the wusser fer his fight.”</p> - -<p>“An’ did ye ever hear o’ the whaleman what was act_oo_ally grabbed by a -sparm bull an’ taken down to the bottom an’ spit up ag’in?” asked another -ex-whaleman. “I disrecollec’ his ship, but he was a chap name o’ Jenkins. Got -fas’ to a sparm whale back in ’70. Whale turned an’ bit the boat in two and -then made a rush and grabbed Jenkins an’ sounded. The boat weren’t smashed up, -jes’ cut clean amidships, an’ the crew was a holdin’ on ter the two pieces -a-waitin’ to be picked up an’ a sorryin’ fer their los’ mate, when the whale -breaches close alongside, an’ openin’ his mouth, spits Jenkins out and tosses -of him into the forrard part o’ his boat. Warn’t much hurt neither—bruised up -a bit an’ mauled, but less’n a fortni’t later was back ter work again.”</p> - -<p>“That <em>is</em> a tall yarn,” laughed Tom. “Is it true?”</p> - -<p>“True as I’m a settin’ here,” maintained the story teller.</p> - -<p>“Aye, I’ve heerd of it afore,” supplemented old Lem.</p> - -<p>“Seed about it in the ship’s log-book, myself,” Cap’n Pem assured them. “Ye -can read it yersel’s when ye go back. It’s over to the Mus’um in New -Bedford.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I can believe anything after what I’ve seen and heard,” admitted -Tom.</p> - -<p>“Reckon we’d better be gittin’ ’long back ter the ship,” observed Cap’n -Pem. “Skipper’ll think we’ve decided for to settle down here.”</p> - -<p>With hearty handshakes and thanks for the islanders’ hospitality, the two -boys invited Paul and Getty to visit the <em>Hector</em> when their -grandfather came off next day, and accompanied by a group of their new-found -friends, they made their way to the landing place. Already, a large amount of -provisions had been brought down and the boats were just returning from taking -a load aboard the <em>Hector</em>. Captain Edwards was already on the bark and -he laughed heartily and was much interested at the boys’ accounts of their -experiences on the island.</p> - -<p>The following day, the islanders visited the ship and after the midday -meal, when all the supplies had been loaded, the captain had the decks cleared -and the men spent the afternoon skylarking with their visitors.</p> - -<p>Early the next morning, the boys were aroused by the clank of the anchor -chain and the rousing capstan chantey, as the men, walking the handspikes -around, sang lustily:</p> - -<div class='poetry'> -<p>“Oh, a ship she was rigged and ready for sea,<br /> -Windy weather! Stormy weather!<br /> -And all of her sailors were fishes to be,<br /> -Blow ye winds, westerly, gentle sou’ westerly,<br /> -Blow ye winds westerly, steady she goes.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Hurrying on deck, the boys found the bark already slipping through the -water, while on the shore and resting on their oars in the boats, the -islanders were waving farewells and shouting good wishes for a quick voyage -and a full cargo.</p> - -<p>An hour later, the island’s slopes were indistinct in the mist astern and -as the boys took their last look at the towering, volcanic cone they felt a -pang of regret at having left the island and the simple, pleasant folk that -dwelt upon it.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-viii-elephant-island">CHAPTER VIII<br />ELEPHANT ISLAND</h2> -</div> - -<p>Although it was early summer in these southern latitudes, the weather was -chilly and desolate. Great, cold, green waves came rolling from the west, -their crests breaking in hissing spray and the bark drove on under shortened -canvas beneath a sullen, leaden sky. From time to time, driving squalls of -snow and sleet screeched through the rigging, leaving every rope, shroud and -stay ice-coated, and each time the <em>Hector</em> buried her bluff bows -beneath the mountainous seas, she rose with ice-sheeted decks. Bundled in -heavy pea-jackets, hip-boots and oilskins, with sou’westers jammed upon their -heads, the crew stood about, sheltering themselves behind masts, deck houses -and try-works, and on the poop the officers and the two boys paced back and -forth, stamping their feet and beating their arms to keep warm, while ever and -anon the captain stopped to peer anxiously into the murk ahead. For several -days it had been impossible to take an observation and the ship was plunging -southward, navigated by dead reckoning only, while lookouts were ever at the -mastheads straining their eyes for bergs or ice or even possible land. Each -day, too, the bird convoy of the bark increased in numbers. Dozens of -albatrosses of several kinds skimmed the breaking waves on tireless wings. -Giant, white fulmars or “Molly Mokes,” snowy sheathbills, and a dozen other -species of sea birds were everywhere, and often the boys caught sight of -distant icebergs or vast, floating fields of pack-ice, shimmering like -burnished steel against the gray-green sea.</p> - -<p>Then one day, came the cry of “Land ho!” from the masthead and peering -ahead the boys caught sight of a shadowy, gray mass looming above the low-hung -clouds against the southern horizon. Presently, as they watched, Tom uttered -an exclamation and grasped Jim’s arm. Close to the bark, a huge dark body rose -suddenly from the sea, a long-snouted head reared up and with a coughing, -snarling bark and a flash of great, white teeth, the creature disappeared -beneath the sea.</p> - -<p>“A sea elephant!” cried Jim, and intently the two scanned the surface of -the water for its reappearance. Soon they were rewarded. Again the giant seal -flung itself upward from the curving crest of a wave and then another and -another appeared until, all about the speeding ship, the sea was dotted with -the monsters, seemingly unafraid of the vessel and playing about like enormous -porpoises.</p> - -<p>Soon, however, the boys’ attentions were diverted from the sea elephants, -for ahead they caught sight of thousands of bobbing black and white forms -floating upon the waves, now leaping several feet in the air, anon ducking -beneath the sea, at times standing upright and apparently clapping hands or -again tumbling over and over like playful puppies.</p> - -<p>“What in the world are they?” asked Jim as Cap’n Pem approached.</p> - -<p>“Penguins,” replied the old whaleman. “Ye’ll see ’em by tens o’ thousan’s -on shore.”</p> - -<p>In a few moments more, the bark was in the midst of the flock of the -strange fishlike birds, and on every side, ahead and astern, the water was -alive with them and both boys were fascinated watching their droll antics. -Then they were interrupted by orders to shorten sail still further, and as the -bark rolled along over the rapidly smoothing sea, the boys’ interests were -centered on the distant island they were approaching. Desolate, forbidding and -bleak, it appeared, a vast, uprising, towering mass of dull-colored rock, -flanked by stony hills and rimmed by pebbly beaches and outstanding cliffs -against which the long Antarctic swells broke in great sheets of thundering -surf.</p> - -<p>Nearer and nearer drew the <em>Hector</em>. Forward a man was steadily -heaving the lead; at the catheads stood the second mate with his men ready at -any instant to let go the anchor; ready at the braces stood the men waiting -for the word to back the yards, while on the poop stood the captain and the -chief mate, the one, studying the island through his glasses, the other, -scanning the ship and sails and all on the alert to bring the bark to and -anchor her in safety off the forbidding shores of Elephant Island. Now, upon -the hillsides, the boys could see patches of dried and dead herbage among the -rocks. Here and there were sheets of ice and snow still lingering in the -shadows of cliffs and ledges. Upon the beach were scattered masses of rotten -ice, and everywhere among them, a moving, dark mass that covered the shingle -from end to end, were hundreds of mighty sea elephants whose sharp, incessant -barking was borne plainly to those on the ship. Scattered upon the hillsides -and on the rising ground back of the beach were countless flecks of white -which at first the boys had mistaken for snow, but now, as the ship drew near, -they saw that they were moving, that they were alive, and suddenly it dawned -upon them that they were birds—thousands of albatrosses—while vast areas of -gray and white which the boys had thought were ice now resolved themselves -into tens of thousands of penguins, standing upright with white breasts -towards the oncoming bark and looking like an army of tiny men.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, above the roar of the surf, the barking of the sea elephants and -the cries of the birds, came the sharp order “Let go!” and as the huge yards -were swung and the cable roared out and the anchor struck the water with a -mighty splash, pandemonium seemed to be let loose upon the island. Like a -vast, white cloud the albatrosses and sea birds rose with a roar of wings like -thunder, while the air was filled with their sharp cries, and as with one -accord every sea elephant raised high his head, bared his long teeth and -roared forth a barking howl of defiance at the intruders.</p> - -<p>Rapidly the sails were furled and the men prepared to lower the boats and -go ashore, for Captain Edwards was to continue on with the <em>Hector</em> to -the other islands after leaving a shore party here to kill sea elephants and -boil down their oil. There was much to be accomplished. Lumber and supplies -had to be sent ashore for building shacks for the men. Thousands of barrel -shooks had to be placed on the land for use in stowing the oil. Clothing, -provisions, fuel and a hundred and one other articles had to be transported -from the bark to the island. There were tools, rope, canvas, forges, arms, -ammunition, medicines, spades, irons, lances and many other utensils which -were essential to the men and time was limited, if the captain were to get a -full ship and sail north before the short Antarctic summer was over.</p> - -<p>The first boat lowered was to go ashore to select sites for the men’s -quarters and for the try-works while the other boats were being loaded, and -Cap’n Pem, who was in charge, called to the two boys to jump in.</p> - -<p>“Gosh!” cried Jim as the boat neared the shore and was surrounded by scores -of swimming sea elephants, “you’re not going to land among all those beasts -are you?”</p> - -<p>“Sure as is!” laughed old Pem. “Them critters won’t hurt a fly. Jes’ -shuffle out o’ the way an’ bark a bit. Well, we’ll have fresh meat fer dinner -to-night, anyway. We’ll jes’ knock a few o’ them over the snout an’ have biled -tongue an’ roast flipper an’ fried liver. Finest eatin’ ye ever see, -boys.”</p> - -<p>Despite Cap’n Pem’s assurances that the creatures would not harm them, the -boys were very nervous as the boat grated on the beach within a few yards of -the vast herd of giant seals, and they had no desire to be the first to leap -ashore among the growling, barking horde of animals which wrinkled their -snouts and bared their huge tusks as the boat drew near. But the men appeared -not to give the sea elephants a thought, and jumping from the boat ran it far -up the shingle. As they did so, the nearest elephants wriggled and dragged -themselves to one side and the boys, taking courage at this, fought down their -fears and followed Cap’n Pem up the beach. Here, when seen at close quarters, -the sea elephants seemed stupendous.</p> - -<p>In fact, they were. Many were forty feet in length and their backs were as -high as the boys’ shoulders, while their savage-looking jaws seemed big enough -to crush one’s head to bits at a single bite. Much to the boys’ surprise, the -men merely shoved or kicked such of the creatures as were in their way, and -selecting the small-sized and apparently young animals, they killed several by -hitting them over their heads with clubs. To the boys, it seemed very cruel -and brutal, but, as Tom remarked, it really was no worse than killing oxen or -sheep. Even when their comrades had been killed and lay bleeding among them, -the other elephants showed no signs of alarm and the boys decided they must, -indeed, be very stupid creatures.</p> - -<p>Leaving some of the men to secure the titbits of the animals for their -dinner, Cap’n Pem led the boys and the other men across the beach beyond the -elephant herd. Here the boys had plenty to interest them, for everywhere they -were surrounded by the quaint penguins, hopping about on their queer flat -feet, peering curiously at the men and shuffling out of the way in funny, -jerky jumps. So fascinated were the boys with these odd birds that they seated -themselves on a rock and watched them for some time, while the others busied -themselves hunting for a likely spot for the camp. By the time this had been -selected, the other boats were on the way to the shore and in a few minutes -were being unloaded and the goods they had brought were being stacked far -above reach of the waves.</p> - -<p>“Found any eggs?” asked Cap’n Pem, as he returned to where the boys were -watching the penguins.</p> - -<p>“Why, no,” replied Tom. “Where are their nests?”</p> - -<p>The old man chuckled. “Ain’t got none,” he replied. “Jes’ lay their eggs -’mongst the rocks.”</p> - -<p>“Well, it’s funny we haven’t seen any, then,” said Jim. “We’ve been walking -about watching the birds and none of them acted as if they were sitting.”</p> - -<p>“Wall, that’s where they fooled ye,” laughed Cap’n Pem. “Ye may think -they’re mighty stupid-lookin’ critters, but they ain’t. Jes’ look here.”</p> - -<p>With a quick dash, the old whaleman seized two of the penguins, and to the -boys’ astonishment, held up two big blue-green eggs.</p> - -<p>“Well, of all things,” exclaimed Tom. “Where on earth did you get those -eggs?”</p> - -<p>“Jes’ ketch one o’ ’em an’ I’ll show ye,” replied the old whaleman.</p> - -<p>Following his tactics, the two boys managed to capture three of the -birds.</p> - -<p>“Now jes’ look at their feet,” said Pem. “See how they’re a-holdin’ of ’em -up against their bellies?”</p> - -<p>Wonderingly the boys forced apart the birds’ big, flat, webbed feet, and to -their surprise, discovered that each bird was holding an egg between its feet -and the thick feathers of a loose fold of skin on the abdomen.</p> - -<p>“That’s the funniest thing I ever saw,” declared Jim. “Why, these birds -must go hopping about holding their eggs all the time.”</p> - -<p>“Not eggzac’ly,” replied the mate. “Onc’t in a while they sets ’em down -’mong the rocks, but jes’ as soon as they get scared or thinks the’s danger -erbout they grabs their eggs an’ carries ’em erbout like ye seen.”</p> - -<p>“An’ I’ll tell ye another queer thing erbout ’em,” he continued. “When the -hen’s a-luggin’ of her egg erbout the ol’ man gits mighty jealous an’ if he -can’t wheedle his mate into lettin’ him tote the egg part o’ the time, he jes’ -picks out a nice round stone an’ carries that ’round as proud as a peacock. -Queer chaps, the Penguins, and no fools, even ef we whalers does call ’em -Jackasses.”</p> - -<p>“Are the eggs good to eat?” asked Tom.</p> - -<p>“Wall, I can’t say as they’re <em>good</em>,” replied the other, “thet is, -’longside o’ hens’ eggs. Jes’ the same they ain’t so bad an’ a heap better’n -albatrosses’ or Molly Mokes’ eggs. We’ll fetch along them we’ve got, an’ ye -can try ’em an’ see how ye like ’em, though I reckon if ye stays here fer a -spell ye’ll have more than enough of ’em.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, are we going to stay here?” cried Tom.</p> - -<p>“Dunno,” replied Cap’n Pem, “Reckon ye’d have more fun here than stayin’ -aboard the <em>Hector</em> an’ cruisin’ ’long over to t’other islan’s. Ain’t -nothin’ to int’rest ye over there an’ the bark’s goin’ to take a run over to -Punta Arenas like as not, an’ it ain’t no picnic beatin’ ’round the Horn an’ -nothin’ much to see over to Punta Arenas. ’Sides your dad’s counted on me ter -look after ye, an’ I dunno ’bout lettin’ ye go off without me.”</p> - -<p>“Then you’re going to stay here!” cried Jim. “Of course, we’ll stay, -too.”</p> - -<p>“Wall, I reckon we’d better be gittin’ back aboard the ship and gittin’ a -bit ter eat,” declared the whaleman. “The’s a heap to do an’ not too much time -to do it in, even if we <em>can</em> work all night.”</p> - -<p>As they walked towards the boat, the boys noticed that the herd of sea -elephants had withdrawn for some distance from the men and that many of them -had disappeared.</p> - -<p>“Won’t all the elephants be frightened away by the men?” asked Tom.</p> - -<p>“No,” replied the old man, “they’ll keep a mite out o’ the way and mebbe -some on ’em’ll take to water fer a spell; but they’ll all haul out again an’ -when we git ready ter kill ’em they’ll all be on hand.”</p> - -<p>“It seems an awful shame to kill the poor, stupid things,” said Jim. “It’s -almost like murder.”</p> - -<p>“Wall, ’tain’t sport I’ll admit,” agreed Pem, “but jes’ the same it’s a -heap better to kill ’em an’ have their ’ile doin’ some good to civ’lized folks -’stead o’ keepin’ these critters warm down in this ’ere God-forsaken place. -’Sides, ’tain’t no worse’n killin’ whales.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” agreed Jim. “Only they appear so harmless -and helpless, it seems a pity.”