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diff --git a/old/65718-0.txt b/old/65718-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 61481c9..0000000 --- a/old/65718-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10272 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Whaleman's Wife, by Frank Thomas Bullen - - -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: A Whaleman's Wife - - -Author: Frank Thomas Bullen - - - -Release Date: June 28, 2021 [eBook #65718] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A WHALEMAN'S WIFE*** - - -E-text prepared by MWS, SF2001, 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 illustrations. - See 65718-h.htm or 65718-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/65718/65718-h/65718-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/65718/65718-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/whalemanswife00bullrich - - - - - -A WHALEMAN’S WIFE - - - * * * * * * - -WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR. - - THE CRUISE OF THE CACHALOT. - THE LOG OF A SEA WAIF. - THE MEN OF THE MERCHANT SERVICE. - IDYLLS OF THE SEA. - WITH CHRIST AT SEA. - A SACK OF SHAKINGS. - DEEP SEA PLUNDERINGS. - THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH-EAST. - WITH CHRIST IN SAILORTOWN. - THE PALACE OF POOR JACK. - THE WAY THEY HAVE IN THE NAVY. - - * * * * * * - - -[Illustration: SHE STOOD THERE FRAMED IN THE PORTAL LIKE A GRACEFUL -PICTURE. - - _P. 11._] - - -A WHALEMAN’S WIFE - -by - -FRANK T. BULLEN - - -[decoration] - - - - - - -London: Hodder and -Stoughton [Decoration] 27 -Paternoster Row: MCMII - -Printed by -Spottiswoode and Co. Ltd., New-Street Square -London - - - - -TO - -THEODORE ROOSEVELT - -PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - -A SMALL TOKEN OF THE AUTHOR’S ESTEEM - -FOR A STRONG CHRISTIAN - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - I. Unrequited Love 1 - II. ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’ 9 - III. A Sudden Resolve 17 - IV. Departure 25 - V. Outward Bound 34 - VI. Disillusionment 43 - VII. A Stricken Demon 54 - VIII. A Disastrous Day 69 - IX. Reuben Eddy, Mariner 85 - X. The _Good_ Ship ‘Xiphias’ 99 - XI. At the Old Homestead 115 - XII. Repairing Damages 130 - XIII. The Captain Goes Ashore 146 - XIV. Among Right Whales 162 - XV. A Double Deliverance 176 - XVI. A Reign of Terror 192 - XVII. Salvage Operations 207 - XVIII. Humanity Rewarded 221 - XIX. A Great Blow 236 - XX. The Cyclone 251 - XXI. A Strange Rescue 267 - XXII. The Meeting 283 - XXIII. Farewell to the _Xiphias_ 297 - XXIV. Check to the King, and a New Move 311 - XXV. The Education of the Skipper 326 - XXVI. The Loss of the _Grampus_ 344 - XXVII. And Last 361 - Works by the Same Author 379 - - - -CHAPTER I - -UNREQUITED LOVE - - -‘Yew don’ seem ter keer any gret amount fer me, Pris.’ - -The speaker was a young man of twenty or thereabouts, whose loosely -jointed frame showed, even under the shapely rig of homespun, -consisting of just a shirt and pants, a promise to the observant eye -that he would presently develop into a man of massive mould. He lay -upon the stubbly ground, his head resting on one arm, looking wistfully -up into the face of a girl about his own age. His clean-shaven face -wore that keenness of outline so characteristic of the true Yankee -blend in which the broad Saxon or Frisian features seem to have been -modified by the sharp facial angles of the indigenous owners of the -soil. But in the softness of his grey eyes a close observer would have -foreseen a well of trouble springing up for their owner on behalf of -others. It was the face of the typical burden-bearer. - -In her face, on the other hand, there were evident manifestations of -discontent and weariness of restraint. A healthy, pleasant countenance -enough, with dark brown eyes and curling hair, well-shaped nose and -short upper lip just spotted with freckles. The eyes looked, however, -as if they could harden and grow black upon occasion, while the square -chin and firm curve of the shut mouth told a plain tale of self-will. -There was just a touch of petulance in the quick movement of her head -as she replied: - -‘You’re so exactin’, Rube. An’ surely you wouldn’t want me to be a -hypocrite an’ gush over you when I don’t feel a bit like it. The honest -fact is that I like you better than anybody I’ve ever seen, but you -know I haven’t seen many people at all; and as for the men folks about -here, they’re almost as dull and stupid as the cattle themselves. An’ -more than that, Rube, I’m afraid I don’t know what this love is that -you seem to be et up with, an’ I’m not going to say I do to please -anybody.’ - -There was silence. Over the wide stretches of newly reaped land not a -breath of air was stirring; at evening’s beckoning finger the voices -of the day were hushed. It was nearing the gloaming of one of those -heavenly days common in Vermont towards the end of harvest, when -Nature seems to be contemplating in satisfied peace the result of her -summer’s fruitage, and baring her bosom to the mellowing sun for a -while, as if to store up warmth against the coming of the fierce blasts -of the bitter Northern winter. The smell of the patient earth was -sweet, restful in its effect upon the senses, and insensibly moulding -impressions upon the mind that would remain through life ineffaceable -by any subsequent experiences, and assert themselves in after-years by -vivid reproductions of the present scene. Yet the calm beauty of their -surroundings had upon each of the two young people an almost entirely -opposite effect. He was permeated with a serene sense of satisfaction -with life in all its details but one--if only he could be certain that -Priscilla loved him! Born and bred upon the typical Green Mountain -farm, educated up to the simple standard of the village school, and -utterly unacquainted with the seething world beyond his horizon, he -was as nearly happy as it is good for man to be in this stage of his -existence. His parents, although, like himself, New Englanders born -and bred, had somehow escaped from the soul-withering domination of -that cruel creed that finds an awful satisfaction in the consignment to -eternal fires of all who by one hair’s-breadth should dare to differ -from its blindly ignorant conception of theology. Love formed the basis -of their faith, and their ideas of an immanent God were mainly derived -from the parable of the Prodigal Son. - -Under such mild influences it was hardly wonderful that Reuben Eddy -had early ‘got religion,’ in the queer phraseology of the States, -although in his case, as in that of his parents, there was scarcely -any point of resemblance common to the ordinary religious professor. -Following none of the orthodox forms of worship, and pretending to no -formulated creed, the Eddys lived and moved and had their being in a -quiet consciousness of the friendliness of God. They looked as if they -would at no time have been surprised, as they certainly would have -been unafraid, to see His face with their mortal eyes. They seemed to -love God, as birds sing, from an inward impulse that is not a duty but -a part of the organism, as natural a necessity as the breath or the -heart-beat. Yet, or perhaps because of this, they were intensely human. -There was none of that aloofness from the interests of their kind that -some excellent people regard as the hall-mark of a Christian. In fact, -they were a lovable family whose influence was like that of the spring -sun upon all (though they were but few) with whom they came in contact. - -Within this last year or two, however, Reuben had felt the deep placid -current of his life strangely disturbed. His life-long playmate, -Priscilla Fish, whose parents’ farm (three miles away) was the nearest -to that of the Eddys, had suddenly assumed a totally different -appearance in his eyes. For some time he went about dreamily wondering -whatever the change could be that had at once removed her so far above -the category of ordinary, everyday people, and at the same time had -made him long for her society so ardently that every hour spent away -from her seemed to drag, and every thought was shot through and through -with side-issues about her. Now between him and his father there had -been a life-long intimacy, gently sought and fostered by the elder man -as soon as Rube was old enough to know him. Thus they were more than -father and son--they were David and Jonathan, with no secrets from one -another. So after Reuben had wrestled with this new experience long -enough to be able to reduce it to some formulable expression, he took -it to his father, as he had done every other difficulty as long as -he could remember. The old man listened in sympathetic silence while -his son described his symptoms with a gravity that would have been -ludicrous but for its earnestness and sincerity. How he felt like a -caged bird until he saw Priscilla, yet when she appeared he became hot -and cold by turns, and felt so awkward and clumsy that he wanted to -hide himself in the earth, and so on, in the same old way that was all -so new and disconcerting to him. - -Very gently the old man explained matters to him, winding up with a -merry twinkle in his eyes, as he said: - -‘Haow en the name er pashense yeu’ve shun clar ov this complaint all -these years ez er merricle. Ef I know ye--en I ain’t so dead certain -of that as I wuz--yew’re just the kinder lad to fall in love fust go. -Anyhow, I’m goin’ ter chip in ’n ’elp ye if it kin be did et all.’ - -With all his fatherly instincts aroused, the fine old fellow trudged -over to his neighbour’s farm that same evening, and sought out old man -Fish. In quaint fashion, and blaming himself whimsically for his lack -of observation in not seeing how things were going before, he explained -the situation, finding, much to his gratification, that Priscilla’s -father was entirely agreeable to the match. Solemnly the two patriarchs -discussed ways and means, planning all manner of pleasant things -for the future of their children as far as their sober wishes would -allow them. That Reuben and Priscilla should marry, inherit the Eddy -homestead, and glide placidly along through life as their parents -had done, seemed to these two fond old hearts as roseate a prospect -as could be desired. So they sat on, exchanging their slow-moving -thoughts, until long past their usual early hour for bed. After a long -pause, Farmer Eddy stretched himself with a yawn and said: - -‘Wall, Zeke, I reckon I’ll be gittin’ to’rds hum. Seems ter me we ben -havin’ er mighty long yarn to-night, ’relse I’m most amazin’ sleepy. -Good-night t’ye.’ - -There was no reply. It was perfectly dark, for they had been sitting in -the barn, and when the night closed softly down they had not thought -to get a lamp, in their earnestness of conversation. Slightly raising -his voice, Farmer Eddy repeated his salutation, but it fell upon the -unresponsive darkness around like a pebble dropped into a deep well. -With a chill creeping over his scalp the old man reached forward to -where his friend was sitting and groped for his hand. It was some -seconds before he could find what he sought, and when he did, the truth -sank into his marrow instantly: Ezekiel Fish was dead. - -Trembling in every fibre, Eddy hastily made for the house, coming into -the well-lighted living-room with his message in his face. The family, -consisting of Mrs. Fish, her two grown-up sons, and Priscilla, were all -seated there, eagerly discussing a knotty point in some book Priscilla -had been reading aloud, but the entry of the old man and their first -glance at his face froze them into silence. Going straight up to the -mother, Eddy laid his trembling hand upon her shoulder, and said, -‘Hepziber, the Lord be good t’ye. He’s taken away yew’re husband.’ - -There was no outcry. Priscilla came swiftly to her mother’s side and -tried to soothe the heavily stricken woman, whose silent suffering was -pitiful to see; while the two sons and the old man, bearing lights, -returned to the barn and reverently carried in the body. The usual sad -offices were soon rendered to the remains, and with slow, uncertain -steps Eddy returned home to tell his sorrowful story and warn Reuben -that, for the present at any rate, a prior claim to attention had been -made upon their neighbour’s family. - -Some months, therefore, elapsed before anything of the matter that lay -so close to his heart passed Reuben’s lips. But he was by no means -impetuous, and besides, he had always been trained to subordinate his -wishes to those of others, so that while his love was undoubtedly -rooting and grounding itself more firmly every day, he was able -to abstain from all mention of it to its object. Summer came, and -with it an opportunity during a long Sunday afternoon’s ramble with -Priscilla to broach the important matter to her. She listened--somewhat -listlessly, it is true, but still she listened; while Rube, growing -bolder as he went on, and marvelling at his own powers of speech, -poured out to her his hopes and plans. But no enthusiasm could hold out -long under the unconcealed air of indifference with which his fervent -speech was received, and he soon sobered down to wonder quietly how -it was she took his vehemence so coolly. Being ready, however, to -supply all deficiencies from his own abundant stock, he was not unduly -depressed. And as the days went by his sweet sunny temperament asserted -itself, and hope, almost amounting to certainty, arose within him that -she would presently, as he had done, find all things changed under the -new light of love. Yet in spite of his hopefulness, a weary sense of -the hilly road he was travelling would occasionally give him serious -pause, and he grew hungry for some return, however slight, of his -lavish affection. And it was with one of these moods that this chapter -and the story open. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -‘VENI, VIDI, VICI’ - - -After the death of Ezekiel Fish the care of the farm devolved upon the -two brothers, both of them typical Yankee farmers, but without a trace -of the kindliness so characteristic of the Eddys. Rube had never been a -favourite with them. They dared not despise him openly--he was too big -and strong for that; but they spoke of him behind his back in terms of -disparagement, and did all in their power to discourage the slightest -feeling of affection for him that they imagined their sister to have. -Jake, the elder brother, a man some three years older than Rube, had -by virtue of his seniority assumed full charge of affairs, and already -had begun to launch out in various speculative ways that troubled the -old lady sorely. His visits to Boston ‘on business’ were frequent and -prolonged, and already he was becoming known to a few of his less -reputable associates as a ’feller thet wuz makin’ things hum a bit.’ - -In these altered circumstances it was no wonder that Rube pressed his -suit more earnestly than ever. His unselfish nature was fully alarmed -for Priscilla’s immediate future, and his anxiety on her behalf gave -his love an added lustre which it had lacked before. But to his -distress and chagrin, the steady growth of his affection did not -awaken in her the slightest responsiveness. To a stranger it would -have been at once manifest that she merely tolerated the young man; -even to his love-blinded perceptions the fact stubbornly persisted in -revealing itself. Rube endured this coldness patiently for months, -until on the evening of the commencement of our story he had drifted -almost unconsciously into a protest against this treatment of himself -by Priscilla who, if she had never given him any encouragement worth -speaking of, had at least tacitly accepted him as a lover. She had -received his complaint in the manner already specified, speaking the -exact truth about the state of her feelings towards him as far as she -knew them. The trouble was that she had not quite realised the strength -of a feeling of unrest and discontent with her surroundings which had -been steadily eating into her mind for months past. It was largely due -to her brother Jake, who, in the elated condition generally noticeable -on his return from Boston, was wont to launch into extravagant praise -of city life with its light and bustle and abundant enjoyments. -Naturally he was correspondingly contemptuous of the well-ordered -procession of days characteristic of the country. The majestic -harmonies and sweet confidences of Nature, the changeful orchestra of -each day, and the placid stillness of the nights, had become to his -disorganised ideas like the stagnation of death. His was that subtle -malaise that stealthily undermines the natural order of things, and, -leaving the countryside to go out of cultivation, herds men and women -together in vast feverish crowds to stew and fret and die, but never to -return to the quiet of the country again. - -This miserable change had, without her knowledge, infected Priscilla -also in such a manner that now every task was irksome, the stillness -of the evenings almost unbearable. Irritability, which had never -before disfigured her character, became increasingly noticeable. Even -Rube saw the change, but could not dream of its cause, and innocently -added to it by his dog-like untiring affection. Matters were in this -unsatisfactory state when one evening the sound of wheels through the -crisp air warned the inmates of the Fish place that Jake was returning -from one of his Boston jaunts. Priscilla dropped her knitting and went -to the door which looked across the wide paddock down the road. To her -surprise she saw in the fast approaching buggy two forms. Jake was -bringing a visitor! The prospect of any break in what had now become -almost an intolerable monotony so affected her that she felt nearly -intoxicated, her face flushed rosily, and a tingling thrill that was -almost pain rushed all over her. Yet she could not move, but stood -there framed in the portal like a graceful picture, while the buggy -drew up at the roadside and the men alighted. As they came across the -paddock towards her she saw that the stranger was tall and stalwart, -walking with the easy loose-jointed swing of the smart sailor. He -was dressed in the garb of an ordinary well-clothed townsman, but a -wide sombrero, of brown velvet apparently, shaded his face. Whether -by accident or design on his part, this hat completed his resemblance -to one of the old conquistadores or grandees of Spain painted by -Velasquez. For his visage was swarthy and oval, his eyes large, black, -and brilliant, and the lower half of his face was covered by a pointed -beard and immense moustache so black and thick and silky that it hardly -seemed of natural growth. To Priscilla’s eyes he looked as if he had -just stepped across the years out of Prescott’s living page, and, like -so many others of her sex, in that moment she gave him her whole heart, -offered herself up to the husk of a man, unknowing and uncaring what it -contained. - -Her mind in a confused whirl of thought, she stood as if petrified -until the travellers reached her, and made no sign, even when Jake -said, ‘Thishyer’s my sister Priscilla, Cap’n. Pris, Cap’n Da Silva.’ -The Captain bowed, gracefully enough because naturally, but with -evident signs that the movement was unusual, and held out his small and -well-shaped brown hand to meet Priscilla’s white and plump one. The -contact of their hands acted upon her like a vigorous restorative, and -the blood fled back again from her face and neck, leaving them for the -moment unnaturally pale as she found her voice and bade the stranger -welcome. Even Jake’s dull eyes could not fail to see how powerfully his -sister was impressed by the Captain, and it pleased him well. Selfish -and grasping, he was by no means sorry to get rid of his sister, nor -did the thought of his mother’s loneliness affect him in the slightest -degree. So that it was with a chuckle of satisfaction he turned away to -put up his horse and buggy, saying carelessly as he did so, ‘’Scuse me, -Cap. My sister’ll look after you in shape, won’t ye, Pris?’ - -Thenceforward Priscilla and the Captain were constant companions, -their intimacy tacitly encouraged by Jake, who was in a high state -of satisfaction at the prospect of getting rid of his sister finally. -The mother made many attempts to gain her daughter’s confidence, -for she felt an innate distrust of the handsome stranger. But -Priscilla, forgetting all her mother’s claims, avoided with intuitive -diplomacy any approach to the subject on her part, showing at times -an irritability of manner that sorely troubled the old lady, who, -having no one to turn to in her distress of mind, was lonely indeed. -At last, one day when Pris, the Captain, and Jake had driven off upon -some excursion of pleasure, she felt that she could bear the trouble -alone no longer, and taking advantage of her younger son’s absence at -a neighbouring farm, she made a pilgrimage over to the Eddy farmhouse, -intent upon pouring out her heart to Mrs. Eddy. The meeting between the -two old dames was full of pathetic interest, for Mrs. Eddy loved her -boy so fondly that, although she had never felt drawn to Priscilla, -it was enough for her that Rube loved the girl. His happiness was -the consideration that overtopped all others in her heart. So that -when Mrs. Fish unburdened herself, her hearer was torn by maternal -solicitude for her boy, and for the time her anxiety as to the effect -this news would have upon him was too great to allow her to reply. And -when she did speak, her words sounded hollow and unmeaning--so much so -that her visitor stared at her wonderingly. For Mrs. Eddy’s powers of -consolation and wisdom of counsel were matters of common knowledge over -a wide extent of country--she was looked up to as infallible. The look -in her visitor’s eyes recalled her to herself somewhat, and choking -down her feelings by a great effort, she said: - -‘Wall, Hepziber, yewrs ’s surely a hard case, ’n’ I kain’t fur th’ life -of me see wut yew’re to do. Ef Pris is ’tarmined tu go her own way ’n’ -wun’t listen to yew on the matter ’t all, ’n’ ef, ’s yew say, Jake’s -doin’ his best t’ encourage her, yew’re jest brought face to face with -th’ wall, ’s yew may say. My Rube w’d hev made her a good husband, an’ -one ’bout whose record there couldn’t be any doubt; but I’ve seen fur a -long time that she wuz jest puttin’ up with him like--she didn’t love -him more ’n she did me, ’n’ you know she never took ter me, ner dad -eyther. Go home ’n’ pray about it, Hepziber; it’s all we kin do. As fur -myself, I’ve got ter wrassle with th’ Lord for my boy, fur how he’ll -b’ar this I kain’t begin ter think.’ - -And with this cold comfort (to her), Widow Fish had to depart for the -home she was beginning to feel a stranger in, after all these years, -leaving Mrs. Eddy with a heart overflowing with sorrowful love for her -only son. With a natural dread of the effect the news would have upon -him, she put in practice all the simple arts she knew to keep him in -ignorance of what was brewing, and finally succeeded, by the aid of her -husband, in despatching him to Boston on business without his calling -at the Fish place first. He was absent from home for a fortnight, -and when he returned, after an hour or two spent with his father and -mother, he rose and said, with a transparent attempt to conceal his -eagerness: - -‘I guess I’ll jest stroll over an’ see Pris. I’d like to tell her ’bout -some o’ the Boston sights. ’N’ I’ve brought her a cunning little watch -for a birthday present.’ - -The mother looked appealingly at her husband, who, answering her gaze -with eyes full of fondness, rose, and laying his hand upon Rube’s -shoulder, said: - -‘My son, yew’re a man in years an’ strength, ’n’ I’ve brung ye up to be -the _good_ man I b’lieve y’ are. Y’ haven’t hed enny big trouble yet, -but y’ know ther’ ain’t nothin’ in th’ world yew kin ’pend on till it’s -tested. Yew’re goin’ ter be tested now. Priscilla’s married.’ - -The watch dropped from the young man’s fingers on to the stone floor -and was broken. Except for that sound there was absolute silence: none -of the three seemed to breathe. Presently Rube spoke: - -‘Thank ye, father, fur tellin’ me plain ’n’ prompt. Now I think I’ll go -upstairs ’n’ rest.’ - -And with heavy uncertain steps Rube left the kitchen, mounted to the -little room he had occupied since he was a child, and shut himself in. - -It was true. With a haste that was explained by the Captain as -absolutely necessary on account of his ship being ordered to sea at -a very short notice, he had pressed his suit when once he found how -willing Priscilla was to take him at his own valuation. Mrs. Fish, -thoroughly bewildered by the whole hasty proceeding, wandered about the -house like an unquiet ghost, doing nothing either to help or hinder -the preparations. Jake was unwontedly lavish with the funds necessary, -and indefatigable in giving assistance, so that two days before Rube -returned from Boston the newly married pair had departed for New -Bedford with the intention of spending their honeymoon on board Captain -Da Silva’s ship as she journeyed southward on the commencement of her -long voyage. She was called the _Grampus_, and was one of the fine -fleet of South Sea whaleships then sailing from New Bedford, although -so ignorant were the farm-folk of Vermont of maritime matters that even -Jake, smart as he fancied himself, had but the dimmest, vaguest idea of -what the life was that his sister was going to be shut up to for the -next three or four years. Still less did he care. As for Priscilla, she -would have accepted unquestioningly any situation into which she might -be brought so long as she was by the side of the man she worshipped -with a fierce unreasoning intensity. Of Rube she never thought for more -than a minute at a time, and then it was only with a sense of relief -at the knowledge that he would trouble her no more. From her mother -she parted without regret: there seemed to be no room in her mind -for anything else but intense satisfaction in the prize she believed -herself to have won. Even the prospect of seeing the great world which -had once claimed all her desires was but a feeble unit now in the vast -sum of her delight in the possession of Ramon Da Silva. Nor was her joy -in the least damped by the masterful way in which he accepted all the -affection she lavished upon him. To do him justice, he was hardly to -blame for this. His career, from the time he had enlisted as a green -hand on board of an American whaler at Fayal, in his sixteenth year, -had been one long series of successes, due to the great force of his -character, his utter unscrupulousness, and entire absence of fear. Step -by step he had risen in his dangerous profession until he had become -master of a whaleship, while his name was a household word among the -fleet for smartness, courage, and--brutality. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -A SUDDEN RESOLVE - - -When Rube came down the next morning and composedly met his father’s -and mother’s anxious looks, he had the listless air of a man whose -spirit had been broken. There was a droop in his shoulders, a dulness -in his eyes that contrasted painfully with the bright alertness of his -glance and carriage of the day before. But he said nothing of his blow, -and his parents wisely forbore to say anything either, trusting that -his young and healthy body would come to the assistance of his mind, -and that the wound would soon skin over. Unfortunately for their hopes, -his love had been the pivot of his life. While a good farmer, a good -son, and a good business man, he had no hobbies, he read little, and, -being much alone, he had allowed his passion for Priscilla to become so -interwoven with his every thought and action that the knowledge of her -loss had been like a rending of soul from body. So he went about his -duties like a somnambulist, seeking no comfort, making no confidences, -and apparently as insensible to externals as a hypnotised man would be. - -In this dull round of daily tasks several weeks passed away, until it -happened that he found himself at the village grocery on some trivial -errand. There was the usual knot of loungers ready to talk, and -absurdly grateful for the coming of any stranger with something fresh -to say. As he passed through them with a brief nod of recognition -to one and another, and entered the store, he saw standing erect in -their midst a tall wiry-looking man, whose face was unfamiliar to him. -Pausing for an instant, with the first symptom of interest he had -manifested for many days, he heard the stranger say: - -‘Yas, ’n’ if enny ov yew fellers hed th’ grit ov a chipmunk, yew -wouldn’t take twicet t’ think over yer anser. Wut man’d go on grindin’ -mud all his life in a dead-’n’-alive God-fergotten corner like this -when he’s got ’n opportoonity of seein’ the world--all th’ world, mind -ye, east, west, north, and south--an’ makin’ a small forchin ’s well? -I dunno wuts come over the yewth ov Amurica to-day. Sims t’ me they’ve -lost their old vim ’n’ push altogether. Well, s’ long, boys; if I -kain’t persuade ye I kain’t, ’n’ there’s an eend on ’t, ’n’ I mus’ be -gittin’ ’long. But ef enny ov ye wants time t’ make up yer minds, I -sh’l be back this way ag’in ter-morrer ev’nin’, ’n’ that’ll be the las’ -chance you’ll git, enny ov ye.’ - -Although he had not heard any of the stranger’s preliminary discourse, -and shrank from making inquiries, Rube’s interest was aroused to the -highest pitch. He returned to his home with the few words he had -heard seething and bubbling in his mind. For he felt that at last -here was a way of escape from the almost insupportable deadness of -his life. He could not realise that ‘the mind is its own place,’ and -so, like a caged animal, seeing a door of hope open to him, he felt -an unconquerable longing to flee. He said not a word throughout the -evening meal, but that was so much his habit now that it passed -unnoticed. Mechanically he bowed his head at ‘worship,’ but his -father’s reading of a chapter from the Bible might have been in the -original Hebrew for all he understood of it. After gaining the solitude -of his room, he sat on the bed, his head on his hands, trying hard to -reduce the whirlpool of his thoughts to some definite shape until far -into the night, but in vain. Only one idea seemed to stand out sharply -and distinctly against the misty tumult: he must _go_. At last, wearied -with mental conflict, he fell backward, dressed as he was, and went to -sleep. - -He rose unrefreshed, with a racking headache for the first time in -his life, and went about his usual round of duties automatically. But -his face bore such evident traces of his last night’s conflict that -they could not escape his mother’s keen eye. She anxiously inquired -after his health, but was met with the careless reply that he was ‘all -right.’ She knew better, of course, but it had never been her way to -force confidence, and so she manifested no more curiosity. She only -looked wistfully at her boy when unobserved by him, and hovered about -him as if more than ordinarily solicitous for his comfort. All day long -he moved and looked like a man in a dream, every thought, every feeling -merged in one idea--escape. Strange, that it never occurred to him how -impossible it is for a man to flee from himself. - -Without waiting for supper, and as if dreading to be questioned, no -sooner was the day’s work done than he strode off to the village -grocery, assuming, as he approached it, a most elaborate air of -unconcern, and lounging into the midst of the little knot of listless -men hanging about the door as if nothing mattered--an attitude common -to all of them. He had not long to wait. In about ten minutes after his -arrival a brisk footfall was heard, and turning the corner sharply the -lean, keen-looking stranger of the previous evening strode into the -midst of the group. - -‘Evenin’, boys,’ he jerked out, diving into the pockets of his pants -at the same time and producing a formidable plug of hard tobacco and -a knife. Having provided himself with a fresh cud and passed on the -materials to his next neighbour, he proceeded: - -‘Wall, boys, hev ye made up yer minds yet? This, as the paestor sez, is -the last time ov askin’. Ye’ve got ter speak up now, ’relse stay right -whar y’ are f’rever ’n’ ever. ’N’ that, _I_ sh’d say, ’d be ’nough t’ -decide fr’anny young _man_. Veg’tables don’ count anyhaow.’ - -This short harangue ended, he looked slily at his hearers to see -whether he had made any impression upon them, but with the exception -of a vacant half laugh or two, accompanied by an uneasy shuffle on the -part of the utterers thereof, they might as well all have been deaf -for any notice they took of him. But suddenly, to his astonishment -(although he was careful not to show it), Rube, who was a stranger to -him, stepped forward and said: - -‘Wall, stranger, I guess I’ll hitch hosses with ye. When d’ ye start, -an’ what’s th’ ’rangements?’ - -‘Right, my boy, I’m real proud of ye. I’m startin’ this evenin’ as -ever is; ’n’ as t’ ’rangements, ye’ve only got ter sign thishyer paper -agreein’ t’ join any ship I s’lect f’r ye, ’n’ take a little keepsake -from me in the shape of two-an’-a-haef dollars. Then ye’ll pack up -yer traps, ’n’ I’ll see ye booked through to Noo Bedford. Yew’ll start -first thing in the mornin’.’ - -Hardly looking at the form of agreement, Rube signed, the stranger -being provided with pen and ink, and dropping the money loosely into -his pocket, he strode off homewards, leaving the loungers all agape at -the idea of Rube Eddy, who was well known to be one of the steadiest -and most comfortably established young men in the county, going off at -a minute’s notice to foreign lands. Long and earnest was the discussion -that followed, all sorts of possible and impossible reasons for the -step Rube had taken being brought forward. The stranger lolled at his -ease, listening in the hope that Rube’s example might prove contagious, -but, to his disappointment, it seemed to have quite a contrary effect. -The talkers were like men who had just witnessed one of their number -take a plunge into the fathomless abyss, from the brink of which they -all drew back with horror. This state of mind soon became evident -to the stranger, who, jerking himself to his feet, shook himself, -stretched, yawned, and finally said: - -‘Wall, boys, kain’t linger with ye always. I’m beginnin’ t’ feel like -Rip Van Winkle meself in thishyer slumbersom place. I reckon I shall -hev to hurry back to civilisation agen before I go to sleep too. How on -airth yew fellers keep ’wake long ’nough t’ eat ’n drink I d’no.’ - -With this parting shot he turned on his heel and disappeared into the -gathering darkness, and they saw him no more. - -Meanwhile Rube, his mind a blank, reached home and, hastily ascending -to his room, busied himself gathering together his clothing. Good -serviceable homespun, most of it, such as would be fit for any work, -however rough, that might fall to his lot. Having made it into a -compact bundle, with a celerity that raised a dim wonder even in -himself, he drew himself up, as if bracing all his fortitude to meet -father and mother. Memories of the quiet, pleasant years began to -crowd in upon him, but with a gesture as if to crush them back, he -deliberately walked down the narrow stairway, whose every step seemed -to utter a reproachful creak. Entering the kitchen, he crossed over -to the fireside, where his parents sat facing each other and calmly -talking over some trivial happening of the day. Standing before them, -he waited a moment, while they both looked up at him, and in that one -swift glance his mother knew that a crisis had arrived. In a husky -voice, that sounded as if it belonged to someone else, he said: - -‘Mother, Dad, I’m goin’ away termorrer mornin’. Fergive me fer leavin’ -ye like this, but I jest had ter go. I’m no good here any more. I’m -goin’ t’ sea, ’n’ when I come back mebbe I’ll be a stronger man. Naow -I’m a wuthless, dreamy shote, ’n’ I feel ’s if thishyer quiet easy life -’d certainly drive me mad befo’ very long.’ - -‘_Must_ you go to-morrow, my son?’ murmured his mother hopelessly, for -she knew the breed, knew that once set upon a thing the Eddys were -immovable, and yet she felt obliged to make an effort. - -‘Yes, mother. ’Greement’s signed, th’ airnest money’s in my pocket, an’ -my duds are all packed. I’m goin’, sure.’ - -‘Rube,’ said his father, ‘we’ve been mighty cluss friends all our -lives, an’ we ain’t goin’ ter fall eout naouw, I’m dead shore o’ that. -But ye mout ha’ told me wut ye wuz meditatin’. ’T wan’t far t’ me, boy, -naow wuz it?’ - -For all answer Rube reached for his father’s hand and held it tight, -while the working of his face showed how hard the simple words had hit -him. - -The father broke the silence again by saying, ‘Let us pray.’ With a -sudden return to his childhood Rube knelt at his mother’s knee, while -the old man, as had been his nightly wont ever since he first brought -home his young bride, but with an added solemnity born of the shadow of -his first bereavement, spoke to his Friend: - -‘Father, eour hearts air troubled. Yew’ve brung us along a pleasant -road right inter the green valley of comfortable old age. We’ve hed a -happy time together, ’n’ this our son hez alwus ben a delight to us. We -looked that he sh’d still be so, that he sh’d close eour eyes when we -laid us down at last t’ sleep. P’raps we hev been selfish, ’n’ need a -lesson to teach us wut it means to spare an only son. He’s goin’ away -from us f’r a long time--where, he doesn’t know himself; but however -fur he goes, don’t let him get away from you. We don’t ask you t’ spare -him t’ us ef it’s necessary we sh’d never see him alive any more; but -ef it _might_ be, Father, you know how ’tis yourself, ’n’ therefore you -know what it’ll mean t’ us t’ have him back again. Make him through -all he’ll have t’ bear such a man as yew’d love to have him, ’n supply -his place at home, if it ken be supplied, by a truer sense of yew’re -presence with us. Bless my son, O Father, and bless us, f’r _yewr_ -Son’s sake. Amen.’ - -Little more was said, although they sat hand in hand far into the -night. Rube wanted nothing that his father could give him, having -sufficient money for all his prospective needs; but he accepted his -mother’s Bible gratefully, feeling that it would be a palpable link -with her. At last they went to bed, where Rube, not from callousness, -but from sheer overstrain of mind, slept soundly. His mother lay all -through the hours silently praying, while the unhindered tears trickled -slowly and continuously down. And his father watched with her. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -DEPARTURE - - -Morning broke over the Eddy homestead grey and cheerless, a fitting -reflection of the frame of mind holding sway over its inmates. Rube -came down with his grip-sack in his hand, his best clothes donned, and -an air of stern resolve on his strong features. He found his father and -mother awaiting him in the humble room where he had met them ever since -his mind first awakened to the knowledge of worldly matters. For a few -moments after the ‘good mornings’ were said, no word further passed the -lips of the three. Suddenly the mother spoke, saying: - -‘Rube, my son, you never told us _whar’_ you were goin’.’ - -To some of us perhaps it may seem strange that neither father nor -mother had asked this question before, but the fact is that in their -secluded lives the mere idea of one of them leaving home for so long -was sufficiently terrible, without any definition of the precise -locality to which the wanderer might be directing his steps being -thought of. But the mother’s heart was already in prospect reaching out -after the absent one, and therefore it was but fitting and natural that -she should be the first to desire to know whither he was going. Rube -flushed a deep red as the necessary vagueness of his reply dawned upon -him, but he said: - -‘I’m goin’ ter sea, mother; thet’s all I know at present. When I git t’ -Noo Bedford an’ find out whar’ I kin git letters or write frum, be sure -I’ll let you know to onct. I’m drefful sorry I kain’t tell you anythin’ -more ’n thet.’ - -The morning meal, ample and palatable as it always is on these Eastern -farms, was spread, and the three took their places at the board; but -although they made a brave show of eating, the food would not be got -rid of, and suddenly Rube arose, as if the sight of his father’s worn -face and his mother’s eyes, bleared with weeping through the long -night, was too much for him, saying as he did so: - -‘Wall, it’s time I wuz off. Good-bye, mother; good-bye, father. I know -yewr prayers’ll hover roun’ me wharever I go; and ez soon ez I hev -worn out this drefful restless feelin’ I’ll come back and settle down, -please God, never to go away any more.’ - -A silent kiss from the mother, a grave handshake from the father, and -Rube turned his back upon home. Nor did he once look behind him as he -strode down the road towards where, in the little village, a conveyance -was waiting to take him to the station, whence he might reach New -Bedford by railroad. He did not look back because he feared to see -his mother’s face. Not that his resolve to go would have been thereby -weakened, but that he could not help feeling guilty in that he was -weakly fleeing from what he could not help knowing was his duty--weakly -giving way to what he could not help knowing was after all, cowardice. -But who shall dare to judge the action of his fellow-men under -abnormal conditions? ‘Put yourself in his place’ is a good motto, -but how very rarely is it possible for us to act it out! Therefore, -although many of us may very well feel inclined to judge Rube harshly -for thus deserting father and mother and a life of usefulness, and -becoming a wanderer on the face of the deep simply because the woman -of his choice could not be his, let us not forget that ever since -the world began, and men and women have been able to recount their -experiences, strange things have been recorded as done by disappointed -lovers against their better judgment. - -Rube’s mind as the train sped him onwards towards the beautiful New -England town whence he was to start upon his long sea journeyings was -almost a blank. Never given much to a habit of introspection, he was -by reason of the shock that he had recently received less able now to -devote himself to concentrated thought than ever; and so, had he been -asked what he was thinking about during that long railway journey, he -would have replied, no doubt with perfect frankness, ‘Hardly anything.’ -I think this experience is not uncommon, even among men and women given -to meditation, when suddenly they have received a mental blow. Be that -as it may--and I will own that it is a debatable point--when Rube -arrived at New Bedford he had just the air of stolid bewilderment that -is generally noticeable upon the faces of country-bred people first -coming in contact with the strangeness of life in a seaport town. And -truly one might have sailed the wide world round and not have found -a more wonderful seaport than New Bedford was in those days. Men of -almost every nation under heaven, clad in outlandish garments, jostled -each other along the strongly smelling wharves and picturesque streets -bordering the bay. New Bedford was then in the height of her prosperity -as metropolis of the whaling world. Over six hundred fine ships came -and went on their adventurous sea-questings, bringing with them from -the uttermost ends of the earth queer-looking denizens of those far-off -lands. Kanakas from the multitudinous Isles of the Pacific, Aborigines -from Central America, Aleuts from Alaska, Japanese from Nippon, -Chinese, Malays, Papuans, and Dyaks from the East Indian Archipelago, -Lascars from Hindustan, Arabs from the Persian Gulf, and last, but -by far the most numerous of all these wanderers, Portuguese of every -hue, from deepest black to creamy white, from the Fortunate Isles. -The diversity of peoples was not more wonderful than the quaintness -of their costumes, which were, indeed, a chance medley of all the -national dresses of the world. Yet in every case a keen observer, and -one acquainted with the subject, might have recognised evidences of an -attempt on the part of the wearer to give to his nondescript raiment -some national peculiarity. Not only were the people a wonderful sight, -but another sense--that of smell--was overpoweringly arrested on the -crowded wharves, where scores of weatherbeaten ships discharged their -greasy spoils, the odour from which permeated the entire atmosphere, -seizing upon a stranger with almost intoxicating effect. Then the -sounds!--the loud cries of the labourers as they toiled to discharge -the cargoes from the ships, the wonderful medley of languages spoken -by the strange seafarers slouching along the shore, and, pervading -all, the hollow murmur of the sea as it rolled in on the beaches of the -beautiful bay under the stress of a strong landward gale. - -Amidst these novel sights, sounds, and smells, Rube made his way like -a man in a dream towards the place whither he had been directed, not -without considerable difficulty, as three out of every four persons -of whom he inquired his direction did not understand a word that he -said. This, to a man who had never before met with anybody not speaking -his own tongue, was really bewildering, and it was not therefore -to be wondered at that by the time Rube had found the building he -sought, his mental processes, never too acute, were reduced almost -to numbness. Inquiring timidly at the door of the building to which -he had been directed as the place where he should find Mr. Sawtell, -he was answered nonchalantly by an elderly man, whose grey beard was -plentifully streaked with tobacco juice, that if he went right in -and took the first door on the left he’d find what he sought. Rube -meekly obeyed, and entered a large, high-ceilinged room, scantily -furnished, with several desks enclosed by a low fence and some benches. -Two men sat at the desks looking as unlike the embodiment of our -modern ideas of clerks as could well be imagined, for both of them -had soft wideawake hats perched on the backs of their heads, both -were smoking enormous cigars, and both bore in their countenances -the expression of temporarily out-of-work pirates more than that of -peaceful quill-drivers. As Rube approached the nearest desk he was -somewhat amazed to see the clerk with his chair tilted back and his -feet apparently resting upon the papers before him. He gazed at the -strongly-marked lineaments of the official, and that worthy returned -his look with interest, presently removing the cigar from his mouth -and saying: ‘Wal, young feller; an’ wut kin I hev the pleasure?’ Rube -stammered out, rather incoherently: ‘Mr. Sawtell engaged me th’ other -day to come down here to jine a ship to go to sea.’ ‘Oh!’ said the -clerk, ‘Sawtell engaged yer, did he? And wut mought be the name of -the ship?’ ‘I don’ know,’ replied Reuben, who was fast recovering his -equanimity; ’he jest told me to come right here.’ ‘That’s all right, -sonny,’ said the clerk. ‘Sit down thar an’ wait fer him; he’ll be roun’ -bimeby.’ - -Reuben sat down as directed, and for nearly two hours had the interest -of seeing individuals, something like himself, enter, ask almost the -same question, and receive almost the same reply, until the room was -fairly full. Then, when Reuben began to think that the whole affair -must be a mistake, Sawtell entered. With him there came a man looking -more like an Eastern patriarch than a seafarer--a tall, loose-jointed, -hook-nosed, grey-bearded man, clad in homespun, a long coat reaching -nearly to his feet, and a soft steeple-crowned felt hat upon his head. -But quaint as his figure might be, there was no mistaking the keen, -eagle-like glance of his eyes as he swept them round on the silent -men meekly awaiting the arbiter of their fate. And it was he, the -Patriarch, who spoke first. ‘Is this the crowd you’ve gut fur me, -Sawtell?’ ‘Yes, Cap’n Hampden, an’ ez likely a lookin’ lot ’s ever -I see.’ ‘H’m, mebbe so, but jest naow I guess there’s a consid’ble -quantity of plough soil hangin’ to ’em. But they _do_ seem likely -enough, as yer say. However, I gut no time to spare. We’re bound out -first tide to-morrer, an’ if these gentlemen air _quite_ disengaged’ -(waving his hand towards the clerks) ‘we’ll purceed to business to -once.’ Then, raising his voice, he addressed the waiting candidates -comprehensively, saying: ‘Wal, young men, so ye feel inclined to try -yewr fortunes upon the ragin’ deep, do ye?’ Muttered responses went up, -of which no man might gather the import, save that they were in the -affirmative. ‘Right an’ good,’ said the Patriarch; ‘step up here, and -hear this _gentleman_’ (with a sarcastic inflection upon the last word) -‘read eout t’ ye the conditions of sarvice.’ - -With an unexpected alacrity one of the clerks sprang to his feet, -and, from a somewhat grimy document, read in a high sing-song tone of -voice an agreement whereby the said crew covenanted to proceed in the -good ship _Xiphias_ to any port or ports of the navigable ocean in -pursuit of whales, seals, and any other denizens of the deep capable -of being made profitable to crew and owners; voyage not to exceed four -years. It must be confessed that, slurred over as the last two words -were (unintentionally, no doubt), several of the candidates suddenly -showed a wistfulness of countenance, as if they had a prospective idea -of what those four years might mean, but no word was spoken by any of -them. Then, one by one, they stepped up to the desk and signed their -names, first being told that they would be entitled to receive a good -and sufficient quantity of cooked provisions, and the 250th lay, in -return for their unquestioning obedience at all times to all orders -that Captain Hampden and his officers might issue to them. And this -important preliminary finished, they were all sternly ordered, as being -men now under command, to be down at the ship by six o’clock in the -morning at latest. - -So the newly engaged crew filed out of the office and stood in a little -group on the sidewalk hesitatingly. A few words passed--invitations to -drink for the most part--and one or two spoke to Rube; but he answered -them unthinkingly, feeling, indeed, the need for being alone. It was -all so new and strange to the country-bred man, and he felt that -conversation with anybody would be insupportable. So, with muttered -excuses, he left the company, and went for a stroll along the wharves, -taking in all the wonders of this strange place with wide-open eyes, -but most of his other senses nearly out of action. At last, utterly -weary, he turned into a respectable-looking eatinghouse by the -waterside, and called for some food, inquiring of the young woman who -brought it whether he might take up his lodging there for the night. -She answered ‘Yes’ with a surprised air, and, apparently unable to -overcome her curiosity, put several questions to him, as to whence he -came and whither he was going, all of which he answered evasively, -conveying the idea that what he wanted was to be left alone in peace -with his own thoughts. Quite unaccustomed to such rudeness on the -part of her customers, the young woman tossed her head and departed, -leaving him to his solitary meal. Nor did she return again until, -rapping on the table, he summoned her and asked to be shown his room. -With a scornful look at a man who could be so utterly unresponsive to -the offer of polite conversation, she led the way to a very small, -barely-furnished chamber, showed him in and left him; and he, with the -same bewildered air that he had worn ever since reaching the town, -slowly took off his clothes and got into bed, although it was hardly -yet dark. In a few minutes the strain of the past twenty-four hours was -relaxed, and he was fast asleep. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -OUTWARD BOUND - - -Rube awakened before dawn without being called, but with a momentary -feeling of terror lest he should have overslept himself. The sound of -a neighbouring church clock striking five reassured him, and hurriedly -dressing he made his way downstairs, paid his modest bill to the sleepy -landlord, who was peering out into the grey of the early morning, and -rapidly passed along the wharves in the direction of the ship which had -been pointed out to him the previous afternoon. Arriving alongside, -he was surprised to see how little bustle and apparent preparation -for seafaring was in evidence. Several men were slouching about the -decks, and one energetic individual was bellowing occasional orders -in an exceedingly loud voice, but beyond that the vessel might, for -all he could see, have been going to stay where she was indefinitely. -Presently, however, he noticed a little group coming with swaying steps -up the wharf, and soon they were alongside, several of them evidently -suffering from their potations of the previous evening. Then the tall -patriarchal figure of the Captain appeared, stepped on board, and -instantly the ship wakened into life. - -All unaware of what was expected of him, Rube stood on deck just -where he had first stepped over the side, his few belongings in his -grip-sack lying by him, until a short, thick-set man, with a face -like unpolished mahogany, came up to him and said: ‘Naow, wut yew -doin’ here--hain’t shipped as passenger, hev ye? Them yewr duds? Get -’em below and be mighty smart abaout it, ’less you want consid’ble -trouble.’ Mechanically he obeyed the man’s actions more than his words, -which were, indeed, more than half of them almost unintelligible to -him. Going forward in the direction indicated by his interlocutor, -and finding his way below, he entered a large apartment wrapped in -the densest gloom, and it was not until somebody (who, he could not -see) struck a light, that he was able to discern its outlines, to -see all around it bunks, some occupied by bundles of clothing and -miscellaneous objects, and others by sleeping men. The atmosphere of -this dark den was foul in the extreme--so much so, in fact, that he -felt choking--and, without losing any time, he pushed his belongings -into the nearest corner that presented itself and hastened on deck. - -The next hour passed with him like a fevered dream. What he was doing -or why he was doing it he knew not at all; for is there any creature -more helpless and ignorant than a grown-up man who, for the first time -in his life, takes part in the work of a ship putting out to sea? The -very language is unintelligible. Everything is so new, so strange, -and when presently to these mysteries is added the curious staggering -motion of the ship, the neophyte’s plight is a most unhappy one. But -it may be doubted whether of all the much-advertised remedies for -sea-sickness there are any so effectual as being kept at work, allowed -no respite, no moment to brood over the physical inconveniences that -assail the candidate for sea honours. The remedy is a terrible one, it -is true, but that it is effectual is equally true, and so Rube found -it. But when he was ordered aloft to loose a sail he gazed piteously up -the rigging and mentally commended himself to the care of God. For as -the ship was just feeling the inroll of the wide sea, and putting on -a most disconcerting motion, it appeared to him perfectly impossible -that he should be able to get up aloft and down again alive. Added to -this was the fact that he had not the remotest conception of what he -was intended to do. But a stalwart Portuguese standing near him when -the order was given murmured, ‘Kem along, Greenie; I shows you haow,’ -and, gratefully willing, in spite of his wretched bodily condition, -he clumsily clambered up the rigging after his mentor, followed by a -perfect hurricane of opprobrium from the officer on deck, who felt -justly angered at his most reprehensible want of smartness. He gained -the foretopsail yard, and then, despite all his earnest endeavours to -learn from the Portuguese what he was supposed to do, was so overcome -with nausea that he could do nothing but hold on, just hanging there, a -limp, swaying body, unconscious of everything around and about him in -the utter misery of his inner man. - -Perhaps it is as well that we draw a veil over the proceedings of the -next few days. To follow a novice like Rube through such an ordeal as -he was now undergoing, while it might certainly be interesting, could -not fail, if faithfully reported, to be very distressing to anybody -possessing a scintilla of sympathy. Let it, then, suffice to say that -on the third morning at daybreak Rube, while sitting between the main -stays keeping the look-out, began to realise that an interest in his -surroundings was rapidly beginning. Also, for the first time since he -had left home, he found himself thinking of how matters might be going -on at the farm, and then, as he pictured father and mother coming down -to the morning meal and offering up a prayer for the absent one, his -heart melted, familiar words of prayer formed upon his lips, he bowed -his head and sought the ante-chamber of the King. And, for the first -time since he had received the news that had wrought so tremendous a -change in his life, he coupled with his prayers the name of Priscilla, -that she might be blessed and helped wherever she might be, and that -her path in life might be made infinitely smoother for her than she -had, innocently enough, made his for him. - -While engaged in this sacred reverie he allowed his head to droop -upon his hand, and became for the time utterly unconscious of his -surroundings. - -And so it came to pass that the second mate, whose watch it happened -to be at the time, making his periodical prowl round the deck to see -that all was in order, peered up at the look-out place and saw, as he -thought, the watchman asleep. His next move was to procure a bucket of -water, which he launched with accurate aim at Rube’s crouching form. -Rube started upright, gasping and full of bewilderment at this strange -thing that had befallen him. But he was not left long in doubt, for -almost immediately came a storm of profanity, interspersed with grim -warnings as to the kind and quantity of evil that would befall him if -ever again he went to sleep on his look-out. At the first opportunity -Rube essayed to reply, and point out that he was not asleep, not -knowing, poor fellow, that no excuses of the kind are ever accepted on -board ship. His few stammered words only brought the bucket flying at -his head, and being, after all, a sensible young fellow, he took this -rough hint to mean that the only possible course for him to pursue, -under present conditions at any rate, was to take all that might be -tendered to him, making no reply unless ordered. - -But the _Xiphias_ was not at all a bad ship. We may go farther, and -say she was a good ship, because Captain Hampden, stern grey Quaker -that he was, discountenanced all ill-usage of the crew that was not, -to his mind, absolutely necessary. And as he, being part owner, had -provided his crew with a plentiful supply of fairly good food, another -great source of misery on board ship was removed from them. But still -the life for a time seemed very hard to our hero, and would have -been much harder but for his magnificent physique and his splendid -patience. Moreover, he now found much comfort and a grand outlet for -his long pent-up affections in ministering to the many needs of his -hapless shipmates. For they, like himself, were drawn largely from -inland dwelling people, and several of them were much more helpless -than he. They had come to sea all unwittingly, without the slightest -foreknowledge of what awaited them, just as he had, and therefore, of -necessity, it would be some considerable time before they could settle -down to the stolid endurance which is absolutely necessary for all -those who go down to the sea in sailing ships. - -A week elapsed, during which all hands were gradually being shaken down -into their several grooves. Every man on board had been allotted his -post in the boats or as a shipkeeper against the day of battle with the -monarchs of the deep. The various green hands had now some of their -greenness mellowed, and were learning, or had learned, to get aloft -and do something else beside hold on tightly when they got there. But -this was the smallest part--the mere rudiments, as it were--of their -education. Sailors on board whaling ships are, of course, required to -be fairly smart aloft, fairly smart at the ordinary avocations of a -sailor; but the principal object of their life is that they shall be -smart boatmen, and herein they differ entirely from any other merchant -seafarers whatever. And this was soon made evident to them, for at -the first opportunity, the weather being fine enough to admit of -boats being lowered with a crew of absolutely incompetent men without -danger of those valuable vessels being damaged, all hands, except four -retained to handle the ship under the charge of the captain, were sent -away to practise boatmanship. - -This was a severe trial, and all the green hands suffered much. But -even here Rube’s patience and muscular development stood him in good -stead--saved him, in fact, from the energetic attentions lavishly -bestowed by the officer and harpooner of his boat upon the other -occupants. It must be confessed that he felt many misgivings upon -being so near that great heaving blue surface as he was in the frail -whaleboat. Different (and so much harder) as his life had already -been on board the ship from all his previous experiences, it was ease -and comfort as compared with this apparent tempting of fortune in a -mere cockleshell. However, given sufficient energy on the part of the -teachers, a modicum of courage and sufficient docility on the part of -the taught, men can speedily accommodate themselves to any alteration -in their habits of life, no matter how great it may be, and so, after -three days of tremendously hard training, Captain Hampden expressed -himself satisfied that his newly-gathered crew of clodhoppers might -safely be taken into battle with the great sperm whale, and have -a reasonable chance of emerging therefrom victorious. The weather -had, mercifully to those new-comers, been fairly fine for the time -of year--late autumn--although the wind had hung persistently from -the S.E., thus hindering their progress greatly; but one morning at -daybreak, the sky lowering threateningly, they were suddenly attacked -by a severe gale from the N.E. Amid the hoarse cries of the officers -and the blundering but hearty efforts of the crew, sail was shortened -to the two close-reefed topsails and foresail, and the old _Xiphias_ -fled southward at a great rate for her. Then it was that Reuben, being -sent aloft upon some errand of fastening a loose end, was suddenly -seized with an attack of giddiness and fell, an inert mass, into the -sea. In a wonderfully short space of time the vessel was rounded to -and a boat lowered and manned, not by her own crew, but by picked men -capable of handling her as she _should_ be handled. So smart were their -efforts that in less than ten minutes they came up with the helpless -form of Rube as he lay unconscious upon the surface. He was seized and -hauled into the boat, brought on board, and immediately subjected to -the orthodox operations for restoring life to the apparently drowned. -Long and carefully they toiled to bring him back to life, and at last -succeeded in doing so, but when he opened his eyes upon the world -again all the details of his previous life seemed as if they had -been completely obliterated. Dismissed to the forecastle, he groped -forward like a man suddenly awakened from a long dream, and to all the -inquiries of his shipmates he turned a blank face, an uncomprehending -demeanour. - -But his grand bodily powers enabled him to return to his duties almost -immediately, and from thenceforward, strangely enough, he seemed to -assimilate all that was taught him with wonderful ease--in fact, as -the hard-bitten officer to whose watch he belonged said: ‘Thet big -hayseed o’ mine seems as if ’e was a born sailorman.’ So fast did he -learn that his watchmates became absurdly jealous of him--a waste of -attention on their part, since of it he took not the slightest notice -whatever--seemed, indeed, really incapable of doing so. - -Captain Hampden became interested in this peculiar development, and -occasionally condescended to ply him with questions as to his previous -experience, but all in vain. Nothing could be got out of him, and, -baffled, the good old skipper had to content himself by saying to his -chief officer: ‘Wall, at any rate, we seem to hev gut hold of a mighty -good man.’ And gradually his quiet perseverance in well doing, the -impossibility of making him angry, and the readiness with which he -would always help to the utmost of his power any of his shipmates that -were in trouble, won him a high place in the hearts of all on board; -even the Portuguese (never very friendly to men of northern breed) -could not withhold from him some uncouth tributes of affection. - -And so the ship made her way slowly down to the Line, failing, however, -to the disgust of the officers, to raise a whale for the first month -after her departure from port. But the time was well spent, for all -hands, by dint of incessant practice, were now in a high state of -efficiency, only requiring their baptism of fire, if it may be called -so--their initiation into the art and mystery of whale-fighting--to -make them as good a crew as any whaling skipper could desire to -have under his command. All bullying, hazing, and what we should -call brutality, had ceased. The ship was quite as peaceful as any -‘limejuicer,’ and it was easy to see from the contented faces and -pleasant remarks of the officers how well satisfied they were with -the progress made by the men under their command in the direction of -becoming decent sailormen. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -DISILLUSIONMENT - - -Perhaps it is high time that we returned for a while to the career of -our heroine in her new sphere. It must be remembered that she, as so -many other young women have done, took a leap in the dark, committing -herself and her future to the care of a man about whose antecedents and -character she knew absolutely nothing, having only in the few short -days of their acquaintance seen him at his very best. But such was the -glamour with which she had invested her hero that, although she was -startled and troubled in mind by his brutal language and still more -brutal treatment of the men under his command from the first hour that -she came on board his ship, she attributed it all to the necessities of -a captain’s position. Every oath made her shudder, every blow made her -wince, yet she bore it all without remark, as belonging to a new order -of things of which she had hitherto been entirely ignorant, and upon -the merits of which at present she felt herself quite unable to give -an opinion. Perhaps, had she been able to hear the remarks that were -passed by the crew to one another when they thought such remarks might -safely be made, she would have shuddered still more. But, poor girl, -all such warning words were hidden from her, neither did she know--how -could she, indeed?--that her husband bore the unenviable reputation -of being the hardest skipper of all the hard-bitten crowd of such -men sailing from the whaling ports of North America. Still, even her -trustful heart could not fail to be wounded at the incessant cruelty -which she was now compelled to witness. - -The crew, driven on board at the last moment before sailing like a pack -of cowed dogs, were a set of miserable ragamuffins, taken, apparently, -because none others could be obtained at any price. There were only -two Americans among them--two poor lads from the Western States, who -had run away from home to go to sea; the rest were representatives of -almost as many races as there were members. This, in itself, made for -the safety of the officers--made the brutality much less likely to be -resented successfully, because, among that medley of foreigners, there -could be no banding together for a common purpose of revenge. Not that -such an event was at all probable, because, according to the fixed plan -pursued on board the majority of such vessels, the precaution was taken -while yet the crew, who were nearly all green hands, were in the throes -of nausea and bewilderment at their strange surroundings, to beat them, -with or without pretext, until their spirits were thoroughly broken and -the possibility of their retaliating was hopelessly remote. Captain -Da Silva, in spite of the presence of his wife, which might have been -expected to have a humanising influence over him, was this voyage more -savagely brutal than ever he had been before. His four officers, who -knew him well, and who were all eager followers of his plans (had to -be, indeed, in order to keep their position with him), confessed one -to another that the old man seemed as if he wanted to show his bride -how black a demon he _could_ be. _He_ said, not by way of excuse, but -apparently stating a mournful fact, in conversation with his officers, -that in all his fishing he had never had such a crowd to deal with -as he had got this time, and before they had been at sea a week he -discussed with the officers elaborate plans for running across to the -Azores, driving his present crew overboard and shipping a crowd of his -fellow-countrymen therefrom. But this was going a little too far, for -three of his officers were Americans, and they by no means relished the -prospect of having an entire crew of Portuguese on board an American -ship. They felt that it would be indeed exchanging the devils they knew -for the devils they did _not_ know, and, as far as they dared, made -this plain to their brutal commander. And he, wise as well as wicked, -took the hint, for he could not afford to lose such splendid whalemen -as his officers had proved themselves to be. So, instead of working -to the eastward, they shaped a course for the Line, and met with such -good fortune in the shape of weather that, without the parting of a -rope-yarn, they found themselves at the end of a fortnight well within -the Tropics. - -It was one of the characteristics of Da Silva’s career that he always -seemed to have extraordinary luck. This voyage was no exception, for -no sooner was the vessel shipshape, the whaling gear rigged, and all -fishing preparations made, than he, taking the masthead trip one -morning, sighted a grand school of sperm whales. Instantly his voice -rang throughout the ship, calling all hands to action, and even those -unhappy men who had had the hardest experience of his cruelty could not -withhold a tribute of admiration for his wonderful powers of command, -presence of mind, and exact knowledge of how to do the right thing at -the right moment. - -That scratch crew of wastrels, broken-spirited as they were, seemed -to catch a spark of his enthusiasm, and exerted themselves in -extraordinary ways in order to gain his approval. - -Priscilla, utterly neglected amid this hurly-burly, sat perched on -the taffrail looking with wide-eyed wonderment upon the busy scene. A -thrill of terror seized her as she saw her husband, standing erect in -the stern of the first boat lowered, urging his crew, with an unbroken -stream of profanity, to the highest efforts of which they were capable. -She could see the whales, but she hardly knew what was afoot. All that -was real to her was that the ship was deserted by almost all hands, -including the commander, only three or four being left to handle the -sails. So there she sat solitary, alarmed, full of fears for her -husband’s safety, for the result of this tremendous manœuvre, the -object of which she only dimly understood. The cries from the two men -at the masthead to those on deck she understood not at all, nor did she -dare to ask the helmsman for any information for fear that her innocent -inquiry might reach her husband’s ears later and be fiercely resented -by him. But he had obtained such a hold over her that even now she did -not blame him: she only felt sorry that he should not have had time (as -she put it to herself) to acquaint her with the reason for his hurried -departure. - -Meanwhile the five boats, their crews straining at the oars to the -utmost limit of their strength, sped away at right angles to the -direction in which the whales lay. The Captain kept the lead, not that -the men in the other boats were not doing their best, but that he had a -picked crew, and that every man of them was working as if in imminent -bodily fear of some terrible punishment unless he exerted all his -muscular power. The oars rose and fell with the regularity of steam -pistons, the water foamed past the boats, but no other sound was heard -save the laboured panting of the men and the low, hissing execrations -of the Captain. It is popularly supposed that when rowing boats after -whales there is a great deal of shouted encouragement, either kindly or -the reverse, that the men themselves are apt to break into song, as Dr. -Beale permits himself to say, ‘The men sang the time-honoured whaling -chant of “Away, my boys, away, my boys, it’s time for us to go,”’ but -when it is remembered how very slight a sound, even at the distance of -miles, will suffice to alarm the valuable quarry, it will at once be -seen that experienced whale hunters would not be likely to do such a -foolish thing as to make unnecessary noises, even supposing that they -had breath to spare for doing so. - -At last, when the rowers felt as if their arms would drop off at the -shoulders, the Captain’s deep voice was heard saying, ‘Peak oars, step -mast, up sprit.’ These actions were immediately copied by each of -the other boats, and, in three minutes from the time they had ceased -rowing, the five boats, under the steady stress of their big sails, -were bounding over the bright sea before the wind down on to the -whales. The propulsion with the oars had only been resorted to for the -purpose of obtaining a good weather gauge. That once reached, and the -sails set, the boats’ heads were turned at right angles to the course -they had been pursuing so that they might now, with the wind almost -astern, run down upon the whales at high speed, and with the least -possible amount of splash. - -It was a splendid sight, that group of unconscious monsters calmly -and methodically pursuing their way, quietly attending to their own -business of procuring food and enjoying their life; and here, close -at hand, stealing upon them like pirates upon a helpless merchantman, -this little flotilla of destroyers. Each officer and harpooner was now -in the throes of expectation, every nerve tense, all their hopes high -that they would reach their prey before the periodical descent of the -whales took place. In nine cases out of ten this would not have been -the case, but here again, Captain Da Silva’s luck appeared to be in the -ascendant, for, as if the boats were living creatures, full of eager -desire to come to close quarters with the enemy, they leaped forward -with ever-accelerating speed, until the foremost whale, a large bull of -about seventy barrels (or, say, sixty feet in length) was only a couple -of lengths ahead of the skipper’s boat. Hoarsely he growled, ‘Stand up, -Jose!’ The harpooner’s crouching form straightened itself, and, raising -the harpoon in both hands while steadying himself by his left thigh in -the hollow of the clumsy cleat, he waited, a heroic figure, until, -by a skilful sweep of the steering oar, the boat swung end on to the -whale’s broad side, and struck it, at the same moment as the harpoon -flew from those nervous hands and buried itself in the quivering -blubber up to the hitches. Calmly pitching the stray line out of the -box over the boat’s side, the harpooner turned to go aft with the face -of a man knowing that his duty had been well done. Without taking the -slightest notice of the writhings of the tortured leviathan so near or -the tremendous commotion in the water, he superintended the rolling -up of the sail, the unshipping of the mast, and the passing of it aft -where it would be out of the way of the operations. - -[Illustration: THE WHALE WENT STEADILY DOWN, DOWN, DOWN. - -_P. 49._] - -While the crew of the boat were thus engaged the Captain, with that -skill for which he was justly famous, had, by means of the big steering -oar, manipulated the boat so that she lay at a safe distance from the -whale. The hardly-pressed monster, in orthodox fashion, finding that -he could not free himself from the galling weapon, descended steadily, -taking out line at a gentle rate, while the Captain changed ends with -the harpooner, unsheathed his favourite lance, and awaited the return -of the whale to the surface. While so doing, his countenance was a -study in ferocity. The immediate prospect of bloodshed seemed to arouse -in him all the animal, and, as he glared fiercely around upon his crew, -they hardly dared meet his eye, so terrible did he look. But he was -compelled to forego his delightful occupation for a while, and remain -as quiet as it was possible for him to do while the whale went steadily -down, down, down. Meanwhile, by a piece of amazing good fortune, each -of the other boats had succeeded in getting fast to a whale without -any accident, and now they were all engaged in the same manner as the -Captain’s boat, waiting, with such patience as the officers could -command, for the rising to the surface of their respective whales. -The remainder of the school, having apparently lost all control of -themselves, wandered aimlessly around the little company of boats, -going slowly backwards and forwards, thrusting their great heads out of -the water without apparently the slightest idea of what to do or where -to go, and arousing in the minds of the officers, especially in that of -the Captain, the fiercest resentment at their inability to take more -advantage of so splendid an opportunity as was now offered them. After -a wait of nearly half an hour, all the harpooned whales came to the -surface at nearly the same moment, and immediately the scene underwent -a change as complete as it is possible to imagine. The wounded -monsters, rushing frantically in every direction in their vain efforts -to escape, the fierce guttural yells of the officers as they plied -their slender, gleaming lances upon those vast bodies, the welling -fountains of blood that befouled the bright sea surface, all went to -make up a picture of savagery which could hardly be equalled by that -presented in any land battle. So successful was the conduct of this -first encounter that hardly two hours had elapsed since the boats first -left the ship when the whole five whales were dead, the boats cleared -up, and all was in readiness for the prey to be taken alongside the -ship. She, being well and smartly handled by the three or four people -left on board, and having got well to windward of the area of battle, -now ran down to where the Captain’s boat lay by the side of his dead -whale. Having made the line fast to a hole in the whale’s fluke, he -ordered his boat to run alongside the ship, and, climbing smartly on -board, he superintended the hauling of the whale alongside. Now, the -ship being hampered by that gigantic body made fast to her, it became -necessary for the crews of the other boats to tow their whales as best -they could in the direction of the vessel. Fearfully long and tedious -was the process, and the impatience of the Captain rose to a height -of almost maniacal fury, although he knew full well that every man -was doing his utmost to perform the tremendous task allotted to him. -Without a break they toiled until the sun was nearly setting, nor was -one moment’s respite allowed them until the whole of the day’s catch -was secured alongside and astern of the ship. Then, and not till then, -the Captain shouted with a grudging note in his voice, ‘Mr. Court, send -the hands to dinner.’ The order was repeated by the mate, and the men -wearily dragged themselves below, where the food--cooked long ago--was -awaiting them. But as they went the Captain shouted again, ‘Look lively -now; yew wanter be on deck again in twenty minutes.’ Having delivered -himself thus, he turned towards his cabin, where, for the first time -that day, he greeted his wife. She, quite bewildered by the day’s -proceedings, summoned up all her affection, and came to greet him with -arms outspread, but he, glowering fiercely at her, said, ‘I got no time -for fooling now; I got something else to think about.’ - -This rebuff reduced her to a pitiable state of mind, for it was utterly -incomprehensible. That she had done anything to deserve it she could -not feel, and, indeed, it was a strange thing that a man in the height -of his success, having inaugurated his cruise in so splendid a fashion, -with enormous profits lying only waiting to be realised, should be so -hatefully morose and savage in his demeanour. - -It was a puzzle beyond hope of solution. The meal was taken in utter -silence, the food being bolted in truly animal fashion; and, while yet -the last mouthfuls were being masticated, the skipper rose abruptly -from his seat and said, ‘Now, then, Mr. Court, start the hands again.’ -While they had been at dinner the shipkeepers had completed their task -of getting the gear ready for cutting in, so that when the officers -came on deck and summoned the hands it only remained to commence -cutting in the whales at once. Loud orders resounded along the decks, -but, for perhaps half a minute, there was no response, and this seemed -to act upon the Captain maddeningly. Snatching a belaying-pin from the -rail, he strode forward muttering curses, and, beating his weapon upon -the scuttle hatch of the forecastle, he roared down into the gloomy -cavern, ‘D’ ye want to be smoked out like a nest of hornets?’ Full of -alarms, the weary men clambered up the steep ladder, but as the first -one reached the deck he was met by a tremendous blow full in the face, -which sent him reeling to the deck. - -It must be admitted that captain and officers worked hardest of all; -in fact, they seemed like men of steel rather than of flesh and blood, -and even the weary seamen could hardly refuse a tribute of admiration -to the way in which they were led. By midnight, under the glare of -blazing cressets suspended from the davit heads, they had managed to -cut in two of the whales, and had decapitated the remaining three, -the great columnar heads being strung astern by hawsers. Then the -Captain reluctantly gave orders that half the crew should retire for an -hour while the other half busied themselves in making some sort of a -clearance on the deck, which was now piled almost from end to end with -blubber, and ankle-deep in oil. How speedily that hour passed for the -privileged ones only they could tell. Indeed, it seemed but a moment -before they were back at work again, and the other half were sent for -the same brief period to rest. But the savage brute of a captain took -no rest. He seemed superhuman, and when day dawned the whole of the -spoil had been taken on board, with the exception of the three heads, -for which no room could be found at present. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -A STRICKEN DEMON - - -It has been a frequent matter of remark, not merely by myself, but by -all the writers with whom I have conversed who have ever interviewed -old sailors on the subject of their experiences, how difficult it is -for the latter to tell what they have seen. Their memories are most -keen, but the mighty happenings they have witnessed seem to overwhelm -their simple vocabulary, and they will suddenly break off in the -midst of a splendid tale, and, holding up their hands in a gesture of -despair, cry out, ‘Oh, God, if I _could_ only tell ye what I’ve seen!’ -I am led to think that perhaps it is this felt inability to do justice -to the memory of what they have really seen that has often made sailors -possessed of vivid imaginations invent magnificent lies, rushing by -some curious mental paradox into the opposite extreme, from the sober -recital of fact to an absurdly extravagant invention of fiction. - -But be that as it may, there can be no doubt that even those who have -been most successful in the attempt to transport their readers to -the scenes which they themselves have witnessed, are often touched -by the same feeling of inability, as the grandeur of the scenes they -would fain depict flashes through their minds. They sit with poised -pen--present, indeed, as to the body at their desks, but in spirit, by -some unexplainable mystery, away back amid the surroundings of those -former years, going through it all again. And thus they sit waiting, -waiting, prisoners of hope, until relief comes in some commonplace word -or thought, and the pen is re-started, to run perchance glibly enough -until again arrested in like manner. - -These reflections irresistibly arise as I recall similar scenes to the -one which I would now describe: that splendid silken circle of sea and -dome of sky just commencing to palpitate with the glories of the new -day; those low, tender ranges of softest cloud like carelessly piled -heaps of snowy down, with sober grey bases almost parallel with the -horizon, and summits blushing sweetly with all the warm tints of the -coming sun; through the eternal concave overhead running tremulous -sprays of liveliest colour throbbing and changing incessantly on their -background of deep violet, from which the modest stars are quietly -fading before the advent of morning. Across the mirror-like surface -of the ocean great splashes of colour come and go in never-ending -progression, although there be never a cloud from which they may be -reflected and their pure hues come direct from the impalpable ether -around. And in the centre of it all, grating at first upon the mind -as the only discordant note in the harmony otherwise reigning, is a -ship surrounded by the greasy, mutilated carcasses of her spoil--that -spoil which was so recently fulfilling the exhortation of that glorious -hymn, ‘O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the -Lord, praise Him and magnify Him for ever.’ What a hideous scene of -squalor it does appear, to be sure! Great shapeless masses of flesh -and fat and bone, huge clots of black blood, an undefinable odour of -death--for the time has not yet come for corruption to defile air as -well as sea--and in the midst of it all, fiercely toiling, hacking, -thrusting, tearing, yelling, blaspheming, are the slayers. From every -pore the ship exudes oil warm from the body, at every roll a new extent -of ‘sleeky’ water is thrust out from her slimy sides. Gradually, as the -space in her main-hold known as the blubber-room becomes filled up, the -limited area on deck is piled with the masses of blubber, and the oil -which exudes from them fills up the carefully caulked decks and at each -wallowing roll she makes rises against the bulwarks, which are almost -as impervious as the deck itself. So inside, outside, half-way up the -mainmast, she reeks with blood and grease, while the water all around -is a seething mass of silent voracity. From who knows how far away the -hungry denizens of the deep sea have hastened to the feast, summoned by -some unerring sense, of which we know nothing at all. No one, as far as -I know, has ever attempted to compute the number of the host of sharks -alone which surround a whaleship while she secures her spoil; so I -shall not try. It would be only a wild guess, after all, for they come -and go incessantly in utmost haste, and as far as the eye can see the -water is aboil with their strugglings to secure at least some portion -of the great feast. - -Of the other deep-sea citizens present I can say little. They are to be -seen of course, but only occasionally, for this feast is peculiarly the -shark’s great opportunity, and it is no easy matter for any other fish -to displace him. In the air, the hungry self-invited guests may be few -or many, according to the position of the ship. In the North Atlantic -birds are far less plentiful than they are in the South, for some -reason which I have never been able to find out, and consequently in -this great scene of spoliation which I am now attempting to limn there -were only about a dozen or twenty ’gulls.’ - -During its progress, as during the hunting, Priscilla sat on the top -of the after-house motionless under the influence of some horrible -fascination which she could not resist. She watched the lithe form of -her saturnine husband as, leaning over the rail of the cutting-stage, -he dealt blow after blow at the black and white masses beneath him, -or occasionally varied his labours by a sidelong thrust which severed -some thieving shark’s head from its body. But she noted that while -he appeared to be doing more than any other member of the crew, his -physical efforts never interfered with his mental energies in the -oversight of his men. He seemed to know where every man was, and what -he was, or ought to be, doing. An incessant stream of orders, threats, -and cursings poured from his throat, which was apparently of brass, -since it never got hoarse. The only physical sign of his vocal labours -was the foam with which his raven-black beard was flecked. - -Utterly brutal, utterly callous and heartless as she now knew her -husband to be, she could not withhold from him a silent tribute of -admiration for his powers of command and organisation, and for his -courage. She felt shuddering pity for the poor men, who, against -the most urgent calls of Nature to rest their tortured limbs, went -fiercely toiling on as if only by that means could they avert sudden, -violent death. Once or twice she gave vent to a low moan of compassion -as she saw the Captain leap inboard with a tiger-like spring and fall -upon some man whom his eagle eye had detected lagging behind the -others, assailing him with the utmost ferocity by knocking him down, -jumping on him, kicking him as if determined to do him to death. Again -and again she turned to go, overcome by the horror of these constantly -recurring scenes, but she could not: she was compelled to remain and -witness them while powerless to help and unable even to pray that God -would have mercy upon these poor wretches upon whom man--at least her -man--had none. - -What man has done, man can and will do unless restrained by powerful -laws, and what was done amid such scenes as I am recalling was -gentleness itself when compared with what went on aboard the galleys -of ancient days--scenes which no modern writer has dared, or would -dare, to put comprehensively into print. For even on board a whaler, -where one man embodied all the law or justice obtainable by anybody, -the blessed influences of Christianity in the modifying of cruelty were -felt, and things were thus not nearly as bad as they might have been; -nay, they were only in exceptional cases as bad as I have represented. -This fact, I think, deserves special emphasis, because it goes to show -that the majority of men in command of these ships, knowing full well -that they were never likely to be called to account for any cruelties -they might commit in the name of discipline, yet abstained from -exercising their autocratic power, or only used it when it became -undoubtedly necessary that they should do so. - -Gradually the mighty task drew to its close. One by one the vast -carcasses were cut adrift and floated away, each the centre of a -writhing mass of hungry creatures fiercely fighting for places at the -feast, which, great as it was, seemed but a trifle compared with the -host of candidates for it. One by one the huge square ‘cases’ were hove -up alongside and their bland contents ladled out into the tanks below. -But when the last but one was being emptied, as it hung, a weight of -some twenty tons, suspended from the cutting-in falls, Captain Da Silva -went to the waist, and, leaning up against the case, looked down to see -whether or not the precious spermaceti was draining away from some cut -in its walls, as he suspected it was. As he did so the ship rolled ever -so slightly, and without any warning the massive chain slings which -held the case aloft tore out. It fell like an avalanche descending, -a big flap of ‘white horse’ or head integument curling round the -Captain’s body and whirling him after it into the fathomless depths. It -was so terribly sudden that Priscilla was momentarily stunned, but with -returning breath she uttered a wild cry of terror and fell fainting, -her overwrought condition of nerves unable to bear this last great -shock. For one moment the crew also stood like statues, but ere one -could count five, the third mate and second boat-steerer had leaped -into the sea after their commander, although they knew (none better) -of the swarming sharks and the many other reasons why they should be -unsuccessful. But all traces of him had vanished, and realising that -not only were they most dangerously situated, but that they could -see better from above, they climbed on deck again with all the speed -they might, reaching it at the same moment as Captain Da Silva’s head -appeared on the other side above the rail. - -For a few moments all who witnessed his rising stared with starting -eyes at what they deemed to be his wraith, but his hoarse voice, full -of anger, roused them instantly from their brief lethargy. ‘Naouw, -then, whutye all gapping at, like a lot er ---- suckers’s y’air. Git -along wi’ thet work, ’relse I’ll be ’mong ye in mighty short order, -naouw I’m telling ye.’ And each man sprang to his task as does a -mettled horse when the lash falls unexpectedly across his flanks. And -Captain Da Silva strode off muttering maledictions. Perhaps it was all -the formula of thanksgiving which he knew: certainly no word of praise -for the miracle of his escape out of the very jaws of death crossed -his lips. He had been carried down by that long sliver of skin which -had enwrapped him and held him tightly bound to the mighty mass of the -case until he felt as if his head were a boiler under a full pressure -of steam. But as the ‘case’ sank, by some mysterious influence it -spun round, or rather revolved, for its motion was but slow, and in -doing so it unwound the clinging band from the skipper’s body. Never -having lost his presence of mind, and being as nearly amphibious as the -rest of his island countrymen, he sprang upward to the surface, just -grazing the bilge on the opposite side of the ship to that from which -he had descended, and grasping a bight of the main sheet which dangled -invitingly alongside, he swung himself aboard, ready and alert to -resume the tyranny he loved. - -The whole affair of his departure and return had been so dramatically -sudden that Captain Da Silva was in his cabin shouting for Priscilla -to give him dry garments before she had recovered from her swoon. His -angry demands brought the trembling steward at his best gait. To his -breath-bated inquiry the skipper shouted: - -‘Whar’s Mrs. Da Silva, yew black beast; whar’s my wife?’ - -‘Please, sah, de madam’s done gone swounded, an’ I ain’t can fotch ’er -to yit. I----’ - -But flinging him aside as if he had been a bundle of rags, the skipper -rushed on deck to where Priscilla was sitting up wearily passing a -hand over her dazed eyes and wondering what strange thing had befallen -her. He seized her arm roughly, and in tones of deepest scorn demanded -what sort of ---- game she called this? Was he to wait in his wet -clothes while she lolled about on deck playing the (more unsavoury -adjectives) fool? Mechanically she staggered to her feet, and, like -some unreasoning but faithful animal, tottered towards the cabin. I -doubt if she would have been surprised had her husband accelerated her -progress by a kick, to such a numbness of brain had she come. But she -did his bidding, accepted all his blasphemous grumbling, and made no -sign. For she was, in the fullest sense of that much-abused brace of -words, heart-broken. Her spirit was crushed, never to awake again as it -had been; her love was dead, and only patient, animal-like obedience -remained. Did any compunction arise in the man’s mind for what he had -done to that trusting, loving woman? Those who think so little know -the capacity of man for cruelty. A grim smile lit up his diabolically -handsome features as he noted her quiet performance of his commands, -and although he said no word it was easy to see with what fiendish -pleasure he realised this new proof of his power to rule others with a -rod of iron. - -Without pausing to do more than glance at his injuries--one long -black and green bruise which wound twice round his body, and another -extending from his right thigh to his heel, with the skin broken in -many places--he hastily dressed himself in dry clothes and, without -casting another glance at the submissive figure of his wife, rushed -on deck. Fortunately for all of them, the crew were working hard -to secure the masses of junk (solid pieces, each several tons in -weight, cut from the whale’s head), lashing jaw-bones, clearing away -try-works, getting up mincing-machine and tricing up gear out of the -way of the all-pervading grease. He cast one comprehensive, scowling -glance around, which deepened in its frown when he found no cause of -complaint, and at once assumed sole command. For the next hour his -orders flew like volleys of musketry, spurring on the almost spent men -to give up the last ounce of their strength. And then suddenly, as -if God had taken pity on those hapless men, the tyrant’s indomitable -strength and pluck gave out together, and he sank to the deck moaning -feebly, ‘Take me below, ---- ye, take me below.’ Even with what seemed -the last breath he needs must curse those upon whom he was now utterly -dependent for all his wants. - -So, inert, all his great energy vanished, and his wiry limbs hanging -limply as loose ropes’ ends, he was borne below to his bunk, his -appearance in this guise startling Priscilla again, but arousing in -her now no such feelings as those with which she had witnessed his -disappearance over the rail so short a time before. With quiet dignity -she directed the bearers where to lay him, thanked them, and dismissed -them. Then, left alone with the man for whom she had given up her -life, and more than her own life, had she but known, she went about -the duty of attendance upon him methodically, carefully, but with no -more feeling than if he had been an utter stranger. All that she could -do for him she did, but of affection in her ministrations there was no -trace. Presently with a feeling of relief, such as usually accompanies -the successful conclusion of a difficult task, she saw him pass from -coma to sleep, heard him breathe naturally, and watched the ghastly -pallor of his face give place to its healthy olive hue. Then she took -some needlework and sat down by his side, ready to attend upon him when -he woke, determined to do her very utmost for him dutifully, and hoping -to make faithful service take the place of the love she knew she would -never feel for him again. - -Perhaps I may be pardoned for anticipating criticism here by a word -or two. I know well that women can, and do, show love of the deepest, -truest, holiest kind for men who not merely speak to them harshly, but -beat, starve, or ill-treat them in every way. But Priscilla was not -one of these women. It may be, too, that her love for Ramon Da Silva -was not love in the best sense of the word, but merely a hurricane -gust of passion that for a season had changed the whole surface of -her being, while leaving unruffled the great depths below. I do not -know, nor do I care to dogmatise, but of this I am sure--that there -are many Priscillas about, worthy of all the love of a good man, and -fully capable of returning it, whose love, calmly, thoughtfully given, -would be changed into utter dislike and contempt for the once loved -one if they should have the misfortune to discover him to be cruel or -disgusting. And for one I dare not say that they are therefore in any -way worthy of blame, or are not perfectly true and lovable women. - -Now ensued a period of calm satisfaction for all hands, tempered only -by the knowledge that it would soon come to an end. The exceedingly -heavy toil of mincing the blubber, boiling down the oil, storing it in -casks, and disposing those casks in easily accessible positions about -the decks, went on without intermission, but quietly. Every man worked -as if the knowledge of his tyrant’s impotence, for a time at any rate, -had supplied him with an incentive. But the Captain was suffering utter -torment below. Ordinarily he was quite wanting in what we vaguely -speak of as nerves: he worried about nothing. Now, however, his great -strength entirely gone from him, knowing how large a task was in hand -on deck, and knowing, too, how glad was every man on board that he, -their despot, was helpless, he raged and fumed, and thereby retarded -his recovery greatly. But for those who came in contact with him, this -time was a terrible one. His poor wife and the negro steward lived in -utter terror of him, although physically he was powerless to do them -harm. - -Perhaps it may be thought that too severe a description of this man -has been given, and that thereby some injustice has been done to men -generally. But if so, I would like to ask objectors whether they have -never had the misfortune to know anybody, not necessarily a man, who -would, given the opportunity have behaved quite as badly as Captain -Da Silva. God knows, I have no wish to libel any of my fellow men or -women, but I am absolutely certain that but for the grace of God, the -sweet influences of Christianity, there are very few of us who can be -trusted with absolute power over our fellows. And if any doubt were -possible, surely the records of the National Society for the Prevention -of Cruelty to Children would dispel it. The sight of helplessness does -in some infernal way seem to generate in many minds an irresistible -desire to inflict suffering upon the helpless. And it needs all our -faith in God, as well as all our recollection of the tender love that -fills so many hearts, to keep us from feeling that mankind in general -is possessed by all those attributes which we have agreed to consider -as the characteristics of Satan. Of course, like all other qualities, -cruelty needs special opportunities for its full development as well as -a deliberate cultivation. And for this reason I have never been able to -understand why so many otherwise level-headed people should object to -corporal punishment for the perpetrators of cruelty, since it is almost -invariably the case that cruel people are most tenderly solicitous -for the care of their own susceptibilities to pain. Exceptions there -are to this rule, of course, and Captain Da Silva was one. No amount -of corporal punishment would have deterred him from being again the -merciless monster he was by nature, given fitting opportunity; for -he, as I have already endeavoured to point out, had an almost Chinese -disregard of personal suffering. But even he was certainly no worse for -the tasting in his own proper person of some of the pains he was wont -to bestow lavishly upon others. - -Only two persons wished him speedily well, and for obvious reasons. -They were his personal attendants. The chief mate, whose business -brought him below periodically to report progress, always had to summon -up all his courage to face his suffering chief, always returned to -upper air again acutely conscious of relief, although he was a man of -great ability and resource, and, moreover, had the comforting knowledge -that under his (comparatively) mild rule the work was slipping along -on greased wheels. But (and this is one of the peculiarly subtle -depravities of some natures) he could not help feeling that his -commander’s irritation at his own helplessness was in no way lessened -by the knowledge that affairs were going on quite smoothly without his -interference--that, in fact, it would have been in some measure an -alleviation of his sufferings could he have known that, bereft of his -oversight, matters were at sixes and sevens. And each time the mate -came to report, and gave him the bland information that all was going -as well as possible, the men were working with a will, the weather -continued fine, and the blubber was yielding most richly, the skipper -was instant in cross-examination on every detail, apparently in the -hope that he might somehow find occasion to vent his long pent-up -spleen upon someone else beside his wife and the negro steward. - -Nothing transpired, however, to gratify him, and at the end of the -sixth day from his accident the mate reported all oil barrelled -and half of it stowed; that the crew were busy now with lye and -sand cleaning up; that the mastheads were manned, and---- But right -in the middle of his flow of words came the most thrilling cry of -‘Blo-o-o-o-w.’ The mate stopped in the middle of a word and looked -round listeningly. But his skipper, maddened almost beyond endurance -at the knowledge of his own helplessness, and that his subordinates -would now have an opportunity of showing their capabilities without -any overlordship of his, hurled at the listening mate one long yell -of profanity which had the effect of sending the latter scampering -rabbit-wise up the tortuous cuddy stairs on deck. - -Fortunately for Priscilla, the raging emotions of her husband, -conjoined with his bodily weakness, had the effect of rendering him -utterly helpless both in mind and body. For a while she busied herself -quietly in such necessary attentions as she was able to render, then, -hearing as in some realistic dream the weird tumult on deck, and -feeling her own utter loneliness, she did that which is, thank God, -open to us all, if in varying degrees. She lifted her tired heart to -God, remembering with a bitter pang of repentance the many perfunctory -repetitions of ‘Our Father’ she had performed; a remembrance which -brought a host of others in its wake. The quiet times of family worship -she had yawned over behind her hand, the glorious words of Holy Writ -passing her then unlistening ears like meaningless jargon, the tender -father who had never given her a harsh word during her recollection -of him, the faithful, plodding mother, whom she had forsaken at the -lightest word of a stranger, and the dog-like devotion of---- But no; -_that_ thought must not be encouraged. From her uneasy seat she slid -to her knees, and from her overloaded heart poured forth her unspoken -prayers--not for deliverance, but for strength, for peace of mind, for -knowledge how to do and say the right thing and word at the right time. -And as the subtle communications passed between that suffering heart -and the Centre of all Solace, the blessed dew of peace descended upon -her spirit, and she felt that the victory was won, for the present at -any rate. - -Meanwhile, though unheeded by her, the uproar on deck had reached its -climax, then suddenly ceased, and a profound silence reigned. She -sat, listening intently, but in nowise alarmed: she felt past all -that. Until presently a comical black head, with wide white eyeballs, -protruded from the state-room door. Its glance, fearfully questing, -caught hers, and in reply to her whispered inquiry came a murmur: -‘Dey’s awl goen away, Mistis; on’y me an’ de cook, carpenter an’ cooper -an’ shipkeepers am lef’. But it looks laik a mighty fine school of spam -whales dey’s onter, an’ ef dey gets um may be de skipper please, an’t -it?’ - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -A DISASTROUS DAY - - -Undoubtedly there was a certain fierce delight in Mr. Court’s mind, -as well as great relief, when he fled precipitately on deck from the -presence of the terrible man who was his present commander. As any -other man of his abilities and bravery would have done, he felt a -certain measure of contempt for himself that he should be so meekly -subservient to one whom he believed in his heart of hearts to be no -braver or more skilful than he was himself; but the deeply ingrained -habit of discipline prevented that feeling from reaching its logical -conclusion. And, unlike the Dago, he, being an Anglo-Saxon, also -felt a certain compassion for a man stricken down by accident in the -performance of his duty, and utterly unwilling to take the smallest -advantage thereof. More, in some dim manner he felt that if his part -were well played now, there might be some alleviation in the lot of -that pale saint (for in such a light had the mate come to regard -Priscilla--you cannot keep family secrets on board a ship); and so, -fired with all the best ambitions that can energise a man, he sprang on -deck, every sense keenly alert. - -The air was full of wailing cries of ‘Bl-o-o-o-o-w.’ All hands were -waiting ready by their boats with an air of expectation, as if each -man was taking the highest personal interest in the outcome of the -present adventure. The second mate, standing on the little bridge over -the wheel conning the ship, no sooner saw his superior than he said, -‘School o’ th’ biggest sparm whale ever I sot eyes on, sir. Ain’t one -under a hundred an’ thutty bar’l, I swar. An’ thar’s one--ef he ain’t -the father of all the whales ever bo’n I ain’t ever seen one before.’ - -For all answer the mate shouted ‘’Way boats! Down from aloft.’ And -for the next few minutes the whirring of patent sheaves, as the -graceful boats ran waterwards, the hoarse, gasping orders given by -the boat-headers, and the sharp concussions in the water, filled the -air. What a scene of furious energy manifested by men who a little -while before were lolling uncouthly about as if incapable of any -exertion whatever, under no matter what stimulus or provocation! -Within five minutes the ship was deserted by all her crew, save only -the discontented half-dozen whose unhappy lot it was to abide by the -stuff and labour monotonously to keep the ship as far to windward of -the arena of battle as might be. In every man’s heart there was a deep -sensation of thankfulness that one ominous figure was absent from -this fray--that for once they were free to do their best unhampered -by the paralysing knowledge that, whatever they did, their efforts -would surely be rewarded by savage treatment which they must endure, -because no safe way of rebellion presented itself. How the rowers did -lay to their oars! How keenly when, a sufficient weather gauge being -reached, the sails were set and the boats bounded blithesomely over the -blue waves under the stress of the freshening breeze, did every man -peer forward for sight of their gigantic prey; and how fervently each -harpooner hoped that he might be privileged to strike the first blow! - -I have never been able to understand how it is that all other seamen -seem to have cherished contemptuous feelings towards the whale-fishers. -That they always have done so is undoubtedly true, and possibly the -foundation of so utterly false a sentiment may have been that it is but -seldom that ordinary seafarers have been able to witness the mighty -conflict between men and whales. Usually when sailors meet whalers it -is at a time when the latter are conserving their energies against the -coming of the next great fight, or are greasily labouring to harvest -their spoil, an occupation which needs much true appreciation of the -romantic to see anything in it at all worthy of admiration. In the rare -cases that have occurred when sailors have been in at the death of a -whale, they have been simply stricken dumb with admiring wonder, and -thenceforward have enjoyed a vicarious popularity as the retailers of -yarns in the dog-watches to a gaping but utterly sceptical crowd of -their shipmates. - -So, swiftly the four boats sped whalewards, the mate always ahead, -for his intense nervous energy had communicated itself to his crew, -who, not content with the pace being made under the pressure of the -wind, had each stealthily seized a paddle, and were thrusting them -deeply into the hissing waters alongside at every opportunity that was -presented, as if their overmastering impatience could not let them -rest for one instant. Strange to say, on this occasion, although it -seemed to the mate that, large as the whales were, they should have -long ago made their periodical descent, they did not do so, but lolled -about on the bright sea-surface in an orderly series of rows which -converged, until at the apex, as it were, of the whole school lay the -gigantic leader of whom the second mate had spoken in such breathless -terms of admiration. There could at last be no doubt about the matter: -that school of whales had seen their aggressors coming, and for some -mysterious reason had decided that on this occasion they would not obey -their natural promptings bidding them flee, but would await the foe and -do battle with him in befitting manner, with never a doubt as to the -issue. - -The reason for this strange behaviour could not, of course, be known to -the mate, since even the keenest of human observers has never been able -to penetrate the motives influencing what we are pleased to call the -‘lower animals’ in their pursuance of any abnormal course of behaviour; -although there can be no doubt that had he known why the whales thus -awaited him, the knowledge would not have caused him to alter his -procedure in any way. For he was a perfectly brave man, whom no amount -of prospective peril could turn aside from what he considered to be the -path of duty. True, he was but an ordinary example of the New England -whale-fisher; but it must ever be remembered that this wonderful -calling--_i.e._, hunting the sperm whale--of necessity bred a most -extraordinary type of man, having as it did the grand old Puritan stock -to work upon. - -So Mr. Court led his little flotilla into battle, every man watching -with keenest anticipation the gently heaving masses of the mighty -foes, and wondering much what so unusual an attitude portended. Some -of the fellows felt a queer clutching sensation at the pit of the -stomach as every bound of the buoyant craft brought them nearer those -silent, listless-looking whales. But it was not fear; it was but the -nerve-centres notifying the brain to call up all the energies of the -body to face the unknown, and it would at the first crash of battle be -replaced by a tautening of every muscle, an exaltation of spirit heady -as that produced by wine, and a great, if dimly understood, sense of -the power of man in the world. - -A short, blast-like order, and Mr. Court, gripping his steer-oar -fiercely, bent his body almost double and swung his boat’s head round -at right angles to the leader of the great company. His harpooner, -Gonsalvo, one thigh firmly pressed into the ‘clumsy cleat,’ raised the -harpoon high overhead, and a hissing expiration burst from his clenched -teeth as the weapon flew from his hand and buried itself up to the -hitches in the whale’s broad side. One could see the convulsive quiver -run through that vast body as the stab was felt; but Gonsalvo did not -look; he snatched up his second iron and hurled it after the first to -such good purpose that it buried itself like the first one--only about -a foot higher up the body. Then, turning coolly round, the gratified -assailant cast adrift the backstays of the mast and proceeded to roll -up the sail as if quietly coming alongside a wharf. Meanwhile the -boat had swung up into the wind and lay side by side with the whale, -at a distance of about twenty feet. Hoarsely the mate encouraged his -crew in their efforts to get the hampering mast unshipped, keeping -at the same time a wary eye upon his prey. He was astonished beyond -measure to see that the whale made no sign beyond that quivering of -the skin before spoken of, but lay as if meditating upon this strange -event. Then without further sign the whale sank, sank with hardly a -ripple, and for a moment or two all was quiet, just giving Mr. Court -an opportunity to glance around and see that his lieutenants were all -busily engaged similarly to himself. - -There was no lack of readiness or watchfulness; but suddenly a vast -black mass appeared on the other side of the boat, and with a perfectly -indescribable motion turned a somersault in the air, just missing, in -the downward sweep of that awful tail, the frail boat by an inch or so. -But the steer-oar was snapped off soundlessly, like a radish severed by -the sweeping blow of a knife, leaving the boat helpless. Mr. Court’s -orders flew; his men seconded him nobly, pulling first on this side, -then on that, to turn the boat; but, bereft of that great oar aft, her -movements were slow and hesitating. Then uprose that massive head, with -jaws wide extended, which, taking the boat amidships, crashed through -her as if she had been a stick of celery, destroying utterly two men -and seriously injuring the mate. His right arm and leg were broken, and -his whole side lacerated in appalling fashion. - -In the suddenness of the shock the mate was mercifully spared the -full realisation of his injuries; but the absence of pain only made -his brain more active, and his mental agony was extreme. For not -only had he been the victim of a complete defeat, but he did not know -how matters were proceeding with his subordinates, and he feared -the worst. Then as he paddled mechanically, conscious of a whelming -drowsiness stealing over him, his left arm touched something hard--an -empty line-tub. With one last flash of energy he rove his arm through -its becket and passed immediately into blissful unconsciousness, that -merciful suspension of the ‘suffering’ faculties that has been Divinely -provided to smooth the way from life to death of shrinking, sensitive -flesh. His poor fellows, those who were left, were fortunately -uninjured, but thoroughly demoralised at the terrible shock they had -received. They also were able to support themselves amid the whirling -waters upon fragments of the broken boat; but, of course, like their -officer, in a most precarious and tentative fashion. - -And round about them, in leisurely fashion, as if contemplating the -result of his strategical effort, swam the whale, neither doing nor -attempting to do them any harm, but putting them in serious danger of -drowning from the abnormal whirling of the water which the passage of -his monstrous bulk effected. Occasionally, too, there would appear, -cutting the water in erratic directions, the tall dorsal fin or ‘gaff -topsail’ of a great shark, hunger-driven almost to madness by the -taint of blood in the water, but (as yet) scrupulously respecting the -bodily integrity of the hapless men still living. Overhead flitted -restlessly a few birds, screaming mournfully, as if they realised that -in the effort of providing a great banquet for them man had utterly -failed this time. But of everything except the fast-weakening desire -of living the principal actors in this stormy scene were utterly -oblivious, and thus for a while we must leave them. - -The other three boats, arriving upon the scene of conflict almost -simultaneously, saw their leader get fast to the monarch of the school. -And had they obeyed