</p> - -<p>“Reckon ye’re right there, son,” conceded old Pem, “but jes’ the same we -don’t hurt ’em. Reckon they don’t suffer a mite. ’Tain’t half as cruel as -stickin’ pigs or shootin’ pa’tridges.”</p> - -<p>The boys marveled at the vast number of goods which the boats had brought -ashore, and already, the carpenter and his assistants were busy putting up the -shacks of lumber and canvas while the cooper was setting up casks.</p> - -<p>When they reached the bark, dinner was ready and the boys sat down to their -first meal of sea elephants’ tongues, flippers and liver, which they declared -delicious; but they could not say as much for the penguins’ eggs which were -strong and rather fishy in flavor.</p> - -<p>“I suppose I <em>could</em> eat them and not mind,” said Tom, “but I’d have -to be pretty hungry to like them.”</p> - -<p>“Good deal like the old fellow that had to eat a crow,” remarked Mr. Kemp. -“Some one asked him how he liked it and he says, ‘Well, I <em>kin</em> eat a -crow but I’ll be hanged if I hanker arter ’em.’”</p> - -<p>In a wonderfully short time, the shelters were erected, the stores, -provisions, supplies and casks were ashore and stowed, and everything was in -readiness for the departure of the bark.</p> - -<p>Ten men of the crew had been selected to remain upon the island, as well as -the bo’sun, Mike, old Cap’n Pem, and the two boys, and while Pem growled and -remarked that “one peg-leg is bad enough but what we’re a-goin’ fer to do with -two, I don’t know,” yet the boys were immensely pleased to find the -ex-man-o’-war’s-man was to be with them, for he was never tired of telling -deep-sea yarns and the boys loved to hear him and old Pem argue on questions -of seamanship and the navy.</p> - -<p>Among the men, were one of the boat steerers, two of the Portuguese taken -on the <em>Hector</em> at the Azores, and the one-eyed man, Ned, with a negro, -who had been helping the cook on the bark, to look after the meals of the -shore party.</p> - -<p>Cap’n Pem, as commander of the party, had been allowed to select his own -men and he had done so with considerable care, choosing those whom he knew -were willing and hard workers or had shown unusual ability or skill, for the -old whaleman was a keen observer and a fine judge of human nature. While he -was apparently giving little heed to what went on about him, nothing escaped -his sharp eyes.</p> - -<p>The boys felt sorry at leaving the bark and as they shook hands with -Captain Edwards and the second mate and said good-by, they almost regretted -that they were to remain ashore.</p> - -<p>“Don’t know how I’ll get on without my third and fourth mates!” exclaimed -the skipper, “but you’ll have a lot more fun here than on the bark. Nothing -but knocking about in heavy seas and cold winds. Enjoy yourselves, lads, and -see that Cap’n Pem behaves himself. We’ll be back in about six or eight weeks -and expect to find you with all casks full of oil.”</p> - -<p>Stepping into the waiting boat, the boys were rowed towards the shore, and -as the bark’s capstan pawls clanked and they heard the chantey of the men -borne to them across the water, a lump rose in their throats, for the old -<em>Hector</em> had been their home for many weeks. Then, clear and distinct -came the rollicking chorus of:</p> - -<div class='poetry'> -<p>I think I heard our Old Man say,<br /> -  “Whisky! Johnny!<br /> -I’ll treat my men in a decent way,<br /> -  Oh, whisky for my Johnny!”</p> -</div> - -<p>Slowly the great sails rose and were sheeted home, the canvas billowed out -to the offshore wind, the long yards swung, and as the crew tailed onto the -braces, to the watchers on the beach came:</p> - -<div class='poetry'> -<p>The ship she’s a-sailing out over the bar.<br /> -  Away Rio! Away Rio!<br /> -The ship she’s a-sailing out over the bar.<br /> -  We’re bound to the Rio Grande.</p> -</div> - -<p>Slowly the <em>Hector</em> slipped away. Gracefully she heeled to the press -of canvas on her lofty masts. About her cutwater rose a little plume of white, -and, rapidly gathering headway, she made for the open sea. Long the boys stood -watching her and when, at last, only her royal masts showed faint and dim -above the tumbling green seas on the horizon, they turned away, feeling that -the last tie that linked them with far-away Fair Haven was gone, that they -were marooned upon a desert island scarcely fifteen hundred miles from the -South Pole.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-ix-spinning-yarns">CHAPTER IX<br />SPINNING YARNS</h2> -</div> - -<p>“Suppose she should be wrecked and never came back!” asked Tom as they -turned away from watching the bark sail. “What <em>would</em> happen to -us?”</p> - -<p>“Wall, we ain’t a calc’latin’ on that,” replied Cap’n Pem, “but jes’ the -same, we wouldn’t be so bad off ef she didn’t. We’ve got a-plenty o’ grub an’ -if wusser come to wusser I reckon we could salt down enough Jackasses an’ -albatrosses an’ sea elephants to keep us alive fer quite some spell. -’Twouldn’t be the fust time folks has been lef’ down this way count o’ their -ships not turnin’ up in time.”</p> - -<p>“Be gob, no!” declared Mike who stood near. “B’gorra, Oi had a frind once, -a foine chap entoirely, phwat tould me a sthory av a frind o’ his phwat knowed -a feller phwat wuz lift fer three mortal years on wan av these oilan’s. Shure -’tis mesilf phwat’s afther forgettin’ the name av it; but ’twas Quirlicue Lan’ -or somethin’ loike thot. Sure, yis, b’gorra, Misther Potter, ’twas that same! -Kerguelan, is it? Well, as Oi was afther sayin’ they wuz lift three years, an’ -Faith, only wan av the bunch doied an’ he a Portugee phwat didn’t doi but was -afther killin’ av himself. So don’t yez be a woorryin’ av yersilves me b’ys. -Sure, ’tis not a bad place to sthop at all, at all.”</p> - -<p>“Well, <em>I</em> don’t want to be marooned here for three years, anyhow,” -maintained Jim. “I guess I wouldn’t mind a few weeks or months, but just think -what it must be like in winter when the seas are all frozen and the place is -covered with ice and snow. What would you do if the <em>Hector</em> didn’t -come back on time, Cap’n Pem?”</p> - -<p>“Now, what’s the everlastin’ use o’ talkin’ ’bout it,” replied the mate -testily. “There ain’t no ’arthly reason why the <em>Hector</em> shouldn’t turn -up an’ if she didn’t, I’d wait a spell an’ then take to the boats. Twouldn’t -be no sail ’tall to make Tristan d’ Cunha or the Falklands from here.”</p> - -<p>“Why, they’re hundreds of miles off!” exclaimed Tom. “You don’t mean to say -you’d try to get there in those little boats!”</p> - -<p>Cap’n Pem snorted, “’Course I would!” he declared. “Little boats! Look -a-here, son, them there whaleboats is the bes’ seagoin’ craft afloat. I tell -ye, I’d rather be in them there boats in a sea than in a heap o’ big ships. -Why, bless your heart! I could tell ye more’n one yarn o’ whalemen what sailed -more’n three thousan’ miles in boats like them.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, do tell us about them!” cried Jim.</p> - -<p>“Not now,” replied the old whaleman, “We’ve gotter git busy. Mebbe ’long -arter dinner I’ll spin ye a yarn.”</p> - -<p>All through the first day the men were busy preparing the implements and -getting things ready for slaughtering and trying out the sea elephants. Spades -were sharpened and placed in readiness; the big boiling kettles were brought -out and the try-works built; the casks were arranged for filling; the killing -clubs were selected and with everything prepared for the killing to begin the -following day, the men sat down to a hearty meal of sea elephants’ tongues and -liver, baked beans and plum duff, while the boys and Cap’n Pem dined on some -delicious fresh fish which one of the men had caught, with fresh crabs and -craw fish from among the rocks of the shore.</p> - -<p>When the meal was over, the boys insisted on the mate keeping his promise -to tell them the story he had mentioned and after a few objections, the old -man gave in and lighting his pipe, while everybody gathered about and -listened, he began.</p> - -<p>“Wall,” said the old whaleman, “I was sayin’ to ye boys that I knowed o’ -whalemen rowin’ over three thousan’ miles in their boats, but I reckon I’d -oughter ha’ said I’d heard on ’em. But I hev knowed o’ whalemen a-rowin’ -more’n a thousan’ miles, and what’s more, I wuz boy on the ship what picked -’em up in the end, so ye’ll hev to b’lieve this ’ere yarn ’cause it’s true as -is, an’ I kin swear to it. Hows’ever I calc’late I’d better begin at the -beginnin’ an’ not git all aback an’ in stays an’ afoul o’ my own hawse by -beginnin’ tail en’ fust. ’Twas ’long back in ’59, purty long spell ago, an’ -the bark <em>Janet</em>, hailin’ from Westport, was a-cruisin’ fer sparm in -the Pacific ’long ’bout the equator an’ ’bout a hundred an’ ten west. -Eve’ything’d been a-goin’ fust rate an’ one o’ the boats made fast to a bull -whale late in the arternoon and by the time he’d spouted blood an’ turned -fin-up, ’twas purty near night. Wall, they got their fluke-chain round the -critter all right an’ was a startin’ to pull him to the <em>Janet</em>, what -was hull down, when a heavy sea caught the boat jes’ right an’ capsized her. -’Course ’twan’t much trouble to right her, but everything they had was -lost—kag o’ water, biscuits, compass, lantern an’ all fittin’s—an’ while the -crew got her right side up in a jiffy they couldn’t bail her out ’cause o’ the -bucket an’ bailer bein’ gone. An’ I tell ye, ’tain’t no picnic tryin’ to keep -a water-filled boat right side up in a heavy sea an’ blowin’ a holy gale. Some -reason or t’other the ship hadn’t seen ’em an’ they couldn’t signal the bark, -an’ to keep the boat from capsizin’ again they lashed the oars ’crost her an’ -worked her over ’longside the dead whale and done their best to tip her up an’ -dump the water outen her. But ’twan’t no ’arthly use count o’ heavy seas -a-breakin’ over ’em an’ at last they give up and started a paddlin’ their way -toward the <em>Janet’s</em> lights what was vis’ble. They kep’ at it all -night, an’ come mornin’, they found as they was farther off than before, so -knowin’ they was jus’ usin’ of their strength for nothin’ they let her drift. -Nex’ mornin’ the wind let up a mite an’ the sea went down, an’ the men managed -somehow to capsize the boat an’ git her back on her keel with a bit less water -in her, but while they was a-doin’ of it, one was drownded. Jes’ recollec’ -that for forty-eight hours these chaps hadn’t had nary a drop o’ water nor a -bite to eat and had been a-lyin’ in salt water up ter their armpits and ye -can’t blame two more on ’em fer goin’ crazy. Derned if ’tain’t a wonder they -didn’t all go mad. There they was, driftin’ about in the middle o’ the Pacific -jes’ under the line without nothin’ to eat or drink an’ the nearest lan’, -Cocos Islan’, more’n a thousan’ miles away. Not one o’ the crew was strong -enough to pull oar, but by workin’ like blazes they managed for to tear out -the boat’s ceilin’ and lashed it up like a sort o’ sail an’ started off afore -the wind.</p> - -<p>“For seven days they sailed on with nothin’ to eat or drink ’cause there -wasn’t so much as a drop o’ rain fell, an’ all the time under the blazin’ sun -o’ the ’quator. By that time, things got so bad they begun to draw lots an’ -one o’ the men was killed an’ t’others eat him up. An’ then, jes’ as if -Almighty God had a-taken pity on ’em, a shower come along an’ give ’em plenty -to drink. On the eighth day arter being adrift, another man died, but nex’ day -another shower come along an’ a big dolphin flopped right into the boat. Ye -can’t tell me there ain’t no sech thing as Providence arter that, an’ every -day arter then a bird’d come so clost the men could cotch him, an’ twenty days -arter leaving of the whale, they sighted the Islan’. Gettin’ ashore, they -killed a wild pig and they was a-dinin’ like kings offen him an’ a eatin’ of -coconuts when the old <em>Leonidas</em>, with Pem Potter aboard as cabin boy, -run inter the Cocos fer water an’ found ’em.”</p> - -<p>“That’s a fine story,” declared Tom. “It does seem as if they were saved by -a miracle.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and if any one read it in a book they wouldn’t believe it,” added -Jim.</p> - -<p>“Tha’s right,” commented one of the New Bedford boat steerers. “Me, I -myself, one time mek long row in da whale boat. Mebbe you like hear heem, -yes?”</p> - -<p>“Sure we would,” Jim assured him. “Go on, Manuel, and tell us the -story.”</p> - -<p>“Alla right,” assented the boat steerer, showing his white teeth in a -pleased smile. “You know heem, da <em>Pedro Varela</em> schooner, no? Well, -two, three year ago, me, myself, I was boat steerer on heem when he mek da -cruise for da sperm whale een Atlantic. We mek fine cruise an’ fin’ plenty -whale an’ pretty near fill up down by da islan’s an’ da Cap’n he say he think -mebbe he strike two, three more whale an’ fill up on da way home. So he mek da -course north an’, sure thing, we fin’ da whale jus’ by Bermuda, mebbe leetle -way south an’ eas’.</p> - -<p>“Oh, boy, I, me myself, tell da worl’, we fin’ heem! One day da lookout, he -sing out, ‘There she blow,’ an’ da other lookout he sing out same leetle -minute, ‘There she blow,’ an’ we see ten, twelve, one dozen mebbe, blowin’. He -on’y three boat ship, da <em>Varela</em>, an’ da cap’n an’ mate an’ secon’ -mate, they all lower. Me, myself, I was in da secon’ mate boat an’ got fast da -firs’. Long time me, myself, I been whalin’ an’ never not een my life do I see -whale so mad. Oh, boy! Firs’ thing he sound, six hundred fathom he go, two -line, an’ then he breach so dam queek we no can pull in da slack an’ he mill -an’ then, Santa Maria! He mek off all same like he goin’ for tow us to Flores. -Never, never, do I see one whale go like that. One whole hour he run an’ -leetle by leetle we draw in an’ then, jus’ when we think we get heem, da iron -draw an’ we los’ heem. Then we look ’roun’ an’ no see da <em>Varela</em> -nowhere. No, sir, I, me myself, I tell you we los’. Mebbe, we think, da -<em>Varela</em> fin’ us in da night, so all da night we burn lantern lash to -da oar an’ stick eet up, but da schooner she no come an’ when da day come da -mate he say, ‘look like we bes’ row home, boys.’ So we eat leetle biscuit an’ -drink leetle water an’ head nor’wes’ and row all day. Nex’ day jus’ da same; -eat leetle, leetle biscuit, drink leetle, leetle water an’ row. Third -day—’bout six bell—biscuit he all finish an’ water he finish, too. Then we -feel mighty seek, I myself, I tell da worl’, an’ we row an’ row an’ ’bout four -bell, mebbe, we see smoke. Pretty soon we see da steamer an’ come our way an’ -we signal an’ he see an’ come near. He spik us an’ want tek us aboard, but da -mate he ask heem where he boun’ an’ when he say ‘Englan’,’ da mate he ask us -eef we want go Englan’ an we all say no. So da mate he say we not go aboard, -but if he give us grub an’ water an’ course for New Bedford, we thank heem -ve’y much and row home. Da skipper of da steamer he say we crazy, yes, an’ -laf; but he give us plenty grub an’ water an’ da course and we eat plenty an’ -row an’ bimeby we see Gay Head light an’ we mek New Bedford.”</p> - -<p>“Gosh!” exclaimed Jim. “You mean you rowed a whaleboat all the way from -Bermuda to New Bedford? How far is it?”</p> - -<p>“Me, I don’ know, mebbe three, four hundred mile,” replied Manuel.</p> - -<p>“Bout eight hundred,” volunteered Cap’n Pem. “Purty consid’ble of a row, -eh?”</p> - -<p>“Shure, ’twas thot!” exclaimed Mike. “B’gorra Misther Potter, did yez iver -see a sphirit at say?”</p> - -<p>“Nope!” replied the other. “Derned if I hev, ’ceptin’ in bottles.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, gwan wid yez!” went on the bo’sun. “’Tis not that kind Oim afther -mainin’ at all, at all. An’ if yez hasn’t, thin, b’gorra, Oive seen somethin’ -phwat yez haven’t an’, be the Saints, ’tis a wonder ye’ll admit it. Would yez -loike to hear about ut, b’ys?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, indeed, Mike,” said Tom with interest. “Go ahead and tell the yarn. -I’ll bet it’s a corker.”</p> - -<p>“Will, thin,” began Mike as he stuffed a load of tobacco into his pipe. “Oi -said ’twas a sphirit, but I dunno if ’twas aither—but ’twas somethin’ quare -an’ sooper-natural-loike. But shure an’ Oim gittin’ off me course so Oi’ll -’bout ship an’ be afther sthartin’ on a new tack. ’Twas ’bout thirty year ago, -afore ships wuz a-talkin’ wid woireless, ye moind, an’ Oi wuz furrst mate av a -wee shmall staymer what wuz afther tradin’ ’twixt Cuby an’ Noo Yorrk, an’ -proud Oi wuz to be a threadin’ the bridge wid the best av thim, Oi’ll tell -yez. Will, wan thrip, phwat did the skipper do but git took wid the yaller -Jack an’ doi,—may his soul rist in pace. An’ b’gob, there Oi wuz, masther av a -trim little ship as iver wuz. Faith though, ’twas a grrand falin’, but with a -hape o’ raysponsibility, b’gorra. Thin, wan night, Oi was a-sittin’ in me -cabin on the bridge wid the second mate on watch an’ a thinkin’ o’ the foine -future Oi’d be afther havin’—niver dramin’, b’gob, thot Oi’d iver be afther -a-killin’ say iliphants in the back o’ beyont—bad cess to the dhrink,—whin all -av a suddin Oi sees a figure a-sthandin’, or a-flyin’, or a floatin’—faith, Oi -dunno which—in the air fornist the port bow o’ the ship. B’ the Saints! ’Twas -dramin’ Oi thought Oi wuz, an’ Oi lept up an’ rubbed me ois an’ says Oi to -mesilf, says Oi, ‘Sure Mike is it sayin’ things ye arre or is it not.’ But -b’gorra, there she wuz—for ’twas a woman sphirit she wuz—a floatin’ or -a-flyin’ along an’ a beckonin’ to me wid her arrm. Says Oi to the secon’ mate’ -say Oi; ‘Misther Thompson,’ says Oi, ‘will yez look to two p’ints offen the -port bow,’ says Oi, ‘an’ tell me do yez see annythin’.’ ‘Aye Sir,’ says he, -‘Oi see a cloud,’ says he, ‘an’ nothin’ more,’ says he. So thin Oi thinks to -mesilf; ’tis a hallo-sue-nation ye’re havin’, think Oi, an’ Oi looks the other -way an’, Saints presarve me, if there wuzn’t the colleen again, an’ as Oi sees -her she sort o’ flits acrost me bows an’ off to port agin, a-beckonin’-loike -all the toime. So Oi says to meself, says Oi, ‘Shure Mike, ’tis a predomition -ye’re afther havin’ or a message o’ some sort an’ the spirit’s been sent yez -to guide yez.’ So Oi says to the second, says Oi, ‘Mr. Thompson, starboard the -helm a bit,’ says Oi, an’ as the bow swings to port Oi sees the spirit -a-swingin’ a bit further ’til me bow’s a-headin’ six p’ints off me course, an’ -thin the spirit sthops movin’ an’ jist floats aisyloike over me bow, so Oi -says, ‘Steady as she is, Mr. Thompson,’ an’ bein’ a good sailorman he niver -asks why in blazes Oi’m runnin’ off me course six pints. For two hours we run -an’ thin, b’gorra, the lookout sings out, ‘Ship afire ahead!’ an’ there, plain -as the nose on me face, Oi could see the glow o’ a burnin’ ship, an’ with -that, the spirit disappears an’ Oi know she’s been a-guidin’ av me to save -thim that’s on the burnin’ ship. Full spheed ahead, Oi rings, an’ nearer and -nearer we comes, an’ we kin see the flames o’ the burnin’ ship an’ her sphars -an’ all. An’ b’gorra, through me glasses Oi sees folks a-sthandin’ aft wid the -flames not twenty fate from thim an’ no boats over at all, at all. ’Twas a -race fer loife, b’gorra, for me staymer was a shakin’ an’ a throbbin’ what wid -the spade av her fit to bust, an’ the flames a-racin’ aft on the barrk. Thin, -as I get widin’ hailin’ distance, a man sings out that there’s powder aboard -an’ the hooker’ll be a blowin’ up in a minute more. Shure, an’ may Hivin help -me, if Oi wuz not in a foine fix! Shure, if Oi wint alongside to save the -sowls aboard the barrk ’twould be loike Oi wud lose me ship, an’ if Oi didn’t -’twould be nothin’ short o’ murtherin’ the folks on the barrk, an divvil a bit -o’ toime wuz there to be a lowerin’o’ me boats. ’Twas between the divvil an’ -the dape say, Oi wuz, wid the divvil holdin’ the thrump carrds. But b’jabbers, -Oi made up me mind an’ do yez know phwat Oi did?”</p> - -<p>“No,” cried Tom excitedly. “What <em>did</em> you do?”</p> - -<p>“Phwat would yez do, Misther Potter?” queried the bo’sun.</p> - -<p>“Derned if I know,” replied Cap’n Pem. “Spit it out, ye ol’ sinner, what -did ye do?”</p> - -<p>Mike grinned. “Shure,” he replied, “Oi woke up!”</p> - -<p>“Dern yer ol’ hide!” exploded Pem. “I’ll git one over on ye fer that, -blowed ef I don’t.”</p> - -<p>“Was you ever shipmates along of a mutiny, Mister Potter?” asked one of the -men, when the merriment over Mike’s joke on Cap’n Pem had subsided.</p> - -<p>“Can’t say as I was,” admitted the old whaleman. “Heard lots o’ yarns ’bout -’em, though.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I can beat you there,” asserted the other. “’Cause I was ’board a -ship what had a mutiny.”</p> - -<p>“Tell us about that,” begged the boys.</p> - -<p>“Well, ’twasn’t much of a mutiny,” went on the man, “but I guess ’twas -’bout the funniest mutiny ever was, at that. Manuel, speakin’ ’bout the -<em>Pedro Varela</em>, minded me of it, ’cause that’s the ship ’twas on.</p> - -<p>“I’d shipped as seaman an’ ’thout countin’ me an’ my two mates an’ the -officers, what was Portugees, every man was a greenie. ‘All American crew,’ -they called it, but I’ll bet my lay ’gainst a chew of tobaccer there wasn’t -two real Yanks in the bunch. Worst set of bums I ever see, an’ not casting no -reflections on present company. Officers couldn’t do nothing at all with -’em—never did learn the riggin’, even though the <em>Varela’s</em> just a -fore-an’-aft schooner,—an’ didn’t have enough gumption to pull a boat decent. -Just the same, things went along pretty well an’ we got a little oil; but -along about six weeks out, the men commenced for to get tired of whalin’ an’ -wanted to get ashore,—grumbled a bit an’ cussed the skipper an’ all, but no -open complainin’ an’ nothing particular to complain about. Then, one morning, -Chips come runnin’ an’ a cussin’ an’ saying his tool box had been stole. -Hunted every place, but tools had just nat’rally disappeared. Next morning, -along comes the cooper swearin’ <em>his</em> tools an’ the grinstone’d gone. -Next morning, ’twas the blubber-kettles missin’ an’ by that time things begun -to look mighty serious an’ funny. Skipper had all hands aft, but every -man-jack swore he didn’t know nothin’ an’ there wasn’t no proof that they did. -While the Old Man was chinnin’ the lookout sighted a whale an’ the skipper -left off an’ ordered the crew to the boats, an’ what do you think happened? -Why, bless you! There weren’t an iron or lance or fluke-spade or any darned -thing in any one of the boats. ’Course there weren’t no use in lowering, an’ -believe me, there was some skyhowlin’ rumpus on the old <em>Varela</em> when -the Portugee skipper let loose. But he couldn’t do nothing. There we was, on -the high seas a-cruisin’ for sperm, an’ not an iron on the ship for to get ’em -with. An’ when we got to searchin’ about we found there weren’t a spade or a -blubber-hook or a cuttin’ in tackle, neither. Of course, we all knew what -’twas. That crew of bums had just heaved every darned thing over the side long -in the night watches an’ knowing if the skipper couldn’t catch whales, he’d -nat’rally have to make port. Well, there weren’t nothing left for him to do -but make port so, talkin’ something fierce in United States and Portugee, he -heads for Fayal swearin’ to clap every man-jack in irons soon as he got there. -Worst of it was he blamed every mother’s son of us, Yanks as well as the -greenies. When we made Fayal, there, big as life, was a Yankee cruiser an’ -soon as we got near, up goes a signal for assistance and a-sayin’ there’s a -mutiny on board.</p> - -<p>“I dunno whether them navy men was so tickled at the fun of the thing or -what ’twas, but the up-shot was they had us all aboard an’ talked a bit, -though I knowed they was a bustin’ themselves tryin’ not to laff, an’ after a -heap of questioning, they let all but eight of us loose an’ ironed the others -an’ took ’em home for trial. I was on the beach but got a ship after a bit an’ -when I got back to New Bedford I heard the rest of the story. Seemed this ’ere -mutiny was a new kind. No law’d ever been made to cover it an’ accordin’ to -law the men hadn’t mutinied—didn’t use violence nor threaten nobody nor -disobey orders—so they couldn’t be charged with mutiny. Then the owners tried -to get ’em sent up for theft or destroyin’ property or most anything, but -there weren’t no proof of nothing, so the judge finally sentenced ’em for -disorderly conduct an’ they got ten days each.”</p> - -<p>“I heerd ’bout that,” commented Cap’n Pem. “Wisht they’d been my crew. I’d -a-heaved ’em over after them fittin’s. Derned if I wouldn’t. But look-a-here! -It’s a-gittin’ too late ter be a yarnin’ with killin’ to begin in the mornin’. -All han’s turn in!”</p> - -<p>An hour later, only the protesting croaks of sleepy penguins and the -distant barks of the sea elephants broke the silence that reigned over the -island.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-x-lost">CHAPTER X<br />LOST</h2> -</div> - -<p>Early the next morning, preparations for the killing began. Armed with -clubs, tin pans, flags and pieces of cloth, the men made their way along the -beach between the big herd of elephants and the sea, and took up stands at -intervals of a few hundred feet apart. Then, at a signal from Cap’n Pem, they -advanced towards the elephants, shouting, hallowing, beating on their tins, -waving their cloth and flags and jumping and prancing about like a lot of -savages. Frightened and surprised at these strange figures advancing towards -them, and dazed by the noise and fluttering rags, the huge, timid creatures -hobbled and wriggled their way up the shingle, wrinkling their noses and -barking in terror and stupidly getting further and further from their native -element in their sole desire to keep away from the men. Wedged together in a -closely-packed mass, the giant seals impeded one another’s progress and added -to their terror until, presently, their retreat was a wild stampede towards -the higher ground some distance from the sea.</p> - -<p>It was a strange and remarkable sight to see these immense, powerful -creatures with their strong, sharp teeth striving to escape the men and as -frightened as a flock of sheep, when any one of the monsters could easily have -crushed a man’s head in his jaws with a single bite. To the boys, it seemed -pitiful and they were really sorry to think of such harmless, splendid -creatures being thus ruthlessly slaughtered merely for the sake of their oil. -But their sympathy for the elephants was not as great as it would have been -had the animals appeared more helpless and gentle, for despite their timidity, -the sea elephants, and especially the old bulls, were savage, -ferocious-looking beasts. Naturally ugly, even when at rest, they appeared -veritable monsters as their small, wicked eyes gleamed red and bloodshot, -their trunklike snouts lifted above their great red mouths, their huge, sharp -teeth gleamed and snapped and their snarling barks filled the air with a -deafening roar.</p> - -<p>Although they had been assured that the elephants were harmless and had -been eye witnesses of the fact that the men could walk among them, kick them -and even kill them without the least attempt at resistance on the animals’ -part, yet neither Tom nor Jim could summon up enough courage to approach -within reach of the waving, threatening heads and snapping jaws. But the men -had no such fears and when, at last, the herd had been driven to the selected -spot, they went among them, driving the big, full-grown animals into small -bunches and ruthlessly clubbing them over the heads.</p> - -<p>As the killing began and the heavy bludgeons thumped on the heads of the -elephants, their humanlike sighs and screams, their choking, gurgling death -coughs and the terrorized barks of their fellows were more than the two boys -could stand. Hurrying from the scene of the slaughter, they made their way -past the camp and started up the hillside beyond. It was hard climbing, for -the sharp, volcanic rocks made footing uncertain, the scant gray moss and -lichens and dried stiff grass were slippery and the hill was steep. Here and -there, albatrosses were squatting on the ground and when the boys approached -they merely hissed and struck out with their strong, hooked beaks, refusing to -move. They were such enormous birds and appeared so vicious with their -china-blue eyes and menacing bills, that the boys had no desire to get at -close quarters in order to see if they had eggs; but they soon discovered that -by shooing at the birds and showing no signs of fear they could force the -albatrosses from their nests and they were greatly elated at sight of the -enormous, rough, brownish eggs in little hollows of the stony ground.</p> - -<p>Amusing themselves with the albatrosses, and taking their time, the boys -reached the summit of the hill and seated themselves upon a rock ledge to -rest. From where they sat, they could look down upon the camp and the beach -and could see the men, still busily killing the elephants. But the slaughter -evidently was nearly over, and presently, they saw the men stooping over and -evidently engaged in stripping the skins and blubber from the carcasses. In -the other direction, they looked down upon a sloping hillside ending in a -small, bowl-shaped valley which the boys at first sight thought filled with -snow; but a second glance showed it to be covered with great white birds.</p> - -<p>“I wonder what they are,” said Tom. “They don’t look like albatrosses and -they’re not penguins. Let’s go down and see.”</p> - -<p>Rising, the boys were about to descend when their attentions were attracted -by peculiar sounds apparently issuing from the earth under their feet.</p> - -<p>“What’s that?” ejaculated Jim. “It seems to come right out of the -ground.”</p> - -<p>Getting on their knees, the boys searched everywhere among the rocks, -expecting to find some strange creature in hiding there, but while they -searched diligently, and although the queer grunting sounds continued, they -could find no trace of any living thing. Puzzled, they stopped hunting and -listened, placing their ears to the ground, trying to trace the sounds, but to -no purpose, for the noises seemed to come from all about and were so -mysterious and baffling that the boys began to feel nervous.</p> - -<p>“It’s the weirdest thing I ever heard,” declared Tom. “I’m beginning to -think the place’s haunted.”</p> - -<p>At last, giving it up as a bad job, the two boys started forward and a -moment later clambered down over a projecting mass of huge irregular rocks. -The next instant they stopped short, for the baffling sounds came clear and -distinct from among the rocks. Approaching cautiously, the boys peered into -the dark cavelike openings and the next moment burst into laughter.</p> - -<p>“There’s the ghost,” exclaimed Jim, “I wonder what they are.” Far in among -the bowlders were several snow-white birds with pretty pinkish or -salmon-colored bills and bright, beady eyes. Reaching in his arm, Tom seized -one of the creatures, and despite its protests, drew it out and revealed two -handsome brown eggs where it had been sitting.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I know now,” declared Tom. “It’s a sheathbill, don’t you remember -Cap’n Pem pointed them out to us at sea. Look, here’s the sheath on its -bill.”</p> - -<p>Satisfied at having solved the mystery of the strange sounds, and having -identified the bird, the boys released the creature which immediately -fluttered back to its nest, ruffling its feathers and croaking in such an -indignant, offended way that the boys roared with laughter. Continuing down -the hill, the boys approached the first of the great bird colony in the valley -and found they were big, white Molly Mokes and another species of bird which -they had not seen before.</p> - -<p>“They’re some sort of albatrosses,” insisted Tom. “But they’re not like the -others. They’re smaller and have bright yellow beaks and they’re much -whiter.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and they’ve greeny-brown eyes instead of blue,” added Jim.</p> - -<p>“I’ll bet I know what they are,” Tom announced “I’ve been thinking, and I -remember reading about a kind of albatross called yellow-nosed. These have -yellow noses so I’ll bet that’s what they are.”</p> - -<p>It was a strange sensation for the boys to find themselves surrounded by -countless thousands of the big, white birds which showed not the least fear, -but pecked boldly at the boys’ garments as they picked their way among the -nesting birds.</p> - -<p>As they gained the farther side of the valley they came to a low, rocky -ridge, and curious to see what lay beyond, they clambered up its side and -found themselves once more in view of the sea.</p> - -<p>“Look at those penguins!” cried Jim, as he caught sight of a great flock of -the queer birds. “Gee, but they’re big fellows!”</p> - -<p>“They’re not like the others,” replied Tom. “Say, we <em>are</em> finding a -lot of queer things to-day.”</p> - -<p>“And those don’t look like sea elephants on the beach either,” said Jim. -“They look smaller and different, somehow.”</p> - -<p>“I believe you’re right,” agreed Tom. “Let’s go down and have a look.”</p> - -<p>As they approached the creatures basking upon the shingle, the boys saw -that they were indeed very different from the huge sea elephants, for they -were much smaller, they lacked the long snouts and their bodies were darker in -color and beautifully spotted.</p> - -<p>“Don’t let’s go too near,” exclaimed Jim. “I don’t like their looks.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, don’t be a fraid-cat,” urged Tom. “They won’t hurt us. Of course, we -won’t go among them. I don’t trust them as much as all that.”</p> - -<p>Rather nervously, but anxious to see the odd creatures at closer range, the -boys walked towards the herd of animals and were within a few rods of the -nearest when the giant seal suddenly reared himself up, opened a huge red -mouth filled with enormous, sharp-pointed teeth, and with a bellowing howl -threw himself bodily towards the two boys. Instantly, with terror-stricken -cries, the boys turned and fled, never stopping until they were well up the -hillside.</p> - -<p>“Gosh, but he <em>was</em> fierce!” ejaculated Jim, when they regained -their breath. “I told you we’d better not go near.”</p> - -<p>“You can bet I won’t, next time,” Tom assured him. “But they’re no sea -elephants anyhow.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s go along the beach and have a look at the penguins,” suggested Jim. -“We can keep away from those beasts, back here.”</p> - -<p>Giving the fierce, spotted seals a wide berth the two boys descended to the -beach and strolled towards the penguin colony. Many odd shells and other -interesting things were scattered on the sand, and, as the boys stooped to -pick some up, they noticed many rounded, glittering pebbles.</p> - -<p>“Why, they’re moonstones!” exclaimed Tom, “and thousands of them!”</p> - -<p>There was no question of it. The beach was strewn with the translucent, -handsome stones and the boys busied themselves filling their pockets with the -gems. So intent were they, that they failed to notice a low, gray cloud about -the mountain top which drifted down towards the shores in little wisps and -detached masses until, feeling chilly, Tom looked up and gave a surprised cry. -On every side they were surrounded with an impenetrable, dense fog and only a -small area of the beach about them was visible.</p> - -<p>Seaward they could see the lazy, green rollers coming mysteriously from a -gray bank. They could hear the muffled cries of birds and the occasional -flapping of wings; but not a sign of the hill or of the mountains could be -seen.</p> - -<p>“Gosh, we’d better be getting back!” exclaimed Jim anxiously. “It’s getting -thicker every minute.”</p> - -<p>Hurrying from the beach, they commenced climbing the hill, but long before -they reached the summit the beach and waves were hidden from view and the boys -seemed shut in as if by a soft, gray wall.</p> - -<p>“We’ll have to be careful or we’ll get lost,” cautioned Tom. “We should -have brought a compass.”</p> - -<p>“What good would that do?” demanded Jim. “We don’t know what direction the -camp is.”</p> - -<p>“No, but we could be sure we were not moving in a circle,” explained Tom -sagely. “But come along, we can find that Molly Moke rookery and then go up -the hill and find the cave where the sheathbills are and go straight down from -there.”</p> - -<p>Striving to keep a straight course by listening to the breaking seas at -their backs, the boys picked their way over the ridge, and descending the -further side, were overjoyed to find themselves among the nesting Molly -Mokes.</p> - -<p>“We’re all right now!” said Tom confidently. “If we walk straight across -and up the hill to the cave we can’t go wrong. Why, I don’t believe we went -over half a mile from camp anyway.”</p> - -<p>Shut in by the dense fog, the boys could hear the disturbed cries of the -thousands of birds about them, but the birds themselves were only visible when -within a few feet and even then they had a strange, ghostly appearance. -Several times the boys actually bumped into them, and they were constantly -compelled to turn to right or left to avoid stepping on the birds. But at -last, they reached the scattered, outlying nests and found the ground rising -before them.</p> - -<p>“Funny, this hill doesn’t seem half as long as it did before,” commented -Jim as they gained the summit. “Say, listen! What’s that?”</p> - -<p>For a moment the two paused, straining their ears to catch a faint sound -that issued from the fog ahead. And then, as the truth dawned upon them, they -gazed at each other in dismay. The noise was the breaking waves. They were -back at the spot from which they had started. They had walked in a circle and -were lost! Presently, however, as they recovered from the disappointment and -shock of their discovery, their confidence returned.</p> - -<p>“We’ll have to try again,” declared Tom. “We must have got turned around -among those Molly Mokes. I’ve a scheme, Jimmy. When we get there this time, -we’ll separate a little and one of us will walk ahead a few yards and then -stop, and then the other can walk straight to him and then stop and the other -can go on ahead as far as he can be seen and stop and in that way we might be -able to go pretty straight. Anyway, we won’t go in a circle.”</p> - -<p>“That may help,” admitted Jim, “but we’ll have to kick the birds out of the -way to do it.”</p> - -<p>“Bother the birds!” ejaculated Tom. “We’ve got to get to camp.”</p> - -<p>“I wonder how long fogs last here,” said Jim as once more they made their -way up the ridge. “Perhaps if we just waited a while it would lift.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” replied the other, “but I heard Cap’n Pem say that -sometimes the island’s foggy for weeks at a time.”</p> - -<p>Once again they reached the Molly Moke rookery and at once proceeded to put -Tom’s plan into practice. By shoving the birds out of their path and -ruthlessly trampling on the eggs, the boys made their way across the valley in -a fairly direct line; but as they gained the slope of the hill a sudden -misgiving seized Jim.</p> - -<p>“Say, Tom,” he exclaimed, “how do we know we’ve crossed in the right -direction? Don’t you remember the hill went all around the valley—it was like -a big bowl—and we may be on the opposite side from where we came down.”</p> - -<p>“We can’t help that,” stated Tom. “When we get to the top we’ll mark the -spot and walk to the right ’til we find the sheathbills’ cave and if we don’t -find it, we’ll come back and try to the left.”</p> - -<p>Toiling up the hillside, panting with the exertion and soaked to the skin -by the clinging moisture, the two boys at last reached the summit.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps they’d hear us in camp if we yelled,” suggested Jim.</p> - -<p>But their cries seemed muffled in the fog and no answering call came to -them, so, piling several stones in a little pyramid, the two turned to the -right and carefully picked their way along the rocky ridge.</p> - -<p>“We didn’t come over at this place, I know,” said Jim decisively as they -came to a jagged, upstanding mass of rock.</p> - -<p>“No,” admitted Tom. “but it may have been just a little to one side of the -place where we did cross. Come along.”</p> - -<p>In order to pass the ledge, the two boys were compelled to descend a short -distance on the hill and so dense was the fog on the summit that the rocks -disappeared from sight ere they had taken a dozen steps. Judging that they -passed the obstruction, they once more turned up the slope and tramped on, -hoping each moment that they would be in luck and would come upon the pile of -bowlders where they had discovered the sheathbills.</p> - -<p>“Say, we must have been way off our course,” panted Jim at last. “We’ve -been walking for half an hour and seems to me we’re going down hill.”</p> - -<p>“I thought that too,” replied Tom, “but I guess it’s just the effect of the -fog.”</p> - -<p>For ten minutes more, the boys continued and then, coming to a mass of -fallen rock, they found further progress barred by a bold perpendicular -cliff.</p> - -<p>“Well, we can’t go any further,” observed Tom. “Now we’ll have to go back -and try the other direction.”</p> - -<p>“I’m going to rest first,” insisted Jim. “There’s no use in getting all -tired out.”</p> - -<p>Seating themselves upon a piece of rock, the boys were talking over their -predicament when, suddenly, there was a cracking sound. The boys felt their -seat moving and leaped aside as the mass of rock gave way and went crashing -down the hill. But while the boys had saved themselves from an injury, yet -they had not saved themselves from a tumble, and as they jumped from the rock -their feet shot out from under them and rolling and sliding, they followed -after the stone for a dozen rods before they could check their headlong -course.</p> - -<p>At the same instant they heard a tremendous crash from below followed by a -shout:</p> - -<p>“Hi, there! What’n tarnation’s broke loose? Derned ef the whole mounting -ain’t a-tumbling down!”</p> - -<p>With wild yells the boys leaped to their feet, and regardless of danger, -raced down the hillside. Before they had covered a hundred feet they reached -level ground and plumped full into Cap’n Pem, bowling the old man over like a -ninepin.</p> - -<p>“Avast there!” spluttered the old whaleman. “What in thunderation’s up? -Fust a chunk o’ mounting an’ then you two scallawags! What in Sam Hill ye in -sech a hurry fer? Bear a chasin’ on ye?”</p> - -<p>“No,” stammered Tom. “We were lost. Where are we?”</p> - -<p>“Where be ye?” reiterated the old man. “Where be ye? Why, right ’longside -o’ the shack a course. Where’d ye think ye wuz? Derned queer way ye have o’ -comin’ home!”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-xi-a-strange-message">CHAPTER XI<br />A STRANGE MESSAGE</h2> -</div> - -<p>The boys actually had tumbled into camp from the hill behind the shack, and -they joined heartily in the laughter of the men, when they related their story -of being lost in the fog.</p> - -<p>“Shure, an’ Oi wuz a-sayin’ to Misther Potter that maybe yez was lost,” -Mike affirmed, “an’ twas meself what wuz for goin’ afther yez if yez didn’t -turrn up soon.”</p> - -<p>“Gid out!” jeered Cap’n Pem. “Ye’d be a fine one ter go gawallupin’ over -these ’ere hills with that there wooden lig o’ yourn. Know’d the boys ’ud git -in ship-shape.”</p> - -<p>“B’gorra thin, Oi could do as well as yez at anny rate,” insisted Mike.</p> - -<p>Cap’n Pem snorted, but forbore a retort and warned the boys against taking -any risks in the future.</p> - -<p>“Don’t ye never go off without a-takin’ a gun an’ a compass,” he commanded -them. “An’ ef ye go out o’ sight o’ camp, mind ye watch the way ye’re a-goin’ -of. ’Tain’t no jokin’ matter ter git lost here. It’s a heap bigger islan’ than -ye think an’ fog’s li’ble ter come on any time.”</p> - -<p>When the boys told of their experience with the big seal-like creatures, -Cap’n Pem laughed uproariously.</p> - -<p>“Them’s sea leopards,” he told them. “Lucky ye didn’t git too clost, they -ain’t like these ’ere elephants. Bite ye quicker’n Jack Robinson, ’bout as -fierce as a lion an’ mighty touchy too.”</p> - -<p>“Aren’t they good for anything?” asked Tom. “Do you ever kill them?”</p> - -<p>“Hides is wuth somethin’,” replied the old man, “but ain’t got enough -blubber ter make ’em wuth the danger o’ killin’ of ’em. Time was, when we used -fer to hunt ’em an’ fur seals, too. But ’ain’t nothin’ in it now, with -elephant ’ile so high.”</p> - -<p>Cap’n Pem also explained that the big penguins they had seen were King -Penguins and that the moonstones, though pretty, had little value.</p> - -<p>“Whole beaches on ’em over ter Kerguelan,” he told them. “Took up derned -nigh a bucket full on ’em one trip. Couldn’t sell ’em fer ’nough ter keep me -in terbaccy. Guv ’em all ter the wimmin folks.”</p> - -<p>Boiling was going on when the boys reached camp, and after eating, for they -were ravenously hungry, they watched the operation for some time and then made -their way towards the spot where the men were stripping the blubber from the -last of the dead elephants. Everywhere, the enormous raw carcasses were -scattered about, and, almost hiding them from sight, were thousands of -albatrosses, Molly Mokes and other sea birds, screaming and quarreling over -the feast and tearing the flesh from the bones with their powerful bills. So -bold were the birds that they frequently swooped down and attempted to carry -off pieces of blubber under the noses of the working men and one man -constantly was kept busy shooing and beating them off.</p> - -<p>“Wouldn’t they clear out if you shot some of them?” inquired Tom.</p> - -<p>“Yep, I expect they would,” replied a boat steerer, “but we need ’em an’ -don’t want to drive away. What’d we do with all them there dead elephants if -’twan’t fer them birds? Why, they’d smell so ye couldn’t live on the islan’, -an’ a breedin’ plague.”</p> - -<p>“Do you mean the birds will eat them all up?” asked Jim in surprise.</p> - -<p>“Sure thing,” declared the sailor, “less’an a couple o’ days there won’t be -nothin’ but bones left.”</p> - -<p>The boys could scarcely believe that the birds could completely devour the -mountains of flesh before them, but long before the expiration of the two days -only the clean picked bones of the elephants marked the scene of their -slaughter.</p> - -<p>As it was light through the night, the work of boiling was carried on -unceasingly, the men working in watches or shifts, as on board ship, and by -the second day they were ready for another drive and kill.</p> - -<p>Although practically all the large elephants had been slaughtered the first -day, yet there seemed to be no decrease in the numbers which came up the -seashore daily, and the second killing was even larger than the first. Cap’n -Pem and the men were elated, for the great number of elephants argued well for -a full cargo of oil, and the old whaleman couldn’t say enough in praise of the -policy of the British government in having restricted the killing and -extermination of the creatures.</p> - -<p>“Las’ time I was here,” he informed them, “they’d got so pesky skeerce ye -couldn’t make a kill o’ a dozen a week an’ now look at ’em. Jes’ a crowdin’ o’ -thersel’s up, a-waitin’ ter be killed. Looks like as though they ac’t’ally -enj’yed it.”</p> - -<p>Not forgetting Cap’n Pem’s injunction regarding gun and compass, and -usually carrying a lunch with them, the boys spent their days wandering over -the hills, exploring the island, gathering eggs from the more remote bird -colonies, so as not to frighten away the scavengers near camp, and having a -glorious time by themselves. They had discovered several small ponds among the -more distant hills and here, to their surprise, they found a number of small -teal-like ducks. These proved excellent eating and a most welcome change in -the camp diet and the boys made almost daily visits to the place. On another -occasion, they had found a rookery of the Antarctic fur seals and spent hours -watching the big, gentle-eyed creatures frolicking and playing about. Twice -too, they had clambered far up the mountain side and had gazed forth upon the -vast panorama that was stretched beneath them. Rugged and gray, their own -island spread itself below their feet, and on the horizon—some visible across -lanes of gray sea that from the height seemed narrow, others but hazy clouds -against the sky and others only distinguishable by their lofty peaks—were many -other islands of the group. The boys, who had spent hours poring over charts -of the Antarctic, knew many of them by name, such as Governor Livingston, -Scotts, Clarence and Deception. The latter was the island to which the -<em>Hector</em> had gone and the boys spent much time in speculation as to the -success the men were having there and how soon the bark would return.</p> - -<p>But best of all, the boys loved to visit the rookeries of albatrosses, -penguins and Molly Mokes that by now were filled with ungainly, grotesque and -mirth-provoking fledglings.</p> - -<p>It was while they were on their way to one of these, several weeks after -their adventure in the fog, that the boys saw a big Wandering Albatross acting -in a most peculiar and unusual manner. The bird was standing upon a pile of -rocks and was spreading and flapping his enormous wings as if trying to fly, -but he would rise only a few feet above the ground before he again dropped -back. Then he would reach down, peck at something in the rocks as though -feeding, and again flap into the air for a short distance again to repeat the -whole performance.</p> - -<p>“What <em>do</em> you suppose he’s doing?” asked Tom in puzzled tones. “He -acts as if he’d found something and couldn’t make up his mind to leave -it.”</p> - -<p>“Come along and see,” suggested Jim, and curious to know the reason for the -big bird’s actions, the two turned aside and clambered over the rock-strewn -hillside towards the albatross.</p> - -<p>Much to the boys’ surprise, he apparently paid little heed to their -approach, but continued his remarkable behavior until they were within a few -yards. Then, to their amazement, they saw that the bird was fastened to the -rocks by a piece of rope or line.</p> - -<p>“Why, he’s tied down!” exclaimed Jim. “I wonder who did that.”</p> - -<p>“I can’t imagine,” replied Tom. “But it’s a shame! He’ll just beat himself -to pieces, or die of thirst and starvation. Come on, let’s untie him.”</p> - -<p>But to release the bird was more of an undertaking than they bargained for. -Every time the boys tried to approach, he would strike viciously with his -enormously powerful wings, hiss like a gigantic snake and lunge savage, -snapping thrusts with his strong, hooked beak.</p> - -<p>“Gee, he <em>is</em> ugly!” cried Tom. “I’ve half a mind to leave him.”</p> - -<p>But having once determined to free the bird, the two were not to be worsted -so easily. Taking off their coats, and with Tom holding his sheath-knife -ready, the two boys made a sudden dash at the albatross, and while Jim threw -his jacket around the bird’s head and held his neck, Tom protected his head -from the blows of the wings, and stooping quickly, cut the line. Then, leaping -back, they watched the great bird as he flapped upwards with cries of triumph -and sailed off out of sight.</p> - -<p>“Ungrateful old brute!” laughed Jim. “Acts as tickled as if he’d got loose -all by himself.”</p> - -<p>“I wonder what he was tied to,” put in Tom. “Hello! Look here, Jim!” -Reaching down in a crevice of the rocks, Tom drew out a bundle, or roll of -frayed and weather-beaten tarred canvas attached to the stout, hemp lead-line -which had bound the albatross.</p> - -<p>“Well, that beats all!” exclaimed Jim as the two boys examined the package -curiously. “It must have been tied to the bird’s leg and got wedged between -the rocks when he alighted. What <em>do</em> you suppose it is!”</p> - -<p>“Search me!” replied the other. “Let’s open it and see.”</p> - -<p>Drawing his knife, Tom proceeded to slash through the rope that was wrapped -and tied about the bundle and then commenced to rip out the tightly drawn -stitches with which it was sewn.</p> - -<p>“Whoever sewed this didn’t intend it to get away in a hurry,” he remarked -as the first layer of heavy canvas fell back and disclosed another beneath -it.</p> - -<p>“Reminds me of the pill-boxes the druggists have,” supplied Jim. “Just one -inside of another right down to a tiny one. Perhaps that’s all this is.”</p> - -<p>“Nobody’d take the trouble to sew it all up and tie it to a bird’s leg -unless ’twas something important,” declared Tom decisively. “I’ll bet there’s -something mighty interesting in it.”</p> - -<p>Two more layers of canvas were removed, and as the last was pulled away, -the boys saw a brass tube, or cylindrical box, with both ends stopped with -wood.</p> - -<p>“That’s a funny looking thing,” commented Tom as he turned it about. “Looks -like a—gee, I know what ’tis! It’s part of a telescope.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps there’s something in it,” Jim suggested excitedly. “Open it and -see.”</p> - -<p>After some difficulty, Tom pried out one of the wooden plugs and tipped up -the cylinder, but nothing dropped out. Then, as he peered within it, he cried -out, “Gosh! There <em>is</em> something in there.”</p> - -<p>Inserting his finger in the tube, while the nerves of both boys tingled -with expectancy, Tom drew out a roll of some crinkled, whitish-yellow material -which they thought, at first, was paper.</p> - -<p>“Hurrah! It’s a message!” shouted Jim. “Gee, we’re in luck!”</p> - -<p>Spreading the parchment on a smooth rock, the two boys studied the -indistinct characters upon it, but for some time could make nothing of them. -Gradually, however, they began to recognize letters, and slowly and with much -hesitation and difficulty spelled out the following:</p> - -<blockquote> -<p>“Two hoo shal fine these leter for God sak save mee. iam reckt on a illan -west off elyfant illan in the soth shetlans yu kan tel the won by too piks -stikin up on the eas end i am seemans off the brig <em>ellen</em> of st Helena -we was kroosin an see a worship she was a gurman an sink us an fir on the -botes i was hit an wen i cum two i seen nothin I drifted a long tyme an most -starf an dye of thurst wen I seen lan i no it was the soth shetlans cuss i bin -theyre bfour too kil elyfonts mi bot drift one these ilant an I find a ole hut -I bin her long tym an I am sik mi wun want heel i muss dy if non resku me I -amm goin two ty this to a allybtros whut i haf cot mae god dyrect it too sum -crishun an knot two a hun. yurs respekfuli</p> - -<div style="text-align:right">“Sam Holt</div> - -<p>“p. S. i think this is disemper but I do not sur i los trak ov tym wile i -byn sik.”</p> -</blockquote> - -<p>For an instant, the two boys sat speechless, absolutely dumbfounded at the -story disclosed by the parchment so miraculously secured.</p> - -<p>“Gosh, he’s right near here!” cried Tom, at last. “Say, we’ve got to hustle -down and tell Cap’n Pem. Perhaps we can rescue him!”</p> - -<p>Dashing as fast as they could over the rough ground, risking broken bones -and bruises, forgetting all except to tell the old whaleman of their -discovery, the two boys jumped, leaped, scrambled and ran, until, breathless -and exhausted, they rushed into camp and hurled themselves on the old man.</p> - -<p>“Gosh all mackerel!” ejaculated Cap’n Pem. “What’n tarnation’s up now? Seed -a ghos’?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Cap’n Pem!” panted Tom. “We found a message—a letter—there’s a -man—shipwrecked—on an island.”</p> - -<p>“West of here!” Jim went on as Tom paused for breath. “See, here’s the -message—found it on an albatross. Can’t we save him?”</p> - -<p>“What?” ejaculated Cap’n Pem, while a number of the men gathered about -attracted by the boys’ excitement. “What’s that ye’re a-sayin’? Man -shipwrecked? Found a message on a albatross, eh? Blow me ef ’tisn’t!”</p> - -<p>Then, having recovered themselves, the two boys rapidly told their story, -while the old whaleman studied the message.</p> - -<p>“B’gosh!” exclaimed Mike, “’tis a missage all right, all right. Shure, -b’ys, we’ll be afther a rescuin’ av him.”</p> - -<p>“Derned if we won’t!” cried Pem. “Nobody can’t say as any Yankee whaleman -ever lef’ a shipwracked mate fer to die ’slong’s he could help it. Dern them -Germans’ hides! Wisht I could git at ’em! Here you, Mike, call all han’s! I’m -a-goin’ fer to ask fer volunteers. An’ git the boat ready fer the v’yge. Stow -away ’nough grub an’ water fer a week an’ med’cines an’ grog, an’ clo’s an’ -blankets. Like as not thet there feller ain’t got none.”</p> - -<p>Then, as Mike stumped off to carry out his orders, Pem bustled about, -giving directions, leaving orders as to work to be done while the boat was -away, and between times, cursing the Germans with quaint oaths.</p> - -<p>“Reckon like as not he’s died long ago,” he muttered half to himself. “No -knowin’ when he writ thet letter.”</p> - -<p>“But it says December,” Tom reminded him. “And this is only the second -week.”</p> - -<p>“Yep, I knows it,” replied the whaleman. “But he says he ain’t no ways sure -an he don’ say <em>what</em> December. Like as not ’twas las’ year or year -afore. ’Spect we’ll have all our trouble fer nothin’.”</p> - -<p>Then, addressing the men who had gathered about, Cap’n Pem told the story -of the boys’ find in a few terse words and called for volunteers to make the -trip. Every hand went up instantly.</p> - -<p>“Bile me ef I didn’t know ’twould be thet way!” cried the mate. “Might as -well saved myself the trouble. Got to pick ye out, anyway!”</p> - -<p>Hurriedly running his eyes over the men, he picked four of the strongest -and best, and all men from New Bedford. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, he -turned to the one-eyed man, Ned.</p> - -<p>“Here, you!” he snapped out. “You’ve been a sojer. Know anythin’ ’bout -doctorin’?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, a little, sir,” replied Ned respectfully. “I was in the field -hospital over there, for a time, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Thought so!” ejaculated the mate. “All right, come on, men, git a move -on!”</p> - -<p>“But can’t we go?” cried Tom.</p> - -<p>“Nope, no place fer youngsters.” Then, as he noticed the crestfallen look -on the boys’ faces, he suddenly relented.</p> - -<p>“Oh, blow me! All right!” he burst out. “Hadn’t been fer ye we wouldn’t -a-been a-goin’. Reckon ye gotta right ter go. Come along!”</p> - -<p>To the accompaniment of lusty cheers from the men, the boat was pushed off, -the five oars took the water, and with a “Give way boys!” from Cap’n Pem, the -rescuers headed for the open sea. Straining at their oars as though they were -going on a whale, the men fairly lifted the speedy whaleboat through the -water, while, in the stern, Cap’n Pem stood grasping the huge steering oar and -ever and anon urging his crew to even greater efforts. Rapidly the beach was -left behind, and swinging the boat to the westward and rounding a projecting, -rocky point, the old whaleman steered a course for the hazy outlines of a -distant island.</p> - -<p>“Reckon thet’s the one,” he remarked. “’Pears to me I recollec’ them there -needles. Used ter call ’em the donkey’s ears.”</p> - -<p>For hour after hour the boat sped on. Elephant Island grew dim in the -distance and more and more distinct became the island ahead. Gradually, from -the mist it took form and shape. The boys could see the rugged, central -volcanic cone; little by little the lower slopes became visible, and at last, -Tom gave a shout of joy, for looming up from the sea at one end of the island -were two steep-sided, conical peaks.</p> - -<p>“Thar she be!” announced old Pem. “Give way, lads! If that poor lad’s a -livin’ he’ll likely be a sightin’ of us purty quick.”</p> - -<p>Half an hour later, the island loomed close ahead and the boys strained -their eyes in an effort to make out the hut in which the castaway had lived. -But not until they were within half a mile of the shore did they see it; a -little, tumble-down shanty of gray, weather-beaten boards and ragged flapping -sail-cloth tucked into a corner of the rocks and so nearly like them in color -that it was scarcely distinguishable. But search the beach and rocks as they -would, they could see no sign of life, and their spirits fell, for all began -to fear that they had arrived too late, that the bleaching bones of the -wounded castaway would be all that they would find. Running their boat upon -the shingle, the crew leaped out, and led by Cap’n Pem, hurried towards the -house, hallooing as they went. Then, when within a score of paces from the -hut, a crazy, makeshift door swung open and a man stepped forth. And at sight -of him, every one stopped short and gazed in amazement. The man was a -gray-headed, coal-black negro with a wooden leg!</p> - -<p>“I’ll be everlastin’ly dumbswizzled!” burst out Cap’n Pem. “Derned ef we -ain’t shipped another peg-leg!”</p> - -<p>The next instant the old negro rushed forward and threw himself upon the -beach groveling at Pem’s feet.</p> - -<p>“Hi, there! Git up!” cried the whaleman. “We ain’t no Saints! Jes’ o’nary -whalemen. How be ye anyhow? Reckon we’re in time, eh? Feared we’d fin’ ye dead -an’ gone.”</p> - -<p>With tears of emotion trickling over his emaciated, ebon cheeks, and with -wildly rolling eyes and in broken tones, the negro poured out incoherent -thanks and blessings and was so overcome that two of the men were obliged to -carry him bodily into the shack. Here, on an improvised couch of moss, dried -seaweed and bird skins the castaway was placed, and Cap’n Pem hurriedly poured -a stiff draft of whiskey down his throat while Ned and the men quickly kindled -a fire and proceeded to heat coffee and tinned soup. Between the liquor and -the steaming food the old negro quickly revived and managed to control his -emotions somewhat. Cap’n Pem told him how they had learned of his plight, but -by Ned’s command he was not permitted to talk; although all were filled with -curiosity to learn his story, and the castaway was compelled to content -himself with muttering, “Thank de Lord A’mighty! De Lord shure does watch over -his pore sinners! Oh, Lor’ <em>is</em> I save’ at las’!”</p> - -<p>“Doc,” Ned, as the men called him, declared that the castaway was in no -condition to be moved and that he must have several days of rest and good -feeding before undertaking the trip in the open boat. The wound of which he -had spoken in his message, had partly healed, but he was very weak from -suffering and lack of food and now that he was rescued he seemed quite content -to lie still and be nursed back to health and strength. Gradually too, he told -them of his life upon the island: how he had managed to eke out a living by -catching crabs and shellfish, and later on by albatross and penguin eggs; and -how he had captured the albatross and had utilized a broken telescope which he -had found in the hut as a box or container for the message.</p> - -<p>“How did you happen to think of sending the message that way, Sam?” asked -Tom. “There wasn’t one chance in a million that any one would find it.”</p> - -<p>“I seed a ship a-sailin’ away fra El’funt Islan’,” replied the negro, “an’ -I knows as how she must’a’ lef’ men there an’ I knows as how these albatrosses -do smell dead meat for a pow’ful long ways, an’ I thinks like as not if you -was a-killin’ the el’funts this ol’ bird mought go over yander for de food an’ -some man mought see the canvas a-danglin’ from he laig an’ cotch he; an’ -praise the Lord A’mighty, you did.”</p> - -<p>Cap’n Pem was anxious to return to the camp as soon as possible and fumed -and grumbled, although “Doc” Ned declared that three days should be enough -rest for Sam with the good care he was receiving. But when the third day came, -a gale was blowing and lashing the sea to fury and departure was -impossible.</p> - -<p>“Ding-bust the weather!” exploded Cap’n Pem, when on the next day, the gale -still howled about the shack and cold rain and sleet beat like shrapnel on its -roof. “Didn’t I tell ye we’d have bad luck,—arter that there bo’sun bird come -aboard! Wouldn’t be s’prised ef this ’ere dumfoozled sto’m lasted all summer. -Reckon we’ll be shipwracked oursel’s here!”</p> - -<p>“But we haven’t had bad luck,” Jim reminded him. “<em>I</em> think we’ve -had mighty good luck, to get that message and save Sam.”</p> - -<p>“Hadn’t begun, then,” contended the whaleman. “Got ter have a beginnin’ -sometime. Bet ye we gets wuss an’ wusser from now on.”</p> - -<p>But despite Cap’n Pem’s dismal forebodings, the next day was fine, the gale -had blown itself out, and while the seas still ran mountain high, they were -rapidly decreasing. Two days later Cap’n Pem declared the sea had moderated -enough to set out and with one of the men helping Sam—for he was still -weak—the party launched the boat and headed for Elephant Island. It was hard -pulling against the head sea and as there was no favorable wind, the sail -could not be used and the men strained and sweated at their heavy oars. But -gradually the little island faded into the distance and each moment Elephant -Island loomed nearer and plainer ahead. At last they gained the lee of the -land, and keeping close inshore, pulled towards the outstanding cliffs which -concealed the harbor. As the boat came abreast of the point the spars of a -ship came suddenly into view.</p> - -<p>“Hurrah! The <em>Hector’s</em> back!” cried Tom.</p> - -<p>“Derned if she is!” exclaimed Cap’n Pem. “That’s a brig. I’ll—” but his -sentence was never finished. From the direction of the shore came the sounds -of a volley of gun shots.</p> - -<p>“What’n tarnation,” roared the old whaleman. “Give way, lads! Lift her! -Fightin’s broke loose yonder!”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> <h2 id="chapter-xii-the-raiders">CHAPTER XII<br />THE -RAIDERS</h2> </div> - -<p>Meanwhile, upon Elephant Island, things had not been going well. For the -first two days after the departure of Cap’n Pem and his boat, the work of -killing and boiling had gone on as usual, although on a smaller scale owing to -the lack of men. Then, on the third day came the terrific storm which had -prevented the rescuing party from returning. Within a few hours after the -screeching, howling gale had first burst upon the island, the flimsy shacks, -erected for summer weather, had been completely wrecked; the tremendous seas -had swept far up the beach and had carried away the try-works and had smashed -and broached many of the casks of oil, and Mike and his men had been compelled -to perform Herculean labors to save anything from the fury of the tempest.</p> - -<p>By dint of incredible exertions they had managed to construct a rude -shelter from the wreckage and had saved the rest of the oil and most of the -supplies; but when the storm finally abated, the drenched, tired and shivering -men looked upon a scene of desolation. The beach was littered with staved -casks, boards, boxes and ruined supplies. Masses of wave-driven kelp and -flotsam were piled high where the try-works had stood; the planks and canvas -of the hut were scattered about and not a sea elephant was in sight.</p> - -<p>Mike shook his head as he surveyed the devastated camp. “B’gorra!” he -exclaimed. “Faith an’ ’tis the doin’s o’ the bo’sun burrd—bad cess to him! An’ -be the same token ’tis worrit Oi am over Misther Potter an’ thim others. Foive -days now, an’ divvil a soign av thim. Beloike an’ they wuz caught in the big -wind, ’tis dead they be.”</p> - -<p>“Mister Potter, he put da grub an’ da water for week,” Manuel reminded -him.</p> - -<p>“Shure ’tis thrue ye’re sp’akin’ Manny,” replied Mike in relieved tones, -“an Oim a blessed phool fer thinkin’ Misther Potter’s a lan’ lubber for to be -a-sthartin’ out in the tathe av a storrm. Faith though, but ’twill be a sorrer -sight for thim to say whin they come. An’ not a say iliphant in sight. B’ -Saint Pathrick Oi belave the storrm’s afther drowndin’ av thim all.”</p> - -<p>Then, ordering his men to pick up everything they could and to endeavor to -get some order out of chaos, the bo’sun with the cook and one man turned to -the demolished hut and endeavored to rebuild it so it would be fit for -occupancy when the boat returned. They were still busily engaged at this two -days later when a shout from one of the men interrupted them, and gazing -seaward they saw a sail above the horizon. For a time they could not determine -whether it was approaching or not, but it was a square-rigged vessel beyond a -doubt and when, after half an hour of steadfast watching through the glasses, -Mike knew that it was heading towards the island, he shouted, “B’ gorra, lads, -’tis the <em>Hector</em>! Shure she’s ahid o’ toime a wake an’ more. ’Tis good -luck she must’a’ been afther havin’. Three cheers, me hearties! ’Tis homeward -boun’ we’ll be to-morrer!”</p> - -<p>But scarcely had the three hearty cheers died down when Mike’s countenance -fell, for through the binoculars he could now see that it was not the -<em>Hector</em> but a brigantine.</p> - -<p>“Worra be!” he bemoaned. “’Tis disapp’intment, me lads! ’Tis a brig -b’gorra! Now phwat does he want here, at all, at all?”</p> - -<p>Rapidly the oncoming vessel approached and presently all could see that it -was a small brigantine and by her build and rig they knew it was not an -American ship.</p> - -<p>“Phwat in blazes arre the furriners a-buttin’ in here fer!” demanded Mike -and, addressing no one in particular, “Shure ’tis throuble enough we’re afther -havin’ av our own. An’ if it’s afther say iliphants they be, ’tis none they’ll -be foindin’, an’ if they wuz ’tis divvil a bit Oi’d be afther lettin’ av thim -sthop here. B’gob, ain’t they islan’s enough an’ to sphare widtout a-callin’ -on us wid no invetashun?”</p> - -<p>Curious as to why the stranger should be making for the island, for she -flew no signals, the men had ceased their work and stood gathered near the hut -watching the brig.</p> - -<p>“Mebbe he come for get da ’ile,” suggested Manuel. “Eef he see we here -firs’, mos’ like he go da other islan’.”</p> - -<p>“Faith an’ he will, thot!” declared Mike. “’Tis two’s a crowd here. Well -b’jabbers we’ll soon be afther knowin’. He’s dhroppin’ av his anchor.”</p> - -<p>Hardly had the brig swung to her anchor before a boat was lowered and -manned, and six men came rapidly shoreward.</p> - -<p>As it neared the beach, Mike stepped forward, and followed by two or three -of his men, stumped down to the water’s edge.</p> - -<p>“Shure an’ what moight it bay that ye’re wantin’ here?” he demanded as the -boat’s keel grated on the beach.</p> - -<p>The steersman,—a huge, raw boned mulatto in ragged, dirty clothes and with -a great livid scar on one cheek, looked the bo’sun over contemptuously and his -mouth widened in a twisted smile, disclosing broken, yellow fangs.</p> - -<p>“Whadda matter wi’ you, Pat?” he replied insolently.</p> - -<p>Mike grew purple and his gray whiskers bristled.</p> - -<p>“Kape a civil tongue in yer head, ye dhirty nagur!” he fairly roared. -“B’the Saints, if yez is a-lookin’ fer throuble yez’ll be afther foindin’ it -widout lookin’ far, ye spade-faced, mud-colored, bilge-rat!”</p> - -<p>“Haa!” sneered the other. “Da Irish no like da vees’tor, eh? He no mek -welcom’ da other fellas. Hmm! Eet look laik you have pretty good luck already. -Plenty kill an’ b’il down an’ plenty ’ile mek an’ in cask. Hmm! You tink you -owna dis islan’, Micky?”</p> - -<p>Fairly bursting with rage at the man’s insolence and manner, Mike took a -stride forward with doubled fists, but one of the boat’s crew rose to his -feet, swung his huge oar and aimed a crashing blow at the bo’sun’s head. Mike -sprang aside in the nick of time and as he did so, the men in the boat leaped -ashore, significantly hitching their sheath-knives forward as they did so, and -Mike, realizing the futility of resisting them unarmed, beat a hasty retreat. -Shouting derisive insults at him, the mulatto boat steerer turned and signaled -to his ship, and a moment later, another boat dropped to the water and came -speeding shoreward.</p> - -<p>With his men gathered about him, Mike spluttered and fumed, alternately -cursing the newcomers and berating his men for a lot of cowards for allowing -them to land.</p> - -<p>“B’Saint Pathrick!” he roared. “Arre yez men or jelly-fish to sthand there -an’ see yer bo’sun sassed by a slinkin’ black haythen av a half-breed -Portugee? Shure an’ ain’t the foive av yez an’ mesilf a match fer thim twilve -sn’akin’ rats? An’ ye wid sphades an’ irons an’ guns handy!”</p> - -<p>“Beggin’ yer pardon, sir,” put in one of the men, “but you’re forgettin’ -’tis a free islan’. It’s not belongin’ to us nor the bark, sir. And there’s no -reason I seen yet, to put ’em off.”</p> - -<p>“Raisin is ut!” fumed Mike. “Raisin! Shure thin do yez be afther thinkin’ -’tis honest worruk they’re afther comin’ here for? Look at thim! Howly Saint -Pathrick! The dhirty thaves arre afther st’alin’ av the ’ile!”</p> - -<p>Mike was right. The boats’ crews from the schooner were calmly rolling the -oil-filled casks to the shore, evidently with the intention of loading them -into their boats. And now that the hostile status of the brig was evident, the -<em>Hector’s</em> men no longer hesitated. With set faces and grim -determination they seized the nearest weapons,—blubber-spades, elephant clubs, -irons, and with Mike shouting encouragement and brandishing a heavy club the -five whalemen charged towards the brig’s boats. Outnumbering the whalemen -three to one, the oil pirates stood their ground, drawing their sheath-knives -and seizing their heavy oars in readiness to repel their attackers.</p> - -<p>But neither sheath-knives nor oars are of much avail against long-handled, -razor-edged, blubber-spades or whale-irons and as one of the Americans hurled -an iron which buried itself in the thigh of one of the raiders, and the -gleaming spades cut down another, the remaining ten men turned tail, dashed to -their boats and with frantic strokes pulled from shore barely in time to -escape the maddened whalemen. Had they delayed an instant longer, all would -have been butchered without mercy, for the whalemen, already soured, surly and -ugly from the destruction wrought by the storm, had gone murder-mad when they -saw their hard-won, precious oil being boldly stolen from under their -noses.</p> - -<p>Even as it was, the Portuguese had not escaped unscathed. The one struck by -the iron was screaming and struggling unable to move from the heavy iron-pole, -while his comrade lay moaning in a pool of blood and with a great, gaping gash -in his shoulder where the spade had struck him. Shaking weapons and fists at -the rapidly retreating boats, and hurling sneers and insults after them, the -victorious whalemen turned their attention to the wounded raiders.</p> - -<p>“Shure, ’tis no desarvin’ o’ pity yez be!” Mike informed them. “But ’tis no -haythens we arre. B’gorra, Oil bet yez’ll think twoice afore yez arre afther -buttin’ in an’ staylin’ o’ Yankee sailormins’ ’ile ag’in!”</p> - -<p>It was no easy matter to extricate the barbed iron from the fellow’s thigh -and Mike was no gentle surgeon and the man’s agonized howls, as the bo’sun cut -away the flesh and drew out the iron must have made shivers run down the -spines of those on the brig. Carrying the two wounded raiders to the shack, -Mike and his men rendered rough first aid and gave no heed to what was taking -place on the brig until one of the boat steerers gave a warning shout. Leaving -the wounded men, all rushed out to see three boats leaving the brig and -heading towards the shore.</p> - -<p>“Glory be!” cried Mike. “’Tis more av the same med’cine they do be afther -wantin’! An’ b’gorra, ’tis thot same they’ll be afther gettin’. Come on, yez -spalpeens. Shure it’ll take more than twenty av yez to bate foive Yanks!”</p> - -<p>Considering that two of his men were Portuguese, Mike’s use of the term -“Yankees” was rather amusing, but no one noticed it, and indeed, the New -Bedford Portuguese considered themselves as much Americans as did Mike -himself.</p> - -<p>Again seizing their weapons, the whalemen prepared to greet the invaders -with a warm reception. But as they approached the water-side two of the men in -the forward boat dropped their oars, sprang to their feet and, seizing rifles, -fired point-blank at the advancing whalemen. It was lucky for Mike and his men -that the Portuguese were poor shots and that their sudden motions rocked the -boat; but as it was, the bullets sang harmlessly over the defenders’ -heads.</p> - -<p>Neither Mike nor his men were foolhardy enough to attempt to resist -firearms with their weapons, and judging discretion the better part of valor, -they retreated towards the hut, while the raiders maintained an intermittent -fusillade of bullets. Suddenly there was a dull thud, a sharp cry from Mike -and the bo’sun crumpled up and fell to the ground.</p> - -<p>Seizing him by the arms, his men were about to drag him to safety when he -jerked himself free and rose unsteadily to his feet.</p> - -<p>“Bad cess to thim!” he roared. “’Tis me foine lig they’re afther sp’ilin’ -entoirely! An’ thot costin’ av sivinty-foive bucks! B’gorra, they’ll be afther -payin’ fer it or me name’s not Mike O’Malley!”</p> - -<p>Before they could gain the hut, the marksmen’s aim had become dangerously -accurate and the men were compelled to seek safety behind the casks of oil -that stood near. Here they squatted, ruefully watching the brig’s crew as they -hurriedly proceeded to load the oil barrels into their boats.</p> - -<p>“Faith, if we had thim guns in the shanty ’twould not be a stalin’ so aisy -they’d be afther doin’!” Mike declared. “B’gorra, Oi’m thinkin’ we moight be -afther sn’akin’ there an’ gettin’ av thim. Will anny av yez foller me?”</p> - -<p>All four men answered in the affirmative, and throwing themselves flat on -their stomachs, the five wormed their way towards the shanty, their movements -concealed from the raiders by the tiers of oil-filled casks. In safety they -gained the hut and entered, and hastily arming his men with the boys’ shot -guns and two muskets, and providing himself with the only remaining firearm, a -bomb lance, Mike broke open a case of shells and distributed the ammunition to -his men. Then, realizing that the range was far too great for the shot guns -and also that the flimsy boards and canvas walls of the hut were but a poor -protection from flying bullets, the bo’sun instructed his men to crawl back to -the shelter of the oil-casks.</p> - -<p>Hardly had they done so, when the raiders, having sent aboard to the brig -the last of the casks that had been rolled to the beach, started forward, -intent on securing those behind which the whalemen crouched. Thinking, no -doubt, that the Americans had no firearms, and counting on their retreating -without resistance, the Portuguese advanced without firing, but holding their -guns in readiness.</p> - -<p>Fortunately for them, Mike was far too hot-headed and excited to hold his -fire until the raiders were within easy range, and before they had proceeded -fifty yards, flashes spurted from behind the casks and bullets and buckshot -plowed up the sand and sung through the air about the Portuguese. Utterly -surprised at the unexpected volley, the raiders hesitated for an instant, and -then fired wildly at the pile of casks. Then, an answering shot spat from the -barricade and as two of their number threw up their hands and plunged forward, -the raiders commenced to retreat, and when a bomb from Mike’s gun burst in -their midst, they flung aside guns and fairly raced towards the boat.</p> - -<p>Leaping in, they shoved off and bent to their oars, while about them -splashed and spattered the bullets of the victorious whalemen.</p> - -<p>And then, from those on shore, a mighty shout went up and the beaten -raiders turned to see a trim, white whaleboat racing towards them from beyond -the point.</p> - -<p>Madly they pulled to reach their brig ere they were overtaken by these new -enemies. Already the first boat had gained the vessel’s side, and -panic-stricken, the crew flung themselves over the ship’s rails, dropping the -painter of their boat and thinking only of safety. But the second boat was too -late. When still far from the brig, the <em>Hector’s</em> boat was upon them, -and, as the raiders glimpsed the grim, heroic figure of old Pem standing with -uplifted iron in the bow, deadly fear gripped them and with agonized screams -they strove wildly to escape. The next instant the heavy iron hurtled through -the air, and as it crashed among them, the men, with one accord, leaped from -their seats and plunged headlong into the sea.</p> - -<p>“Reckon that finished of ’em!” growled Cap’n Pem grimly. “Sarves ’em right -if I speared ’em like pupusses. Wonder what in tarnation’s the rumpus is -anyhow. Give way, lads!”</p> - -<p>Long before the boat had reached the beach, the brig had slipped her cable, -her yard had been swung, and as the last of the swimmers pulled himself into -her chains, she was standing towards the open sea.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-xiii-homeward-bound">CHAPTER XIII<br />HOMEWARD BOUND</h2> -</div> - -<p>As the boat grated upon the beach and Cap’n Pem and the two boys leaped -ashore, Mike started to relate his story of the raiders and the battle, but in -the midst of his narrative his jaw dropped, he rubbed his eyes and then -suddenly burst into a roar of laughter.</p> - -<p>“Saints presarve us!” he shouted. “Shure an’ ’tis another cripple yez are -afther bringin’,—an’ black as the ace o’ spades! B’gorra ’tis three av’ a -koind we are. An’ what wid the b’yes, ’twill be a foine full-house we’ll be -afther havin’ on the barrk!”</p> - -<p>Then, controlling his mirth with an effort, he related the events of the -raid.</p> - -<p>“Didn’t I tell ye that there bo’sun bird was bad luck!” ejaculated Cap’n -Pem. “Fust the storm an’ then this ’ere raid. How much ’ile’d they git off -with?”</p> - -<p>“But who were they?” queried Tom, before Mike could reply.</p> - -<p>“Jes’ low-down or’nary, black Portugee raiders,” exploded the old whaleman. -“’T’ain’t the fust time they’ve turned the trick. Derned ef I ain’t sorry I -didn’t spear a few on ’em!”</p> - -<p>“Shure, sor, Misther Potter, O’im not countin’ av thim casks they took,” -explained Mike as Pem ceased. “’T’was three boatloads they put aboard the -brig, but b’gorra Oim thinkin’ ’tis not manny. The most av thim wuz yonder -where we druv thim off. An’ faith, Oim afther thinkin’ the storrm bust more av -the casks than the haythens sthole.”</p> - -<p>But the loss of oil was far greater than Mike had imagined, for when they -reached the pile of casks which had served as a barricade, they discovered -that nearly every one in the outer tiers was riddled with bullets and that the -precious oil had leaked out. Of the hundreds of filled casks which the men had -toiled so hard to secure, barely two hundred were left—not enough to grease -their boots with, as Cap’n Pem put it.</p> - -<p>It was all very discouraging and disheartening, and while Cap’n Pem knew -that, had he not gone to rescue Sam, the loss would not have occurred, or at -least would have been far less, still he refrained from mentioning it, for to -the whalemen the saving of a human life, even if a crippled negro, meant far -more than several thousand dollars worth of oil. Mike too, was far more -disturbed and disgruntled over the injury to his wooden leg than over the loss -of oil or the other misfortunes that had befallen the whalemen, and every man -agreed that it was all due to the bo’sun bird having rested upon the -<em>Hector’s</em> mast.</p> - -<p>In fact, the men, as a whole, were very morose and sullen and not a few, -including Cap’n Pem himself, expressed doubts of the <em>Hector</em> coming -back and declared that if she were wrecked it would be no more than might be -expected. It was useless for the boys to try to laugh at their forebodings, or -to ridicule them out of their superstitions, for their belief was firmly fixed -and the very fact that so many misfortunes had befallen them was proof, to -their minds, that they were right.</p> - -<p>Indeed, as the boys constantly heard the men discussing the matter and -listened to stories of death and disaster following the visits of bo’sun birds -to other ships, they found themselves getting nervous. And when, after the -<em>Hector</em> was a week overdue no signs of her had been seen, the boys -began to fear that something <em>had</em> happened to the bark and that they -would be marooned upon the island for an indefinite time. But despite their -troubles and superstitious fears, the men went back to their labors and as the -sea elephants again began to return to the island they resumed the killing and -boiling.</p> - -<p>In the meantime, the two wounded raiders were on the road to recovery, -although unable to work, but they steadfastly refused to divulge any -information in regard to the brig or the raid.</p> - -<p>“Wall, I reckon ye’ll tell when we git ye back to New Bedford an’ shet up -in jail,” remarked Cap’n Pem. And deciding it was useless to question them -further, he dropped the matter.</p> - -<p>Then, one day, as the boys clambered over the hillside above the camp, Jim -glanced seawards and gave a glad shout. Faint upon the horizon gleamed the -upper sails of a ship.</p> - -<p>“Hurrah!” he cried. “There’s a ship. I’ll bet it’s the -<em>Hector</em>!”</p> - -<p>“Maybe it’s some other ship,” said Tom. “And perhaps it’s not coming here -at all. Let’s wait and be sure before we tell the others.”</p> - -<p>But the vessel was evidently heading for the island, for gradually sail -after sail rose above the tossing sea and each minute the ship became more and -more distinct, until the watching boys could see that it was a bark with every -sail set.</p> - -<p>“It must be the <em>Hector</em>!” insisted Jim. “Come on, Tom, let’s go -down and tell the men.”</p> - -<p>But by the time they had reached the shore, Cap’n Pem had already sighted -the oncoming vessel and both he and Mike were studying her through their -glasses.</p> - -<p>“<em>Is</em> it the <em>Hector</em>?” cried Tom. “Oh, do hurry up and tell -us!”</p> - -<p>“Looks like her,” admitted Cap’n Pem, “but can’t say yit awhile. Comin’ -dead head-on and can’t make her out.”</p> - -<p>“Shure an’ ’tis the barrk all right, all right,” declared Mike, decisively. -“Oi kin say thot patch on her foretorpsail phwat Oi put there mesilf.”</p> - -<p>“Derned ef ye kin, ye old liar!” exclaimed Cap’n Pem. “Reckon my eyes is -better’n yourn, an’ I can’t see it.”</p> - -<p>“Thin ye’re oisight’s a-failin’ yez,” replied Mike, with a chuckle, “as -well as yer manners, Misther Potter, sor.”</p> - -<p>But here further argument ceased, for at the moment the bark altered her -course a little disclosing her hull and spars and old Pem slapped his -thigh.</p> - -<p>“Blow me if ’tain’t!” he cried. “Comin’ a sky-hookin’, too! Git busy, lads, -the <em>Hector’s</em> a-comin’! Work lively an’ we’ll be home’ard boun’ this -time to-morrer!”</p> - -<p>Elated at the good news, the men fell to with a will and by the time the -bark shortened sail and slowly worked into the anchorage, everything was in -readiness to be sent aboard. The boys thought they had never seen anything -quite so beautiful as the old bark and a wave of homesickness swept over them -as the anchor plunged into the sea and the <em>Hector</em> swung to her -moorings off the beach. But even before the yards had been swung or the cable -had roared out, Cap’n Pem had manned his boat and the boys were speeding -towards the bark.</p> - -<p>Welcome, indeed, to the boys were the kindly, sunbrowned features of -Captain Edwards, the scarred face of Mr. Kemp, the stolid, expressionless face -of Swanson, the freckled countenance of the boy and even the rough, unshaven, -but well-known members of the crew. It was almost like being home again to be -once more upon the decks of the bark and the boys could scarcely believe that -they had been away from her for more than two months.</p> - -<p>“How are you getting on, boys?” cried the captain as he shook their hands -heartily. “Got enough oil to fill up, I suppose.”</p> - -<p>Then, turning to Cap’n Pem: “Everything ready to come aboard, Pem? How many -casks you got? Hope you’ve had good luck. Crew we put ashore on Deception had -tough luck. Elephants scarce and whole catch didn’t come to two hundred -bar’ls.”</p> - -<p>But the news that Cap’n Pem brought was far from encouraging and the face -of the skipper became very grave as he listened to the mate’s story of the -raid and the loss by storm.</p> - -<p>“I expect that’s the same ship that’s been over to Deception,” he said. -“The men reported vast quantities of bones from last season. Very likely they -intended killing here, and finding the oil and so few men decided to raid it -and save the trouble of killing and boiling for themselves. It’s an old trick -of some of the island Portugees, and with oil so high they could well afford -to take risks. Glad you got a couple of ’em. Maybe they’ll tell enough so the -gang can be broken up. It’s too bad, though, the whole catch won’t pay -expenses unless we have good luck and take whales on the voyage. Well, no use -crying over spilt milk. I’m thankful no men are lost. So you found a castaway, -eh? If everything’s ready, lower the boats and get everything off. I’m anxious -to get clear as soon as possible. Don’t like the looks of the glass. I’m -afraid we’re in for a rip-snorter of a blow.”</p> - -<p>Rapidly the goods on shore were loaded into the boats and brought off and -within a few hours of the time when the <em>Hector</em> had arrived, the last -boat load was on board, the boats were at davits, and with the joyous feeling -of being homeward bound the crew bent to the handspikes and roared the -ever-welcome chorus of:</p> - -<div class='poetry'> -<p>We’re homeward bound, may the winds blow fair.<br /> -    Good-bye, fare ye well,<br /> -    Good-bye, fare ye well!<br /> -Wafting us true to friends waiting there,<br /> -Hurrah, my bullies, we’re homeward bound!</p> -</div> - -<p>Then, as the bark veered to the wind and the great sails filled and the -land slipped away astern, the boys looked for the last time upon the desolate -Antarctic island with its towering mountains, its wheeling albatrosses, its -giant seals and its forbidding shores.</p> - -<p>With every stitch of canvas set, the <em>Hector</em> heeled far over to the -freshening breeze and plunged forward like a steamer through the seas, with -the foaming bow-wave rising to the catheads and acres of yeasty froth -streaming astern.</p> - -<p>Steadily she raced onward towards the north and still no signs of the -approaching storm which the skipper had feared. But the glass was falling -steadily, the clouds scurried in wispy shreds across the sky and the waves -constantly increased in size.</p> - -<p>The following morning, the boys came on deck to find the crew aloft -shortening sail, with only the lower topsails and spanker set and the bark -wallowing sluggishly to the long, oily rollers running in from the western -horizon.</p> - -<p>“Looks like a mighty hard blow a-comin’,” remarked Mr. Kemp to the boys. -“Some wind behind these rollers you can bet.”</p> - -<p>Then, hurrying forward, he barked out orders while the crew scurried about, -lashing down everything movable, securing the boats and making everything -snug. Much to the boys’ surprise the negro, Sam, was the liveliest and hardest -worker of all and despite his peg-leg, he scrambled aloft like a cat and -hopped along on the footropes with the best of them.</p> - -<p>Cap’n Pem eyed him approvingly. “Derned if he ain’t a proper sailorman,” he -remarked. “Wisht ev’ry gosh-derned man’d lose a leg if ’twould make ’em good -as him.”</p> - -<p>By noon, the sky had become a deep, sickly, yellowish-gray, the seas had -increased to mountainous size, and ever and anon, a sudden blast of cold, -chilling wind screeched through the rigging, heeling the bark to her -lee-rails, only to be followed by an ominous calm. By now, the bark had been -stripped to close-reefed topsails and Captain Edwards and old Pem paced the -deck with anxious faces, peering intently into the west, while at the wheel -three men were stationed with lashings ready for instant use in case of -emergency. Along the rails and between the masts, lifelines had been stretched -and everywhere were evidences of preparations for severe weather.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, from the lookout forward, came a sharp, warning shout and against -the black horizon, the boys saw a streak of milky-white, gleaming like snow -against the inky sea.</p> - -<p>“Hold fast!” roared Cap’n Pem, plunging to the shrouds and bracing himself. -“Git below there, boys! Hurricane’s a comin’!”</p> - -<p>But before they could obey, the screaming wind was upon them. The boys had -a passing glimpse of the steersmen hastily lashing themselves fast, of the -skipper wrapping his arms about a backstay, and the next second, they were -half smothered under a blinding, roaring sheet of snow and hail. They felt -themselves lifted from the deck, their hands were torn loose from their grip -upon the companionway; they were whirled, bumped, tossed and rolled head over -heels and were sure their last moment had come when, with a resounding thump, -they brought up against the mizzen mast and clung to the belaying pins for -dear life. Over and over went the bark, until it seemed as if her swaying -yards would be buried in the hissing brine and her deck sloped like the roof -of a house, while overhead, with the roar of thunder, howled the gale. Then, -when the boys thought destruction was inevitable, there was a report like a -cannon above them and the great topsail ripped from its bolt-ropes and sped, -like a huge bird, into the murk. Gradually and sluggishly the bark righted, -her bow swung off, and gathering headway, she sped before the hurricane like a -frightened bird. For hour after hour the wind screeched through the rigging -and the <em>Hector</em> tore onwards before the gale, burying herself under -tons of green water, staggering drunkenly to the summits of the white-crested -waves, but gallantly, bravely, weathering the storm. After the first mad -onslaught the worst of the hurricane had blown itself out and the boys, -clinging to the lifeline, had crawled aft, drenched and half frozen and had -taken to the cabin. Then, changing clothes and buttoning pea-jackets and oil -skins about them, they again made their way on deck, for life was unbearable -in the tossing, groaning, heaving cabin and the boys felt deathly sick as long -as they were below.</p> - -<p>The storm, however, while severe, was not of long duration and by eight -bells the wind had died down, the glass had begun to rise and Captain Edwards -ordered the crew to make more sail.</p> - -<p>Under her increased canvas, the bark made better weather of it and by night -she was sailing easily, but with terrific speed, through the still heavy seas. -By the following morning, the sky was clear and blue, the wind had died to a -good, stiff sailing breeze, the sea had fallen to a moderate swell and the -decks and woodwork glistened like frost as the dried salt sparkled under a -brilliant sun.</p> - -<p>“Gee, but the old <em>Hector</em> is a wonder, isn’t she!” exclaimed Tom, -as the boys reached the deck and gazing about saw that there was not a sign of -damage from the stress the ship had been through.</p> - -<p>“She is, that,” replied the captain. “Ships like her are not built nowadays -and she’s good for another hundred years.”</p> - -<p>“How about your old bo’sun bird, now?” laughed Jim as Cap’n Pem approached. -“According to you we should have sunk yesterday.”</p> - -<p>“Hump!” snorted the old man. “Don’t ’spect one bird kin bring bad luck -f’rever, do ye? Reckon he’d oughta be satisfied with all the shennanigans he’s -kicked up a’ready.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> -<h2 id="chapter-xiv-the-boys-make-a-discovery">CHAPTER XIV<br />THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY</h2> -</div> - -<p>Day after day, the wind held fair and steady, and the gallant, old bark -hurled herself through the hissing seas as though she knew she was homeward -bound and as anxious to see New Bedford light as were the men.</p> - -<p>The second day after the storm, sail after sail had been piled onto her and -even her stunsails had been set, for the captain’s last hope of making the -cruise a success lay in securing sperm whales, and he drove his ship at her -utmost in order to reach the tropics and the sperm whale grounds as soon as -possible.</p> - -<p>In order to obtain fresh supplies, the <em>Hector</em> again put into -Tristan da Cunha and the boys received a rousing welcome from Paul and Getty. -When the story of their adventures on Elephant Island was told, the Potter -boys thought Tom and Jim the two luckiest fellows in the world, and they -roared with merriment over Mike’s amazement at seeing Sam and finding him a -negro with a wooden leg. But they were just as firm in their belief that the -bo’sun bird was responsible for the ship’s bad luck as were Pem and Mike, -while their grandfather prophesied that, in his opinion, the bark’s troubles -were not yet over.</p> - -<p>“Boun’ to be a death in the bark’s comp’ny,” he declared. “Never knowed it -to fail. Jes’ as soon as that happens the curse’ll be off.”</p> - -<p>“Well, there’ve been plenty of chances to have a death,” Tom reminded him, -“and yet there hasn’t been. Seems to me, if the bird wanted any one to die -he’s missed some awful good opportunities.”</p> - -<p>“Mebbe,” admitted old Lem. “But ye never <em>can</em> tell what fate has in -store fer sailors. I been to sea nigh fifty year an’ I <em>tell</em> ye the -more ye see the less ye knows.”</p> - -<p>But despite their superstitions, the islanders sympathized most heartily -with Captain Edwards and all wished him the best of luck and professed -confidence in his finding whales and filling up with sperm oil. When the bark -hoisted anchor and sailed from Tristan, one member of her company was left -behind, for Sam declared his intention of waiting on the island for the yearly -mail ship which would take him back to St. Helena.</p> - -<p>Three days after the island had dropped below the horizon astern, the -lookout on the <em>Hector</em> reported a steamer’s smoke ahead, and soon -afterwards, the smudge of black was visible to those on deck.</p> - -<p>“Can’t imagine what she is,” declared Captain Edwards. “We’re out of the -track of merchant ships.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe it’s a German raider,” suggested Jim. “Then Cap’n Pem <em>would</em> -crow over us for scoffing at the bo’sun bird.”</p> - -<p>Scarcely had he spoken when Mr. Kemp hailed them from the crosstrees.</p> - -<p>“Warship, sir!” he shouted.</p> - -<p>“Gosh, perhaps you’re right, Jim!” exclaimed Tom. “Say, wouldn’t that be -the limit?”</p> - -<p>“Jest erbout what I’d be expectin’ of,” declared Cap’n Pem. “Onluckiest -cruise ever I seed. Reckon I’ll stick ter shore arter this.”</p> - -<p>“Better wait till you get there,” teased Jim. “If it’s a raider you may be -killed. Some one’s got to die, you know.”</p> - -<p>“Shet up!” retorted the old whaleman petulantly. “Ain’t there ’nough -troubles without a talkin’ ’bout bein’ kilt?”</p> - -<p>But all fears as to the identity of the approaching warship were put at -rest a moment later, when the second mate called down that she was British and -flying signals.</p> - -<p>“Can you read them?” asked the skipper.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” replied Mr. Kemp.</p> - -<p>Slowly he read the flags and called them out, while below, Captain Edwards -ran his finger down the code book and, a moment later, with a wild yell, he -dashed down the book and seemed suddenly to have gone raving mad.</p> - -<p>Throwing his hat in the air, shouting and laughing, the usually staid and -dignified skipper danced and leaped about and capered like a schoolboy. Then, -leaping to the rail and steadying himself with a grip on the shrouds, he -yelled, “Whoop her up, boys, the war’s over! Three cheers, my lads—three times -three!” And as the good tidings dawned upon them, the crew gave such rousing -cheers that even those upon the warship must have heard.</p> - -<p>“Up with your ensign, Mr. Potter. Up with Old Glory and salute!” roared the -skipper. “And dress ship! Run up everything you can find!”</p> - -<p>But already the boys had forestalled Cap’n Pem and before the old mate -could reach the flag-locker, Tom was bending the Stars and Stripes to the -halliards and a moment later it rose fluttering to the peak. Three times he -dipped it in salute to the trim British cruiser, and, an instant later, the -Union Jack dipped in return. Long ere the cruiser was out of sight strings of -gay bunting were fluttering up to the bark’s mastheads and Captain Edwards -ordered the <em>Hector</em> hove-to.</p> - -<p>“No more work to-day!” cried he, as the yards were swung and the light -sails furled. “Summon all hands and tell them it’s a holiday, Mr. Kemp. Serve -cigars from the after stores, and tell cook to get up the best meal he’s ever -cooked for the crew. Nothing’s too good for this day!”</p> - -<p>Never had a more boisterous or uproarious day been spent at sea than that -which celebrated the close of the World War on the old <em>Hector</em>, even -though the Armistice had been signed two months previously.</p> - -<p>A few days later, a whale was sighted and the spirits of every one rose as -three boats were lowered, Captain Edwards himself going in one. But despite -every effort, not one of the boats succeeded in getting near the whale until -after a long and heart-breaking chase. Then Cap’n Pem got fast, but before the -other boats could come near, the iron drew and the thoroughly frightened whale -disappeared. Crestfallen, the three boats returned to the bark and once more, -yards were squared and the <em>Hector</em> plunged northwards on her course. -Then followed day after day of light, baffling winds and an oil-like sea upon -which the <em>Hector</em> rolled lazily with canvas slatting idly against the -masts and with barely enough motion to give her steerage way.</p> - -<p>Lolling upon the decks on the fourth day of the sweltering calm, the boys -were gazing idly at the lofty trucks as they slowly swung to and fro across -the cloudless sky, when Tom suddenly jerked himself upright and stared fixedly -at the fore royal yard.</p> - -<p>“Gee, it is!” he ejaculated. “Look, Jim, isn’t that a bo’sun bird up on the -fore royal yard, close to the mast?”</p> - -<p>Jim peered at the spot indicated and for a moment could see nothing. Then a -slight movement caught his eye and he made out the snowy plumage and long tail -feathers of the bird.</p> - -<p>“You’re right!” he assured Tom. “It’s another bo’sun all right. Funny no -one else has seen it.”</p> - -<p>“No one’s looked aloft,” replied Tom. “They’re all busy on deck and even -Cap’n Pem hasn’t bothered watching the sails, it’s been so calm.”</p> - -<p>“Well, don’t let’s tell any one,” whispered Jim. “It’ll just make them -nervous.”</p> - -<p>But the bird had no intention of not having his presence known, and -scarcely had Jim spoken when it uttered several harsh cries. Instantly, every -man’s eyes were turned to the royal yard and at that moment a second bo’sun -bird fluttered down and alighted beside the first. Almost like a dirge, a -deep, moaning sigh arose from the crew.</p> - -<p>“Gosh!” exclaimed Tom. “That must mean twice as much bad luck to come and -three men to die. Cap’n Pem will be——”</p> - -<p>“Thar she blows!” shouted the lookout, and instantly the harbingers of -misfortune were forgotten as the men rushed to their boats.</p> - -<p>Within a mile of the motionless bark, two big sperm whales were swimming -lazily, now and then rolling on their sides, occasionally slapping their -enormous flukes against the water playfully and evidently utterly oblivious of -the enemies so near. Rapidly all four boats were lowered and went speeding -towards the whales, and ten minutes after they had been sighted both of the -creatures had irons in their sides and were towing two boats each at express -train speed. Directly away from the <em>Hector</em> they sped; one to the west -and the other to the north, and in an incredibly short space of time the boats -were out of sight of the deck. But the lookouts on the mastheads could still -see them and constantly reported their doings to Mike, who had charge of the -ship.</p> - -<p>“Skipper’s fin-up!” shouted a lookout presently. “Mister Potter’s millin’! -Now he’s sounded! Breached again! Going in! In his flurry! Spoutin’ blood! -Fin-up!”</p> - -<p>“Hurrah, they’ve killed ’em both!” yelled the boys, who had been watching -from a point of vantage on the main royal yard. “Now who says bo’sun birds are -bad luck!”</p> - -<p>“Faith Oi do,” replied Mike. “’Tis tin good moiles they be an’ wid noight -a-comin’ on. B’gorra, ’tis a foine fix we do be in wid the barrk becalmed. -Shure ’tis aither losin’ o’ the whales or av the ship for thim, loike as -not.”</p> - -<p>Then, as if to prove the ridiculous superstition false, a breath of hot -wind stirred the Hector’s upper sails; another stronger puff filled the -topsails; the glassy sea broke into shimmering crinkled ripples, and ten -minutes later, the bark was gliding swiftly towards the distant boats before a -steady wind.</p> - -<p>Just as the sun was sinking beyond the rim of the sea, the two whales were -alongside and by the time darkness fell, cutting-in was in full swing and the -black smoke of the try-works rose like a pall above the <em>Hector’s</em> -trucks.</p> - -<p>Throughout the night, the following day and the next night, the work went -on without cessation and at the end of the time one hundred and ten barrels of -sperm oil had been stowed in the bark’s hold.</p> - -<p>Once more the captain and men looked hopeful while Tom and Jim teased old -Pem and the others unmercifully over their superstition. At first, the old -whaleman strove to find some argument or excuse to uphold his belief, but -failing in this, he wisely declined to say anything, while Mike, with Irish -wit, declared that three always was a lucky number whether bo’sun birds or -anything else and that he was sure that their bad luck was over.</p> - -<p>Captain Edwards claimed that he never had had much faith in such things and -was convinced there was nothing in it, while Mr. Kemp admitted that he never -knew of three bo’sun birds lighting on one ship on one voyage before and -therefore didn’t know what it might foretell. But not even the most -superstitious and pessimistic seaman could have found any reason for saying, -“I told you so,” for the weather held fine until after the bark had crossed -the equator and three more whales had been taken and had added their quota of -nearly one hundred barrels of oil.</p> - -<p>Every one was in high spirits and Captain Edwards felt confident that even -if he could not fill up he could secure enough oil to meet the expenses of the -cruise when he reached the West Indian grounds. Once more, however, ill luck -seemed to be with the <em>Hector</em>. For week after week she cruised about, -with lookouts constantly at the mastheads, but never the welcome “There she -blows!” sounded from aloft, and once again the men began to grumble and the -skipper lost his smile and jollity.</p> - -<p>“Guess it’s no use, Mr. Potter,” he announced one day. “Might as well give -up. We’re just wasting time and money here,—must be I’m getting too old for -a-whaling.”</p> - -<p>Faint upon the distant horizon, shimmered a small island, and putting his -glasses to his eyes the captain studied it intently for a time.</p> - -<p>“I expect we’d better run over to Monita yonder,” he remarked, half to -himself. “There’s good water there and coconuts. Might as well fill the casks -and let the men stretch their legs ashore before squaring away for Gay -Head.”</p> - -<p>At his direction, the helmsman spun the wheel a few spokes, the bark’s head -swung towards the island and the boys, elated at thoughts of going ashore, -gazed with interest at the little speck of sea-girt land as the bark rapidly -bore down upon it. Soon the nodding palms upon the shores were visible, the -boys could see the rich, green growth upon the low hills; upon the beach of -coral sand they could see the slender thread of white foam and near one end -they made out a small stream flowing across the beach to the sea. Never, they -thought, had they seen such a beautiful spot as this little West Indian -island. They were fascinated by the wondrous blue and turquoise of the sea. -The fact that it was uninhabited thrilled them with the boyish love of desert -islands, and they were crazy with impatience to get ashore and explore the -land beyond the wave-worn rocks that bounded the beach at either end.</p> - -<p>Half a mile from the shore, the bark came to anchor, and as the boat was -lowered and the boys dropped into it, they uttered cries of wonder and delight -at the marvelous scene which met their eyes as they looked over the boat’s -side. Through the crystal-clear water the bottom, five fathoms below, was as -plain as though they were looking through air. Half buried in the sand, was -the bark’s great anchor with its trailing cable; huge starfish and sponges of -every hue dotted the ocean’s floor; big purple and violet sea-fans waved -gently to an unseen current and about the many-colored masses of coral, -gay-hued fish swam to and fro like submarine butterflies.</p> - -<p>As the boat grated upon the snowy sand beach, the boys leaped ashore, and -yelling like Indians with the sheer joy of the feel of land under their feet -they raced up the beach. While some of the men rolled the water casks to the -edge of the stream, others proceeded to gather coconuts, while Cap’n Pem -seated himself under the shade of a spreading tree, and lighting his pipe lay -back upon the soft, warm sand.</p> - -<p>Intent upon exploration, the two boys hurried along the beach to the -outjutting rocks—stopping now and then to examine some odd specimen of marine -life cast up by the sea—and scrambling over the sharp limestone, they found -themselves at a little semicircular cove bordered by a second beach.</p> - -<p>A few yards from them, a large, irregular grayish object was bobbing about -at the edge of the water and thinking it some strange fish or animal, the boys -hurried to it. Much to their surprise, they found it to be a mass of curious, -porous material unlike anything they had ever seen.</p> - -<p>“It looks like pumice-stone,” commented Tom. “But there isn’t any volcano -here.”</p> - -<p>“And it’s soft,” announced Jim who had poked it with a bit of -driftwood.</p> - -<p>“Must be some sort of sponge, I guess,” said Tom. “Let’s pull it ashore and -look at it.”</p> - -<p>Bringing sticks from the fringe of brush along the beach, the boys tried to -drag the stuff ashore, but it broke or pulled apart easily and the sticks -could get no hold on it.</p> - -<p>“Funny stuff,” remarked Tom, as he stooped to examine a small lump he had -dragged up with his stick. “Something like water-soaked bread. Hello! Hasn’t -it got a funny smell.”</p> - -<p>“And here’s a piece of horn or something in it,” exclaimed Jim. “Say, let’s -take this piece back and ask Cap’n Pem about it. They must have some coconuts -down by now.”</p> - -<p>Picking up the small piece of the material which had so aroused their -curiosity, they made their way back over the rocks and found the old whaleman -snoring.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Cap’n Pem!” cried Tom, poking their friend gently in the ribs. “Look -here, what’s this stuff?”</p> - -<p>“Lemme be!” ejaculated the old man. “Derned ef ye <em>ain’t</em> a -nuisance. Why can’t ye ’muse yersel’s? What ye want, anyhow?”</p> - -<p>“We want to know what this is,” explained Tom, holding out the lump of -greasy, gray stuff they had found. “There’s a big pile of it yonder and we -never saw anything like it.”</p> - -<p>Impatiently Pem raised his head, glanced at the object Tom held out, and -the next instant leaped to his feet as if a bomb had exploded under him.</p> - -<p>“Jumping Jehosephat!” he shouted as the boys gazed at him in amazement. -“Where’n tarnation’d ye git it? Got a lot on it, ye say! Well, I’ll be -everlastin’ly biled! What is it? Sufferin’ cats, don’t ye know? It’s -ambergris, boys, ambergris, an’ wuth five hundred dollars a poun’ ef it’s wuth -a cent! Come ’long, where in Sam Hill is it?”</p> - -<p>“Ambergris?” cried Jim as the two boys hurried towards their find, with -Cap’n Pem stumping at his top speed beside them, “and worth five hundred -dollars a pound! Hurrah! We’ve got a fortune, Tom. There must be a ton of -it.”</p> - -<p>But although there was far less than a ton of the valuable material, there -was enough to make the old whaleman’s eyes fairly bulge from their sockets, -and, calling on the boys to help, he plunged into the water to his armpits and -feverishly rolled and dragged the mass of ambergris beyond the water’s edge. -Then, floundering about in the shoal water, the three gathered a number of -smaller masses which had broken loose, and hunted over every corner of the -beach and rocks searching for more, while Cap’n Pem constantly uttered -exclamations of wonder and congratulations to the boys.</p> - -<p>“Better’n a full cargo o’ ’ile!” he declared. “Why, ding-bust me! Ye’ve got -nigh onto two hunderd pound here, an’ that’s a hunderd thousan’ dollars—jes’ -as good as two thousan’ bar’l o’ ile. Derned ef ye ain’t millionaires! Reckon -they’re bein’t no more. Run over and fetch the men, Tom, and hev ’em bring -some o’ them casks.”</p> - -<p>When at last the ambergris was safely secured in the casks and in the boat, -everything else had been forgotten, and hastily throwing in the coconuts, -Cap’n Pem and the two boys were pulled to the bark. Carefully and with -constant cautioning from Cap’n Pem the casks of treasure from the sea were -lifted on board and carried aft, where, to the wondering eyes of the skipper -and the others on board, the boys’ find was exhibited.</p> - -<p>“But it’s not ours,” declared Tom, when the captain congratulated the boys -on having made a fortune. “It belongs to the ship. We’re officers, you know -and we won’t take more than our lay.”</p> - -<p>Despite the captain’s protests, the boys were firm in their decision and at -last the other gave in.</p> - -<p>“Well, have it your way if it pleases you,” agreed the captain. “The -ambergris weighs a little over 300 pounds so your share of that alone will be -about $3,000, each. Looks as if the <em>Hector</em> wasn’t so unlucky after -all. If we’d taken three thousand barrels of oil—besides what we have—it -wouldn’t have been worth more than those casks. You’ve saved the day, -boys.”</p> - -<p>“Reckon I’ll have ter knuckle down about them there bo’sun birds,” chuckled -Cap’n Pem. “Mebbe three on ’em does mean good luck, jes’ as Mike said.”</p> - -<p>“Shure an’ didn’t Oi tell yez ’twas a full-house we’d be afther havin’ -aboord ship?” exclaimed Mike. “An’ b’gorra, ’tis harrd to bate thot—burrds or -no burrds!”</p> - -<p>“Or perhaps it was your wooden leg,” laughed Tom. “Dad said the bark was as -likely to go to sea with a wooden-legged mate as to come back with a load of -ambergris, and it’s done both. Gee, won’t we have the laugh on him, -though!”</p> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr class="pgx" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DEEP SEA HUNTERS***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 61867-h.htm or 61867-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/1/8/6/61867">http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/8/6/61867</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. -</p> - -<h2 class="pgx" title="full license">START: FULL LICENSE<br /> -<br /> -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE<br /> -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK</h2> - -<p>To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license.</p> - -<h3 class="pgx" title="Section 1. General Terms">Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works</h3> - -<p>1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8.</p> - -<p>1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.</p> - -<p>1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others.</p> - -<p>1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States.</p> - -<p>1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:</p> - -<p>1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed:</p> - -<blockquote><p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United - States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost - no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use - it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with - this eBook or online - at <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you - are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws - of the country where you are located before using this - ebook.</p></blockquote> - -<p>1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.</p> - -<p>1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work.</p> - -<p>1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.</p> - -<p>1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License.</p> - -<p>1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.</p> - -<p>1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.</p> - -<p>1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that</p> - -<ul> -<li>You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation."</li> - -<li>You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works.</li> - -<li>You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work.</li> - -<li>You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.</li> -</ul> - -<p>1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.</p> - -<p>1.F.</p> - -<p>1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment.</p> - -<p>1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE.</p> - -<p>1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem.</p> - -<p>1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.</p> - -<p>1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions.</p> - -<p>1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. </p> - -<h3 class="pgx" title="Section 2. The Mission of Project Gutenberg">Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm</h3> - -<p>Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life.</p> - -<p>Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org.</p> - -<h3 class="pgx" title="Section 3. The Project Gutenberg Literary">Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation</h3> - -<p>The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.</p> - -<p>The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact</p> - -<p>For additional contact information:</p> - -<p> Dr. Gregory B. Newby<br /> - Chief Executive and Director<br /> - gbnewby@pglaf.org</p> - -<h3 class="pgx" title="Section 4. Donations to PGLAF">Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation</h3> - -<p>Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS.</p> - -<p>The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/donate">www.gutenberg.org/donate</a>.</p> - -<p>While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate.</p> - -<p>International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.</p> - -<p>Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate</p> - -<h3 class="pgx" title="Section 5. Project Gutenberg Electronic Works">Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works.</h3> - -<p>Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support.</p> - -<p>Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition.</p> - -<p>Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org</p> - -<p>This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.</p> - -</body> -</html> - diff --git a/old/61867-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/61867-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 238c6be..0000000 --- a/old/61867-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/61867-h/images/frontis.jpg b/old/61867-h/images/frontis.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 271f46f..0000000 --- a/old/61867-h/images/frontis.jpg +++ /dev/null |