the regular rule, well known to them all, they -would certainly have deputed the fourth boat to lie off and watch -events, in case of need for assistance. But, freed from the baleful -overglance of the skipper and fired to utmost emulation of each other -as they were, it was easy to forget so necessary a precaution, and -consequently, each singling out his whale, the three boats rushed to -the attack, all harpooning about the same time. At once the scene -became almost indescribable. For the stricken whales, unlike their -leader, each fought with Titanic energy to free himself from the -galling weapon, rearing monstrous heads high in the air at one moment, -at the next flourishing with sufficient force to smash in a ship’s side -their mighty tails, the supple corners of which actually snapped like -whip-lashes from the vigour with which they were lashed to and fro. -Also the loose whales, apparently with some indefinite object in view -of rendering aid, glided about and between the combatants, making it -impossible for the men to do what they tried and converting the sea -into the semblance of the surface of a huge cauldron of water fiercely -boiling. - -Yet such was the skill and energy displayed by these hardly bestead -hunters that for a considerable time they all escaped damage, although -they often did so by a couple of inches only. At last, as they were -weakening, the first calamity came, sudden and complete. The third -mate’s boat was towed swiftly in a certain direction (and so furious -had been the fight that the sail had not yet been secured) until the -crew found themselves between two ominously revolving bodies, one that -of the whale to which the fourth mate was fast, and the other their -own quarry. There was no room wherein to use oars, nor was there time -had there been place, when the two huge carcasses, rolling in opposite -directions, crashed against the tender shell of the boat, which -collapsed into matchwood, while the crew leapt madly upon the shiny, -slippery bodies of the monsters, and, slithering downwards, disappeared -in the smother of foam around. - -With a groan of regret the fourth mate cut from his whale, and, -regardless of his own immediate danger, incited his crew with all his -powers to pick up their shipmates. And they did strive, literally for -dear life. The huge bulk of the whales brushing past them, the frantic -motions of their boat, apparently harassed them not at all. Intent upon -the orders of the erect, keenly observant figure at the stern, they -pulled, backed, peaked oars, or lay still as commanded, and while in -the full tide of their tremendous labours were suddenly hoisted, as -if by some submarine earthquake, upon the uprushing head of a whale -ten feet into the air. They were flung in a writhing heap from their -thwarts, and when they recovered themselves they were clinging sadly to -a wreck, for the boat, although still holding together as to her frame, -had her keel or backbone broken in three places, and, full of water, -just sufficed to sustain their weary heads occasionally above the sea -surface. Even at that dread time the minds of all were bent upon the -fate of those whom they had failed to rescue. For themselves they cared -nothing; they were comparatively safe with something floatable beneath -their uncertain feet; but alas for those who in that tormented whirl of -waves had not even a splinter unto which they might cling hopefully. - -What of the second mate? Well, some might call him a coward, for -although he had got fast like the rest, before three minutes had -passed, having witnessed the disaster which had overtaken his senior -officer, he had coolly cut his line and withdrawn with all the speed -he could command from the arena. One thing, and one only, was in his -mind, and that was how he could avoid being entangled in a fight, so -that he might, as soon as opportunity offered, rush in and rescue -some of the drowning ones. But, as he afterwards said, never in all -his fishing had such a task fallen to his lot. For every whale in the -school seemed to make for him, and although they did not attack, whales -being magnanimous beyond all other powerful and sensible animals, they -circled about him with majestic movement, occasionally scarifying the -faces of himself and his patient men with the blistering drops from -their condensed spoutings as they blew across his boat, and clearly -made him understand that he existed only by their favour. And he was -fretting his heart to fragments over his inactivity, and wondering how -long it would be ere he could emerge from his august environment, and -save those shipmates of his whom he knew to be perishing so near. Even -then he had no notion of the completeness of the disaster. But his -heart failed him as he thought of meeting the tyrant of his life, on -that terrible man’s recovery, and endeavouring to explain away so great -a failure. - -Meanwhile as far as the eye could reach the boat was hemmed in by -whales, that with majestic movement circled around their tiny captive, -or, perpendicularly erected in the water, protruded their vast -cylindrical heads from the surface like symmetrical columns of black -rock. Then, as if at a given signal, the great assemblage divided, -leaving between their closely packed ranks a lane of clear water. Not -an instant was lost by Mr. Winslow; if his hand trembled, in its grip -of the steer-oar, his voice did not; if his men looked wistfully at -one another and at their gigantic escort, they pulled none the less -lustily at the word of command. And presently they came upon a pitiful -sight. In an area that might have been covered by a big ship’s mainsail -floated listlessly six men, each clinging to some derelict portion of -their late vessel’s equipment. None of them appeared able to appreciate -their most perilous position; no gasp of fear passed their cracked and -blistered lips when the long, quivering body of some ravening shark -glided closely past them. No; for them nothing mattered any longer: -they had passed beyond the reach of either hope or fear. And had one -remembered how painful were their lives, how remote the possibilities -of brightness ever lightening their dreary way through the world, the -thought would inevitably have compelled admission that it was almost -criminal to bring them back again to the suffering they had left -behind--especially remembering how full of pain to them would be the -process. - -Such an idea, however, never occurred to those tender-hearted if -ruffianly looking rescuers. Forgetting all their own danger--oblivious, -indeed, to anything else but the manifestly urgent needs of the -perishing ones they saw around them--they toiled furiously to get the -exhausted men into their boat. Nor did they desist until, the gunwale -of the boat being just awash, they were warned that any further -attempts to pick up men would certainly mean the loss of all, both -rescuers and rescued. Six were still a-missing, but that could not be -helped, and with the utmost care they moved heavily off towards the -ship, which was standing down the wind in their direction. A careful -shipkeeper of a whaleship always devotes all his energies, as soon -as boats have left, to keeping his vessel to windward of the scene -of conflict--a position of advantage whence, when the great fight is -over, he may run down with a free sheet and pick up the boats and their -gigantic prizes. - -So that, although the time seemed interminably long, it was really -only a matter of minutes before the boat was alongside the ship and -the broken men were being hauled on board. All the time this work -was going on the ship was the centre of a vast assemblage of whales, -seemingly satisfied that their enemies were now powerless to harm them, -and, although majestically refusing to attack a helpless foe, quite -determined to let that foe see unmistakably what might be his fate -should his late prospective victims become aggressive. No sooner were -the rescued men on board than Mr. Winslow, as if he and his crew were -machines of iron rather than men of weariable muscles, pushed off from -the ship’s side and carefully steering between the bulky bodies of the -assembled whales, made the best of their way back to where they hoped -to find the remainder of their shipmates. Six were still missing, among -them the mate, who since the captain’s accident had endeared himself -to all hands. But it really seemed as if their colossal escort knew -the errand they were upon, for their progress was hindered in the most -extraordinary manner by the whales crowding about them. No assault was -made; had it been, however slight, they must all have perished; but it -was as if they were incessantly reminded by the whales that forbearance -had, even with such magnanimous monsters, its limits, and that while no -advantage would be taken of primary helplessness, they (the whalers) -would not lightly be permitted to help those who were receiving the due -reward of their own aggression. - -So, with infinite pains, the second mate and his hardly entreated -boat’s crew made their way back to the scene of conflict, and found one -man, the mate, still afloat, and possibly alive. They could not be sure -of the latter, but took him in on the chance. Further search, although -prolonged to the utmost limit of their endurance, failed to show them -any more of their lost shipmates, and at last in a faint voice Mr. -Winslow ordered them to give way for the ship. As his men doggedly -obeyed, and called up their final reserve of energy, the attendant -whales, as if satisfied with the progress of the day’s events, drew -off, and with their great leader well ahead, took their departure -to windward along the bright glorious path of the setting sun, whose -rays touched their mighty bodies with gold and made every little spray -they threw upwards in their stately progress glisten like a shower of -diamonds. - -The overburdened crew reached the ship without further incident, and, -once alongside, realised how terrible had been the strain imposed. For -even the simple business of hoisting the boat, usually a matter of at -most two minutes, became a herculean task hardly to be accomplished -by the united efforts of all hands remaining capable of standing on -their feet. Once secured on her cranes, Mr. Winslow dismissed his -boat from his mind and wearily slouched to where the mate lay on a -mattress brought up by one of the harpooners. So great was his loss of -vigour, that although he saw the mate had recovered consciousness and -was now peacefully asleep in his drying clothes, he felt a dull want -of interest in that fact, as in everything else, and without taking -further interest of his surroundings or of the claims of his position, -he cast himself down in the little clear space abaft the wheel on the -starboard side, pillowed his head upon his right arm, and immediately -fell asleep. - -The shipkeepers--that is, the four petty officers, carpenter, cooper, -steward, and cook, with the four men appointed to assist them in the -duty of managing the ship during the process of catching whales--had -been hardly pressed both by work and anxiety. But they saw and realised -how easy had been their lot as compared with that of the hunters; and -although they had well earned a relief, they said nothing, but went -grimly on with their by no means easy task of preparing the vessel for -the night, clearing away gear, &c. - -Now during this terrible day Priscilla had found great peace. We left -her at its beginning comforted as only those heavy-laden ones can be -comforted who are in direct communication with the Comforter. Permeated -by that Peace which passeth all understanding, she felt content to -abide in quiet security any event that might happen, and she looked -down upon the insensible form by her side with something of the Divine -compassion, although without one spark of the human love which should -exist between husband and wife. All that her simple ideas of nursing -could suggest as good to be done for him she did assiduously, while his -face twitched convulsively, unintelligible muttering flowed ceaselessly -from his lips, and every muscle of his body seemed as if under the -influence of a powerful galvanic battery. - -It was very quiet down in the small cabin. The workers on deck went -about their duties softly in dread of rousing the skipper, and only a -faint echo of an occasional carefully modulated cry from aloft came -stealing softly to her ears. She did not feel hunger, weariness, or -anxiety. Whenever the good darkey steward could spare a few minutes -from the work of the ship he stole down to see if he could do anything -for her; but beyond accepting a cup of tea and a biscuit at midday, she -gently declined all his kindly offers. The only feeling, as she said -afterwards, that did occasionally shoot athwart the placid state of her -mind was one of thankfulness that her husband was so long oblivious of -all that must, she knew, be going on, for she could not help realising -what his fury would be if, with all his senses about him, he should be -unable to take part in the hunting. - -And so quietly the long day wore to its close. She remained in utter -ignorance of the outcome until, at about 7 P.M., the steward crept -to her side with a cup of soup, and begged her to sup it. While she -languidly did so, he sketched for her in a few hurried whispers the -condition of things, and wound up by saying, his swart face looking a -ghastly green in the dim light of the swinging lamp: ‘An’ de good Lawd -Hisself only knows wa’s gwine happen t’ us wen _he_ comes to an’ fine’s -eout abaout it. Lawd hab massy on us all den.’ She answered him not a -word, but, handing back the cup, laid her tired head back in her chair -and passed peacefully to sleep. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -REUBEN EDDY, MARINER - - -We left Rube not only entered conclusively upon his new career, the -very antithesis of all his previous experiences, but, by one of those -mysterious happenings which prove how little we know of the workings of -the human brain, completely dissociated from that former life of his as -if it had never been. And yet by some merciful connection, inexplicable -in view of his entire loss of memory, but certainly bridging the dark -gulf, his former Christian training not merely influenced him, but -its effect was intensely deepened and strengthened. So with all his -old attributes of patience, of kindliness, of love; attributes which -all must confess may exist without any acknowledgment on the part of -their possessor of the power of Christianity at all. Also his physical -powers developed amazingly. Seemingly quite careless what he ate, but -always with bared head returning thanks to God for it, he throve upon -that poor food until his torso would have served as a model for an -ancient Greek statue of Hercules. Upon his bright face the shadow of -a frown was never seen, his serenity of mind seemed proof against all -the pettiness of aggravation that men allow to do so much harm in the -world, the gnat-bites of daily intercourse which fester into various -plagues far more deadly in their continual evil than all the great -crimes which shock us so by the horrors of their incidence upon the -life of man. - -And with all this he was essentially a _man_, taking with highest -intelligence his daily part in all around him, excelling in ability -as he did in strength every one of his shipmates until he came to be -looked upon by them as a kind of demi-god whose superiority in all -things they ungrudgingly acknowledged because he himself was obviously -entirely unconscious of it. Forward and aft it was the same. If any -felt they had aught to teach him they immediately did so for the sheer -joy of the thing; he was so eager to learn, so keen-witted in absorbing -new knowledge, so humble and entirely grateful. At first this attitude -of his was looked upon with suspicion by his shipmates, for suspicion -and jealousy are baleful plants that thrive apace on shipboard among -the crew, especially on long voyages; then, when the impossibility of -being suspicious or jealous of such a man had been fully demonstrated, -good-natured, bantering toleration took its place. This was succeeded -by reverence, which gradually overcame the most sceptical, those who -longest maintained that ‘Rube wuz jest a easy-goin’ loony ’at y’ c’d -do anythin’ y’ liked with.’ This latter phase of feeling towards him -arose, I think, as far as the foc’s’le was concerned, in consequence of -the stand he took against rows in their common abiding place. Whenever -men quarrelled (and shore-folk can hardly imagine how difficult it is -to keep the peace in a small apartment tenanted by thirty men), Rube -was at once on hand, unless it happened to be his wheel or masthead -look-out. And, owing to his great size and strength and utter -disregard of himself, it was impossible to bring off a fight when he -was about. For he would propose the most absurd things, such as that -the two belligerents, if they felt they must beat somebody, should beat -him in turn; but beat one another they should not while he was able to -prevent them, and they could not doubt his ability to do that. Once an -infuriated man did strike him a heavy blow full in the mouth. It was -like striking a rock. Rube leaped at the striker, caught his fist, and, -holding it up, said, ‘Poor feller, jes’ look at them knuckles, they’re -all cut about shameful. Less get a bit er rag an’ tie ’em up.’ - -What could they do with a man like that but love him? Nothing. And -surely never was man so loved aboard ship before. When in the long -evenings after the first dog-watch the crew lolled about the fore part -of the deck smoking, it became quite an institution for Rube to sit -(he didn’t smoke) and tell them stories in his own quaint language out -of the Bible from memory. He possessed the only one on board, and read -it continually in his watch below, giving up to its delights much of -the time his great frame needed for sleep. Perhaps the quotation of a -sample of his Bible yarns (as the fellows termed them) may be admitted. - -‘Way back in the old days, boys, it seems t’ me thet most people hed -a mighty rough time of it. In th’ cities, frum what I c’n see, they -wuz pow’ful little ’musement fur the wealthy folks ’cept buildin’ -uncomfortable palaces, stuffin’ grub down their necks they didn’t feel -to want, gettin’ drunk, an’ seein’ a lot of poor people suffer. Funny -how a man or woman should _like_ to see _sufferin_’, ain’t it? Even -then when these rich folks was havin’ what they persuaded themselves -wuz a hot ole time, they wuz always expectin’ some feller’d come along -an’ make a big hole in ’em with one o’ them old-fashioned stickers you -see in pictures, about a foot long, four inches wide, and razzur sharp -on both edges. But they was a lot o’ people hadn’t got no palaces. -They was something like sailors ashore--always on th’ move, carryin’ -their grub with ’em, an’ only stoppin’ any length o’ time where there -was water an’ plenty grass fur th’ live stock. ’Course they managed -t’ steal a lot of poor fellers ’at didn’t know enough t’ keep out er -the way, and make these slaves do all the work. We’re most of us built -like that. Comfort was a word that hadn’t come into use those days; -but then neither had indigestion, nerves, corns, or rheumatics. Well, -among these people was one a good deal better’n most ov ’em, though, of -course, he had his faults, an’ his name was Isaac. Only that. Jest a -given name, an’ no more: easy to remember. Now this good man was well -off as those days went. He had lots o’ sheep ’n’ goats an’ donkeys an’ -camels, an’ a mighty big country to travel about in, an’ let ’em feed -wherever they would, with no rent or taxes to pay. He had a wife he was -very fond of--only one, which was sing’lar for those times, when th’ -best o’ men didn’t seem able to get along without a bunch o’ wives. -An’ he had two sons. One of these sons was a fine fellow, free an’ -open an’ brave, fond of all manly sports, but one of those chaps such -as we say’ll never get on in th’ world. He was his father’s darlin’. -The other was a quiet, say-nothin’-t’-nobody sort o’ feller, fond of -hangin’ around the tents and looking after the breedin’ o’ the cattle -an’ sheep, an’ he was what we call a good business man. But you had to -watch him close, or he’d get t’ wind’ard of ye every time. His name was -a sort o’ warning to anybody t’ keep their weather eye liftin’ when he -was havin’ truck with ’em. It was Jacob, meanin’ a feller that gets -into another feller’s place after he’s jockeyed him out of it. An’ he -wasn’t partikler who it was he bested, his father or his brother jes’ -as soon as anybody else. He was his mother’s favourite. - -‘Well, after both boys had grown up, an’ Jacob had ben workin’ off his -little schemes pretty frequent, ’specially on his twin brother Esau, -his dotin’ mother puts him up to a dodge to take in the old man, who -was gettin’ pretty shaky, so’s he’d scratch Esau outer his will, and -put Jacob in. And between ’em they rigged up Jacob in goatskins to make -him feel like Esau, who was one of those big, burly, hairy men, so as -his poor old father, who was blind, shouldn’t know the difference, an’ -give him all the property as well as his blessin’, which counted in -them days fur even more than property. And th’ scheme worked all right. -But when Esau come home from the country, and found it out, Jacob had -to quit, or else Esau would have killed him sure. So his mother lost -him altogether. I don’t s’pose that bothered him greatly. Anyhow, he -did just as well in the new country he run to, and in just the same -way. An’ he kem back a good many years after with quite a procession of -wives an’ children an’ no end of property, an’ who should meet him but -Esau, without any wives an’ children or property, but an army, which -was almost the best thing to have in those days, ’cause when you’d got -it you could get the other things whenever you wanted ’em by taking ’em -away from somebody else. - -‘And Jacob, bein’ scared ’most to death, offers to buy Esau off from -what he s’posed was goin’ to be his revenge, with a whole heap of his -property. But Esau says, “Thanks, old man, I don’t want to take away -what belongs to you; I’ve got all I want. But I’ll send a bit of my -army along with you to see that nobody else comes and robs ye.” But -Jacob says to himself, “Oh, no, this is just a scheme for taking all -I’ve got away bymeby.” So he refused. An’ they parted, an’ never saw -one another again.’ - -Loud cries of ‘Bully for Esau!’ and opprobrious remarks about Jacob, -changing into utter bewilderment when next evening Jacob’s subsequent -history was told in the same quaintly familiar fashion, and the -justification of his being chosen by God was pointed out. For not -only did Rube tell Bible stories, but in the most artless manner he -based conversation upon them; never arguing, but gently suggesting; -familiarising his hearers with Scripture in the most pleasing way, and -never attempting to compel belief by his efforts. It is no exaggeration -to say that in spite of the disappointment felt by the men at the long -period of unsuccessful searching, Rube’s sweet influence was felt by -all hands. And although many of them still had their occasional doubts -of his sanity, none doubted the perfect goodness and beauty of his -character. - -They became a very smart crew. Every duty they were called upon to -perform they did as if they loved it, and the skipper’s rugged face -glowed with eagerness to see how they would behave on whales if and -when the chance came. But it was not until they were midway between -the Line and Cape Horn that they sighted their first sperm whale. He -was a lone whale of enormous size, and evidently making a passage to -some other feeding-ground, since he kept his course as if steering by -compass, spouting with the utmost regularity a given number of times, -descending and rising again as if timed by a chronometer. Cautiously, -but with all the attention possible, the ship was worked to windward -of him, until, in a suppressed shout, Captain Hampden gave the order, -‘’Way boats!’ It had previously been decided that only two boats were -needed for the job, so the first and second mates’ boats started, -dropped alongside lightly as foam flakes, and with a long, swinging -stroke they pulled away to windward. Rube was in the mate’s boat -pulling midship oar--the heaviest of the five--and the mate simply -gasped with astonishment to see how this recent yokel handled his -eighteen-foot oar, how all his powers were given to its manipulation, -and what a beautiful stroke he had. They pulled for half an hour, then -with sails set to the strong breeze that was blowing, bore down upon -the unconscious whale, the other boat following hard after them at a -cable’s distance. Nearer, nearer they drew, all hands holding their -breath. Now a wide sheer to port because of that little eye’s power of -seeing astern. They gain rapidly; they are abeam. A strong sweep of the -steer oar, the main sheet is slacked off, and the boat sweeps round and -leaps at the whale’s broadside like a living thing. Before she strikes, -the harpooner has hurled his iron, and it sinks its length into the -black side; the whale is fast. Haul aft the sheet, flat as possible, -the boat flies up into the wind, the harpooner casting out the stray -line meanwhile, and there, although tossing tremendously because of the -fuss being made by the indignant whale, they get the hampering sail -rolled up and mast unshipped and fleeted aft out of the way. - -Before they have finished their task the second mate is alongside -awaiting orders. He is told not to go near, but wait and see what -the whale is going to do, always an uncertain factor in scenes like -this. The whale is going to behave in orthodox fashion--_i.e._, -descend to where beyond these voices there is peace. Downward he goes -deliberately, as if hurry were never less needed, but apparently taking -no heed of the strain kept on the line by the buoyant boat above. -Presently it becomes evident that he is a stayer, for the second -line-tub is nearly empty, and he shows no signs of slackening in his -downward path. So the second mate is called upon to pass the end of his -line aboard, and it is spliced on at once. (The strands are always kept -plaited up, so that a splice may be made almost as rapidly as a knot, -and much neater and more safe.) Still he goes down, down, down; while -faces gather blackness as fake after fake of line disappears. Will he -_never_ weaken? The heavy drogue (equal in retarding strain to four -boats) has been bent on at the splice, but seems to have no effect upon -him. The mate’s heart sinks. Up goes the urgent wheft, a signal to the -ship that more line is needed immediately; but, alas! it is too late. -There is a short interval of almost agonising suspense, and the end of -the line flips over the bows. He is gone! - -Then the mate gives vent to his feelings. His cursings comprehensively -embrace everything he can bring to memory, himself chiefly. When he is -exhausted Rube’s lips are seen to be moving, and the mate, fiercely -desirous of some animate object whereupon to vent his rage, yells, -‘You hayseed, what _you_ mumblin’ about?’ (I suppress even the blank -profanity with which every word or two is loaded.) Rube softly replies, -‘I was so sorry for your disappointment and the skipper’s that I was -just askin’ God that all our labour shouldn’t be lost.’ - -The mate was dumb--what could he say to this? And every man in the -boat looked at Rube as if he were uncanny--they had no more idea than -most professing Christians have of the simple faith that believes in -an immanent God always ready and willing to hear the requests of His -children. And up into the midst of their wonderment rose the whale, the -long line trailing behind him, evidently exhausted by his tremendous -efforts to reach a depth of safety. A dozen strokes in reply to the -swiftly shouted orders of the mate, and they were alongside of him, -the harpooner had hooked up the line and passed it into the boat, and -the mate had thrust his long lance so fiercely in between the third -and fourth ribs of the leviathan that the whole vast body quivered -from snout to flukes with the pangs of approaching death. Secure in -the knowledge that he had dealt a deathblow, the mate shouted to the -harpooner to cut the loose line adrift; but even that small loss was -avoided, for the second mate’s boat sheered alongside in the nick of -time and took it. - -No other stroke was needed; a thin stream of blood was seen to be -trickling over the edge of the spiracle, and the next great expiration -hurled into the air, with a bursting groan, masses of clotted blood -so large that it was almost miraculous how they had been forced along -the single air-tube which supplies the lungs with breath. Filled with -a great awe, the new hands drew off slowly in obedience to the orders -given, unable to take their eyes off the dying giant. And then, to -their horror, they saw him suddenly rear his gigantic head high in air, -and hurl his body along the blood-stained sea-surface in hundred-foot -leaps, swaying first to this side and then to that as if under the -influence of an agony so intolerable that he was endowed with at least -ten times his usual great strength. All around his awful way the sea -was torn into a thousand fantastic shapes, and blocks of purple foam -were flung on high and caught by the wind, which drove them like -some dreadful snow in showers of flakes far to leeward. At last--and -although the paroxysm had only lasted about three minutes, they seemed -like hours--there was a momentary lull: the whale disappeared. But -almost immediately after there was an upheaval like the rearing of a -suddenly formed volcano in the midst of the sea, and high into the -air soared the whole mighty mass, apparently hung suspended there for -an appreciable space, and fell! In the thundering noise and violent -commotion occasioned by that great act, the hunters lost for a moment -their strained attention on the whale. When they regained it he lay an -inert mass, gently undulating to the touch of the waves, with his head -as usual pointed straight towards the wind’s eye. - -[Illustration: HIGH INTO THE AIR SOARED THE WHOLE MIGHTY MASS.] - -There was a great peace succeeding the tumult, and a moaning little -voice in the wind which filled the air with mournfulness. Also the -plash of the wavelets over the quiet bank of flesh had in it, to all -seeming, a murmur of regret. The influences of that restful time -affected all for a brief space, and Rube’s eyes glistened as he thought -of the cruel end so suddenly befalling the brave, strong, harmless -monster, a short hour ago so placidly enjoying his life, and perfectly -filling his appointed place in the scheme of things. But with a jerk -all musings were ended, for the mate’s voice broke harshly upon the -accented silence, as he shouted, ‘Naow, then, m’ lads, pull two, starn -three, an’ le’s git th’ tow line fast, ’relse the ship’ll be here ’fore -we’re half ready.’ She was coming straight for them before the wind, -and only about a mile away--a homely, clumsy-looking craft enough, -but invested for each of the green hands with a new character now, a -home of rest after their late heavy toil, a place where they would be -met with a great satisfaction as returning conquerors bringing their -gigantic spoil with them, warriors who had abundantly justified the -training they had received. They had been able in that one fleeting -hour of tremendous experiences to attain unto the highest physical -pleasure of which man is capable--the sense that, by the use of his -puny powers, rightly directed, he is able to overcome what seems to -be at first sight the most overwhelming odds brought against him. All -the solemnity of the first moments of victory was forgotten, and even -Rube’s eyes sparkled with delight as he watched the look of content -glowing on the mate’s face, as with his short boat spade he hacked at -the great limber tail until he had cut a hole in it through which the -tow-line could be passed. - -The ship rounded to as easily as one of the boats would have done, only -about her own length from the whale. And the mate with a triumphant -roar of ‘Give way, m’lads!’ steered for her, no man prouder than he -of the way in which his ‘greenies’ had acquitted themselves on their -maiden venture. The grizzled leonine head of the skipper loomed in the -waist, where, the boards out, all was in readiness to receive them. -And as ready hands hooked up the tow-line, and prepared to walk up -alongside the huge mass of their prize, he said to the mate standing -beneath him erect in the stern of the boat: ‘Wall, Mr. Pease, yew -du seem t’ hev got on t’ a logy this time. I sh’d say he’s all ov -a hundred an’ forty bar’l be his look, ’less he’s dry-skin.’ ‘Nary -dry-skin ’baout him, Cap’n Hampden,’ replied the mate, cheerfully. -‘He’s jest a-teemin’ outer him. Iron went in’s if it hed fell into a -kag er butter. Fattes’ whale ever I struck, ’n’ thet’s the cole truth, -sir.’ - -Then with a joyful noise all hands tallied on to the tow-line, and -snaked that whale alongside in great shape. Everything had been -prepared for the arrival, cutting falls rove, spades ranged, cutting -stage ready, and although the experience was absolutely novel to -most of the men, they were so keen, so eager to do as they were told -to the best of their ability, that really I doubt whether the most -seasoned crew could have made a better show than they did. And this in -spite of the almost feverish desire possessed by all to look upon the -gigantic prize they had won in fair fight from his appointed realm, -the vasty deep. It was all so wonderful, so new, so strange. And then -in hurried glimpses they saw coming up in the clear blue around hosts -of queer-looking creatures (to them, for none of the new hands had -ever seen a shark before). One fellow, a lank Kentuckian, in a stolen -moment remarked in a stage whisper to a shipmate, as they leaned over -the rail hauling at the fluke-chain, ‘Gosh! look’t all them little -fish daown thar.’ Said little fish, rising rapidly, presently revealed -themselves as sharks averaging ten feet in length, who, regardless -of consequences, hurled themselves end-ways at the whale’s body, and -gouged at it furiously, as if driven mad by hunger. - -The whale fairly secured alongside, the skipper’s voice rose above the -tumult, commanding instant attention from everybody. ‘Mr. Pease, let -th’ boys go to dinner. I guess we won’t miss an hour, and th’ weather -looks sorter settled.’ ‘Dinner!’ shouted the mate, and there was a -stampede forward, for every man, as soon as he had time to think of it, -was ravenously hungry. The cook had, under orders from the skipper, -made a few additions to the usual dietary, and it is not too much to -say that every man there when he sat down to enjoy his well-earned meal -was, for the time being, as happy as ever he had been in his life. And -only because the man who controlled their destinies for the time had -in addition to his fund of common-sense, a little of the milk of human -kindness. - -A little judicious appreciation costs nothing, and is so valuable: it -often lifts weary men over the dead centres of life; indeed, it often -makes a youth who, full of fear lest in his very anxiety to do well -he has made some irreparable mistake, feel that no effort can be too -great to please a man who has recognised his desire to do his duty. And -when, at the call of ‘Turn to!’ the rested, well-fed crowd climbed on -deck again into the keen, pure air, and found that while they had been -dining the skipper and his officers had been toiling at the stupendous -task of cutting off the whale’s head, they almost felt ashamed at -having taken so long over their meal. - -I know very well that there will be many a cynical sneer at this, but -that does not matter at all so long as the thing is true. If men (and -I care not whether they be white, black, brown, or yellow) are treated -like cattle they will yield worse than bovine service; if they are -pampered and allowed to feel that they can do as they like, they will, -their natural depravity getting the upper hand, become practically -worthless; but if, as under Captain Hampden, they are kept under -discipline, yet made to feel that their efforts to do well are fully -appreciated, they will behave as men should behave who realise to the -full the dignity of obeying the call of duty, who realise abundantly -how good it is to be a _man_. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -THE _GOOD_ SHIP ‘XIPHIAS’ - - -Of definite purpose I have italicised the adjective in the heading of -this chapter because I have often feared that readers of ‘The Cruise -of the _Cachalot_’ may have been led to believe that there could not -be such a thing as a good whaleship. And yet even there I did try to -show how vast a difference a change of captains made. The _Xiphias_, -however, was good from the beginning. A certain amount of unavoidable -suffering was endured by the new hands at the beginning of the cruise, -consequent entirely upon the sudden violent change in their lives. And -perhaps the officers were just a trifle exuberant in their attentions -to the helpless, clumsy men they were endeavouring to lick into -shape. But there never was any actual cruelty. Discipline once firmly -established, and rudimentary ideas of the work they must do instilled -into the men’s minds, their lives became as comfortable as a sailor’s -life can ever be at sea. They worked hard, but only at necessary -duties, and they were never wantonly deprived of needed rest. Their -food was none too good, but it was certainly better than usual and -always plentiful. Even here the genial spirit of the skipper was able -to exercise itself beneficially for the comfort of his men. He and his -officers were always on the keenest look-out for fish of any sort, and -no effort was spared to catch them, all sorts of fishing tackle being -carried for the purpose. He knew, too, many little dodges by means of -which sea-fowl could be rendered palatable, and was a past master in -the art of devising changes of dietary for his crew. - -But more than all this, the man himself was one of those glorious old -Yankees who combine with a supreme ability to command their fellows--a -power of enforcing discipline among the roughest with splendid, -never-failing courage--the simple, fun-loving, joyous instincts of a -child: terrible in their just anger to meet as a tiger in the jungle, -but happy and light-hearted as any child when their men behave like -men. So that Captain Hampden was not merely obeyed, he was loved both -by officers and men, and all the more because not one of them would -have dared to impose upon him in any way. I speak feelingly, for I -know the man, who now, midway between eighty and ninety years of age, -is not in his second childhood, but his first, his broad back unbent, -his hawk-like eye undimmed, his huge limbs as steady as they were half -a century ago. To him the children flock as to one who understands -them. They talk to him as to one of themselves, and parents laughingly -upbraid him with being foremost among the mischief-loving urchins of -the sweet little New England town in which he lives. And I am sure that -when the call comes for him to close his long and useful schooling -here, he will lie down to sleep with the perfect confidence of a little -child. It would be an impertinence to say ‘God bless him,’ for God has -blessed him exceedingly abundantly, and made him also a blessing to -many thousands who are the happier for his having lived. - -But I must get back apologetically to the _Xiphias_, with her crew -girding their loins to the great task in front of them. The cutting-in -of the first whale of a voyage is always a serious matter, since the -crew, however willing, must needs be educated in the performance of -an entirely novel task. I am anxious not to repeat myself, but the -work of collecting the spoil from a dead whale is of so wonderful a -character--is, in spite of the greasy nature of the surroundings, so -truly romantic--that the temptation to dwell upon its description is -ever present. To the casual unthinking observer there may seem nothing -very wonderful in the operation of cutting-in, except the astounding -magnitude of the masses raised from the body and disposed of in the -blubber-room and on deck. But really it is a piece of work requiring -not merely the utmost skill and care on the part of its directors, -but a certain natural aptitude as well, for want of this latter -characteristic always entails an enormous amount of extra labour upon -the crew. Take, for instance, the preliminary operation of cutting off -the huge head. Even with the utmost skill this task demands an amazing -amount of muscular force, but if that be wrongly applied it is indeed -a heart-breaking job. There is practically nothing to guide the eye -in the selection of a line upon which to start cutting down into the -body and finding the junction of the neck. And there is in a whale of -the size captured by the _Xiphias_ fully six feet of muscular tissue -to be severed by the spades before the central bone is reached. In -other words, the diameter of the body there is about fourteen feet. -A few inches to one side or the other, and the work may take double -the number of hours it should do, while the able whaleman will plunge -unerringly down through the mass blow after blow of his razor-edged -spade until he feels--he cannot see--his blade strike the exact spot -in the centre of the joint, a ball-and-socket about fourteen inches in -diameter. - -So well had Captain Hampden and his officers performed their task that -when the crew rushed on deck eager for work the joint had been severed, -a hole had been bored through the snout, and the end of a snout-chain -was already passed through this hole and dangling down under water, -awaiting the turning over of the carcass to be got hold of. This was -for the purpose of dropping the head astern when it was cut off, for it -is always the last to be dealt with. - -Swiftly the chain-sling was passed round the base of the lower jaw, -hooked to one of the big tackles, with a cheery shout the windlass -levers were manned, and presently, upward pointing, arose the shaft of -bone, studded with foot-long teeth, while the officers cut vigorously -away at the throat, and started the unwinding of that thick overcoating -of rich fat their prize had worn so long. And all the while the busy -spades of the skipper and mate went plunging almost with the regularity -of a pair of pistons down into the scarph dividing the head from the -body, until as the first blanket piece rose alongside the head slipped -easily aft and floated, an almost cylindrical mass of some thirty-five -tons in weight, at the end of a hawser passed over the taffrail. - -All plain sailing now for a time. Merrily clattered the pawls, -accentuated by the occasional cries of ‘Heave on yer whale!’ ‘Surge -on yer piece!’ ‘’Vast heaving!’ ‘Lower away!’ ‘Walk back!’ and the -like, all so definite in their application with seamen, and so utterly -unintelligible ashore. So briskly, indeed, did the work go on that -in less than an hour from the time that the first blanket piece was -lowered into the blubber-room, all hands were gratified to see the -great flukes dangling at the end of a tackle, the last joint of the -backbone having been cut through and the mountainous mass of black -flesh allowed to drift slowly away, torn at by innumerable sharks on -all sides, and the centre of a perfect cloud of screaming sea-birds. - -Now for the head. Smart as the work had been, there was no time to be -lost. Although the whale had been struck at 8 A.M., it was now nearly -3 P.M. Barely three hours of daylight remained; and, besides, on the -south-eastern horizon there was rising a mass of cloud, with outlines -as sharp and clearly defined as those of a mountain. It loomed ever -higher, vast, menacing, and deepening into blackness. But although -the skipper could not help casting an anxious glance to windward -occasionally, his manner was cheery as ever, and he and his officers -toiled as if fatigue was to them a word without meaning. Certainly, -whatever other virtues be denied them, the Yankee whaling officers -could never be accused of laziness. If they worked their men almost to -death they never spared themselves: they always led the way, and showed -by their example what a man could do if he tried. - -The task of dividing the ‘case’ and ‘junk’ from the head, which was now -taken in hand, is the heaviest of all, not excepting cutting off the -head. For the case is a huge oblong tank, full of pure spermaceti, and -extending almost the whole length of the head, of which, indeed, it -forms nearly half the bulk. It must be cut out, for in a whale of this -size it contains nearly three tons of spermaceti as fluid as oil, and -there is no way of getting at this precious substance without lifting -the whole case. Lifting the head entirely is sometimes effected, but -only when the whale is small. In so large a one as this the lifting -of the case alone when detached is a task demanding the utmost energy -of all hands, and often, when a heavy sea is running, straining the -ship dangerously. Even then it cannot be taken on board, but must be -suspended alongside, and the spermaceti baled out of it with a bucket -in a most cumbrous and unsatisfactory way. The junk, being one solid -mass cut off the point of the snout, and weighing about four or five -tons, is easier dealt with, since a slip of the spade in cutting it off -does not mean a possible leakage of all its valuable contents, for in -it the spermaceti is contained in cells as water is held in a sponge, -and is, moreover, almost congealed. - -By dint of the most strenuous toil, the junk and case were separated, -and the former hove on deck and secured, half an hour before dark. Then -the mighty case was hooked on and held up alongside. As the ship was -beginning to roll uneasily in the new cross swell coming up from the -south-east, precursor of the impending storm, it was necessary to pass -a heavy chain around it to bind it in to the side. Then a light spar -was rigged across the two tackles, high above the case, and a single -whip or pulley, with a rope running through it, to one end of which was -attached a long bucket. Then a man--he happened to be a merry little -Irish teamster, named MacManus--mounted nimbly aloft, and sat upon the -spar grasping a spade pole, with which to push the bucket down into -the case after he had slit open the top of it. Then, at his word, the -waiting men on deck hauled the bucket out and lowered it to the tank -awaiting its contents on deck. - -Meanwhile all on deck were as busy as ants. Inspired by the skipper, -they toiled to get the decks clear, and certain of them, at the word, -rushed aloft to furl the few remaining sails that were set, except the -close-reefed main topsail. Rube, being on the leeside, did not trouble -to cross the deck and go up in orthodox fashion, but as he climbed -somewhat wearily he saw MacManus take a header from his precarious -seat into the yawning cavity of the case. A scream of horror burst -from his lips, but overcoming the paralysis that momentarily affected -his bodily powers, he leaped like a cat from the main shrouds to the -cutting falls, and, grabbing the bucket in one hand, slid down into -the yawning chasm beneath. As he went he felt the slimy walls of the -great case embracing him all round, and thought with agony of the -depth beneath him--fourteen feet at least of oil--then soundlessly the -bland greasiness closed over his head, and all was darkness. But his -mind was clear, and his hope was high that those who saw him go would -spring to the whip and haul up ere it was too late. And while he thus -thought he groped with one arm through the bucket loop, and, feeling -something hard, seized it with a drowning man’s grip just as he felt -himself ascending. Reluctantly those sucking walls yielded up their -prey; his arms felt as if they were being torn from their sockets; -but although there was a roaring as of loudest thunder in his ears, -he held on. And presently he hung limply in mid-air, one arm still -through the bucket loop, the other around the body of MacManus. Four -eager and willing men slid down the falls and seized the pair. Securing -them with ropes passed to them from the main-top, they lowered them as -rapidly as possible on deck. Even then there was no time to be lost, -for both were apparently dead--ears, nostrils, and mouths being clogged -with the rapidly coagulating spermaceti. But after the application of -some highly original methods of clearing it away, and most patient -artificial respiration following it, the pair gradually returned from -their visit to the shades, and sat up wonderingly. - -It was not for several hours that either of them could recall what had -befallen them, and when they did both fell a-trembling violently as -they again realised the sensation of sliding down into that darksome -well of grease. But Rube recovered first, having, as he said, the need -laid upon him to offer up thanks to God for permitting him to save his -shipmate’s life. He remembered how, as he slid out of the fast-fading -daylight, his heart said, ‘O God, make me save him,’ and he felt that -by nothing short of a miracle he had been able to do so. Poor MacManus -could not speak of it, so broken up was he, but for hours, emitting -every now and then a rending sob, he lay holding Rube’s hand in his as -if only by so doing could he be prevented from gliding back again into -that pit of death. - -This accident had, of course, caused much delay, but still, through -the now almost pitchy blackness of the night, by the aid of cressets -of blazing fuel suspended from the boat-davits, the work had gone on, -until at four bells (10 P.M.) a few strokes of a spade released the -ponderous mass from its slings, and with a sullen, thunderous boom it -fell back into the sea. Immediately upon its disappearance the skipper -ordered half the crew below for a couple of hours’ rest, and himself -hastened to visit the victims of the late mishap. He found MacManus -asleep, nervously twitching all over, but Rube lying with hands folded -on his breast, his lips moving slowly as he murmured praises for his -deliverance. - -‘Well, Rube, ’n’ haow d’ye seem t’ be hittin’ it b’ now, hey?’ said the -old man cheerily. - -Rube turned on him a dazzling smile, and answered in a quiet tone: ‘Jes -’s grand ’s grand kin be, Cap’n. I don’t know as I was ever so happy in -all m’ life. Only one thing I’m sorry fur, ’at I kain’t be up ’n’ doin’ -my share o’ th’ work thet’s goin’ on. But as yew’re all so kind, I -don’t feel able t’ worry nearly ’s much ’bout thet ’s I feel I oughter.’ - -‘Jes’ yew stop right thar,’ said the skipper. ‘Don’t wanter hyar ‘et -yew’re worryin’ any ‘t all. Why, blame my cats, I want ye well, ’n’ -haow in thunder air ye goin’ t’ git well ef you lays thar a-worryin’? -Guess me an’ th’ rest ov yew’re shipmates ’ll dew all th’ worryin’ -thet’s called fur till yew’re round again. We kain’t git ’long ’thout -yew a bit, ’n’ thet’s a fact.’ - -‘Ah, Cap’n,’ murmured Rube, ‘it does sound good ov ye to say so, and -say it so kinder tender like. Fact is, yew’re all of ye so kind ’at -I’m’s happy as a man k’n be. Nothin’ don’t seem able t’ hurt me. Naow -and then thar’s a set o’ blurred pictures comes up in my mind of a long -time ago, when I was very unhappy an’ looked ahead to see nawthin’ -but trouble an’ misery waitin’ fur me all my days. But it never gits -quite clear. I never remember anything fur certain, and I don’t seem -ter--I kain’t seem ter--feel ’at I keer a row o’ pins what’s goin’ t’ -happen ter-morrer. I seem ter ben here all my life, ’n’ don’t want a -little bit t’ be anywhere else. I ain’t gut a care ner a fret ner a -want in the world.’ Then, as the Captain turned as if about to leave -abruptly--for the need upon him to do so was great--Rube gently laid -a detaining hand upon his arm, saying: ‘Cap’n, I believe it’s all the -goodness of God. Some of us don’t think as much of Him as we might. I -know I don’t, but I b’lieve ther’ ain’t one of _us_ but what thinks -more about God’s love to ’em than they do ’bout anythin’ else in this -world.’ ‘Stop,’ almost shouted the skipper, ‘yew’re hurtin’ me wuss ’n -ye know. I dassent say a word ’at w’d hurt yer faith in us, but fur -God’s sake don’t make us out like that. I kain’t tell ye haow mean an’ -low down an’ ord’nary yew make me feel when yew talk like that. Naow I -must git, fur yew’re mighty low, ’n’ I got work wants doin’. Try an’ -git t’ sleep an’ be about among us as quickly as ever yew can.’ And the -skipper hurriedly departed. - -In truth he was glad to get away from what was rapidly becoming an -intolerable situation. Back to his mind had been brought with startling -clearness the old Quaker home, the sweet placid face of his mother, as -with a cooing gentleness she taught him to utter his earliest prayers -to the All-Father with whom she was on such beautifully intimate terms. -He remembered how the light upon his mother’s face always seemed to him -to be reflected from the sky, and how he used to shut his eyes tight -and wish that he might have a vision of that dear Friend whom he felt -sure that mother could see and hear so clearly. Also the grave face of -his father came up before him, never, as far as he could remember, lit -by a smile, always looking as if the tremendous realities of life had -left their indelible impress there. He knew that while he had loved -his mother he had reverenced his father, but never seemed able to get -beyond that feeling of awe-stricken admiration. Then came the death -of both those holy ones, the breaking up of the old home, and the -gradual loss through the struggling years that followed of personal -communion with his mother’s Friend, while still retaining through all -the hardnesses of a whaler’s life a blend of her sweet temper and his -father’s exalted rectitude. And now he was set a-wondering in the -presence of this gentle ‘greenie’ how much he had lost through his -gradually letting slip his acquaintance with his mother’s God. But -like most men of Anglo-Saxon race, he felt a strange fear lest he -should betray to anyone around him these ennobling, uplifting thoughts -that welled up from his heart. His face burned and his voice trembled -curiously as he walked among his toiling men, glancing furtively at -each familiar face as if wondering whether any of them could detect -any difference in him--for difference he knew there was--from what he -had been yesterday. - -After a short interval of oversight, a few words with the officers -who were superintending the commencement of the trying-out process, -and an entirely contented look around at the storminess of the night, -he said to the second mate, who was in charge of the watch at the -time: ‘Wall, Mr. Peck, I guess I’ll go and turn in fur a spell. It’s -goin’t’ be a dirty night, an’ ye mout’s well rig up the cover over -th’ try-works, ’case it rains, ’r she ships any water. Don’t want th’ -pots bilin’ over ’n catchin’ light, do we? Nawthin’ else yew’d like t’ -talk t’ me abaout, is there, ’fore I go below?’ ‘No, sir,’ said the -officer; ‘everythin’ seems to be goin’ in good shape so far, ’n’ as fur -this dirt, wall, I reckon the moon’s ’bout due at seven bells ’n’ I -shouldn’t wonder if she scorfs it all.’ ‘Ha, ha,’ laughed the old man; -‘it’s mighty certain she wunt scorf the fly jib anyhaow. It’s too well -fast fur thet. Good-night.’ He alluded to the old, old yarn at sea of -the careful mate who, because the night was threatening in appearance, -asked the skipper whether he shouldn’t ‘take some of the kites off -her.’ ‘Oh, no,’ said the skipper, ‘the moon’ll scorf (eat) all that’ -(alluding to the ugly appearance of the clouds). But when aroused by -the tumult on deck an hour or two latter the skipper came rushing on -deck and anxiously inquired what had become of the flying jib, the mate -replied nonchalantly, ‘Oh, the moon’s scorfed that, sir.’ - -Diving below, the old man took a searching look at his barometer, -noted the direction of the ship’s head, and then passed on to his own -tiny state-room, slipped off his boots and sat down. Alone with his -thoughts, they flew back again to that far-off time to which they had -been directed by his contemplation of Rube. Slowly his head dropped -upon his hands, lower and lower he bowed himself, until, utterly -oblivious of all the sea-noises around him, of the uneasy motion of his -ship as she headed the rising sea, or of his responsibility for the -welfare of every soul on board, he slipped down upon his knees, and -as simply as ever he did when a child, but with an added fervour, he -lifted up his heart to God. - -It was at least half an hour before he rose from his knees, but in the -space of that brief period he had learned more than most men learn -during the whole of their lives. Confessing his sins he asked for -pardon, admitting his blindness he asked for sight, acknowledging his -ignorance he asked for teaching; and he obtained all his desires. Then -with a sense of lightness and freedom from care never before felt he -lay down on his little settee to be ready for a call, and in about the -space of one minute was fast asleep. - -On deck, the scene to an uninitiate would have been appalling. With a -monotonous, never-ceasing, and ever-increasing wail the wild wind bore -down out of the windward blackness upon the brave old ship. A peep -over the weather bulwarks revealed the long, long ranges of gleaming -wave-crests rolling down upon her, their uncanny greenish light -flickering against the black background and showing by the distances -they were apart longitudinally how mightily the waves had grown. There -was a fascination about them, too, which held the observer gazing until -like a splash of small shot a spray of spindrift struck him in the face -and sent him smarting to shelter. But as if it had been the finest of -summer evenings the steady stress of labour continued. Up from the -blubber-room were hurled the massive horse-pieces of blubber, carved -with so much labour from the great blanket pieces by the slipping, -struggling labourers below. Of all the strange places I have ever seen -I think the blubber-room of a whaleship at night in a gale of wind is -beyond comparison the strangest. It is a square space of about thirty -feet each way and between six and seven feet high. Into it are piled -the blanket pieces, those immense widths of blubber, each weighing -a ton or so, which have been ripped from the carcass of the whale. -In uncouth masses they lie one upon another, piled often almost to -touching the beams overhead. As the ship rolls they glide and heave -upon one another as if still actuated by the breath of the monster -they so lately covered. From a beam, generally in a corner, swings a -primitive lamp, little more than accentuating the darkness. And at the -beginning of operations two dim forms crawl precariously about among -those greasy masses, occasionally slipping a leg down into a temporary -crevice and having it squeezed into numbness before being able to -withdraw it. They wield short-handled spades like Dutch hoes, and with -infinite labour hew off blocks from the masses of blubber of a fit -size to pass through the mincer. When they have a dozen or so of these -blocks ready they must needs in some unexplainable fashion balance -themselves under the hatchway, and with a sort of diminutive pitchfork -hurl the blocks (horse-pieces) upwards into a shallow trough secured -to the coaming or upper edge of the hatch, whence the attendant on the -mincer loads a tub with them and drags them away. And unless these -blubber-room men be exceedingly skilful as well as strong, they will -not only never have a breathing space during the six hours of their -stay below, but will, in addition, have to bear much contumely from the -officer in charge, who will be instant in his sarcastic inquiries as to -what they may be doing below--whether they are asleep or not. - -The clank-clank of the mincer is unceasing, tall tongues of flame from -the funnels of the try-works make long red smears upon the gloom as -they stream away to leeward, and the two harpooners feed the bubbling -cauldrons with minced blubber, bale out the sufficiently boiled oil, -and watch with unceasing care against a sudden splash of cold water -into the pots, which may cause the oil to rise in a moment, and, -overflowing into the furnaces, set fire to the ship. All the watch is -so busy that there is no time to notice the weather, or moralise upon -this most romantic scene--a ship’s company who, having succeeded in -winning from a hostile element the spoil of the mightiest creature -known, have now converted their vessel into a floating factory, and -under the most extraordinarily difficult conditions conceivable are -engaged in realising that spoil in order to convey it to their home -port thousands of miles away. - -Here let us leave them for awhile, and exercising our privilege of -instant transition, glance back at the quiet village whence the -departure of our hero withdrew so much consolation and manly assistance -in the old age of his parents. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -AT THE OLD HOMESTEAD - - -Saturday night in the Eddy homestead. In their respective chairs, -occupied by them with hardly a break through thirty-eight years of -ideally happy married life, sat Farmer Eddy and his wife. The labours -of the week were ended, the hired people gone to rest, and husband -and wife sat face to face as they had done for so many years, but -never until the last six months with such weary hearts. Mrs. Eddy had -aged very much. Not that any care for her boy’s spiritual welfare -worried her--she felt as certain of him in that respect as if he had -been always under her eye. But since his departure from New Bedford -in the _Xiphias_ it was as if he had passed into the eternal silence, -and although she said little her heart-hunger was terrible. His -last letter was but half-a-dozen lines, hastily scrawled and posted -without signature, telling his parents that he was outward bound on a -South Sea whaling voyage, and in the hurry of the moment omitting to -mention even the name of his ship. Naturally, therefore, as the days -went by lengthening into weeks, the weeks into months, the disease of -uncertainty made her its prey, and she aged fast, perhaps as much from -the heroic effort she made to conceal her anxiety from her husband as -from its direct effect. - -Alas, what Mrs. Eddy endured has too often been the lot of American -mothers. For in those days recruiting agents for the New England -whalers prowled about the country beguiling simple young men with -specious tales of the glories of a roving life and the wealth they -would by-and-by bring home. And as the recruits never knew where they -were going except that it was out upon the wide ocean, nor when they -might possibly return, except that it must not _legally_ be longer than -four years, the news they were able to send their people at the time -of shipment, even supposing they felt in good heart enough to do so, -was of necessity extremely meagre. Nor were opportunities for sending -letters frequent afterwards. An occasional whaler was spoken which -might or might not be homeward bound in the course of a year or so. It -was hardly worth while entrusting letters to such a casual packet as -that. And the land touched was almost always carefully selected for its -aloofness from civilisation, as well as its offering few inducements to -a would-be deserter who was anxious to return home. - -Farmer Eddy went about much the same as usual but noticeably graver, -and, if possible, more gentle than ever. He never spoke to his -neighbours about his son, and scarcely ever to his wife, but this -latter omission mattered little, since at the evening prayer he had -ever since Rube’s departure devoted at least half of that pleasant -season to pleading with his Father for his son. Together as the old -couple knelt they saw with the eye of faith Rube upheld in right-doing, -cleansed by affliction, drawn nearer to God, and never unmindful of -them. Their simple assurance that all was well with him never wavered, -nor, although they so seldom mentioned his name at any other than -these sacred times, did either of them lose his image from their -mental vision for one waking hour. Here, however, Farmer Eddy had one -advantage over his wife--the usual one, she was the mother. And as such -she could no more help yearning over her absent son than she could help -breathing. Her faith was as robust as her husband’s without doubt, but, -oh, she wanted her boy back so badly. - -In a worldly sense all had prospered with them, and looked as if that -prosperity would continue. And they had been almost compelled to extend -their possessions by the acquisition of the Fish farm. For after -Priscilla’s departure with her husband, Mrs. Fish, feeling utterly -alone except for the hired girls who came and went, visibly drooped day -by day. Mrs. Eddy came as often as she could to visit her old friend, -but that was not often, and moreover her visits were of necessity very -short. Not only was Mrs. Fish lonely, but her heart was a prey to all -sorts of apprehensions. Jake, her eldest son, was steadily going from -bad to worse, leaving the oversight of the farm more and more to his -younger brother Will, who, instead of rising to the occasion, chafed -and fretted at his position of, as he put it, farm-bailiff without -salary, except what Jake was minded to fling him occasionally with an -air of lofty contempt. Unknown to either his mother or brother, but not -unsuspected, Jake was also mortgaging the farm up to the very roof-tree -of the house, and, with an infatuation almost amounting to lunacy, -was spending the money in riotous trips to New York and Boston. He -apparently did not permit himself to think at all of the certain ruin -he was courting, nor spend one thought upon the unmerited suffering he -was bringing upon his mother and brother. - -The climax was reached at last by his returning from one of his New -York trips accompanied by an exceedingly handsome but vulgar young -woman, whom he swaggeringly announced as his intended bride. His -brother and mother were sitting at their evening meal when this -happened, and when he made the announcement his mother, with one swift -and comprehensive glance at her son’s female companion, rose from her -seat, saying, ‘Will, he’p me up stairs.’ Jake, his face flaring with -rage, interposed between the departing pair and the door, demanding -almost in a shout and with many oaths what they meant by insulting him -and his intended wife. Releasing his mother’s arm, Will took a step -towards his brother, saying quietly and distinctly: ‘Yew misbul shote, -ain’t it ’nough fur yew t’ break mother’s heart with yer goin’s on but -yew must insult her ole age by bringin’ _thet_ home an’ flauntin’ it in -her face. Naow, ’r ye goin’ t’ git aout o’ eour way or ain’t ye----?’ - -There were no more words. Jake, maddened, flew at his brother’s throat, -and the pair, both strong young men, but the elder much debilitated -by his recent excesses, writhed and wrestled and tumbled about the -living-room like a pair of tigers. The woman Jake had brought with -him, retreating to a safe corner, eyed the wretched struggle with a -serene aloofness befitting a Roman amphitheatre, but the mother sat -wringing her hands and feebly calling upon her sons for God’s sake to -cease their unnatural strife. Suddenly, over the wreck of the table, -the pair collapsed, Will uppermost. Hoarsely he shouted, as with one -knee on his brother’s breast, one hand clutching Jake’s throat, he -raised himself a little: ‘Y’ onnatural beast, will y’ git eout o’ this, -’r sh’ll I kill ye t’ onct? Y’ ain’t fit t’ live, I know, but b’ th’ -’Tarnal y’ ain’t fit t’ die. Will y’ git ’r shall I mash y’r face into -a jelly?’ ‘Yes, I’ll go,’ gasped the almost choking man, and Will, -carefully releasing him, watched him out of the house, and into the -buggy, which had been waiting ever since he arrived. No sooner had the -pair taken their seats, and the horse, under a merciless cut of Jake’s -whip, had bounded off, than Will returned to his mother, finding her -in a dead faint; indeed, looking as if coming to again was a quite -unlikely contingency. Desperately alarmed, Will called for the hired -girl, who had been busy outside, and leaving his mother to her care, -hitched up his cart and drove furiously over to the Eddy place. It did -not take many minutes for him to persuade Mrs. Eddy to return with -him to the aid of his suffering mother. But when they arrived she was -past all earthly comfort. Her mind wandered from the good man of her -youthful days to Priscilla and Jake; the only one she did not mention -in her rambling remarks was Will. But he, good fellow, made no sign of -how this omission smote upon his heart. Nevertheless, could anyone have -read his thoughts, it would have been seen how deeply he was wounded, -and how sincere was his unspoken resolve that, should his mother die, -the home of his youth, grown hateful to him, should know him no more. - -At 4 A.M. Mrs. Fish passed away, still unconscious of those around, -still talking more or less intelligibly of her husband and elder son -and daughter. And Mrs. Eddy, tired out, having first persuaded Will to -retire, went to her own well-earned rest against the labours of the -coming day. The following week tried her and her husband to the utmost, -for Will, besides being almost penniless (his brother having had every -cent he could lay hands on), manifested much eagerness to be gone and -leave everything just as it was. Farmer Eddy was at his wits’ end what -to do, and it was no small relief to him when a Boston lawyer came -down empowered to sell the place and all that was on it to the highest -bidder for the benefit of the mortgagees. Then it was that Mr. Eddy -decided to buy, being, as he said, desirous that the heart-broken young -man, now so eager to be gone, should, if he were ever able, be allowed -to redeem the home of his childhood from the careful hand of a friend -instead of seeing it pass into the unsympathetic grip of a stranger. -Will professed entire indifference, but no doubt the unostentatious -kindness of his father’s old friend did him much good--especially -when in the kindest manner possible Farmer Eddy pressed upon him -a sufficient store of dollars to allow him time to look around in -Chicago, whither he was bent upon going. - -Farmer Eddy saw him off, gave him his blessing, but very little -advice (wise man!--full well he knew how advice at such a time would -be received), but earnest encouragement to keep up communication -between himself and his old home; ‘for--who knows?’ said the good old -fellow--‘your sister may want a home some day.’ To his utter amazement -Will turned upon him almost fiercely, saying: ‘That wouldn’t be a -bad thing for her. It might throw for her the true light upon how she -treated mother. Don’t talk t’ me of Pris. I don’t care a cent what -becomes of her----’ But the farmer, with uplifted hand, stayed him, -saying: ‘Don’t, Will. Yew’re het up naow, an’ say wut ye don’t at all -mean. Thar, we won’t persoo th’ subjec’. Let me know as often as ye -can haow yew’re gittin’ along, an’ I’ll be glad. Good-bye, my boy, -good-bye.’ And the last of the Fish family departed. - -Thenceforward the Fish place received even more attention than did his -own homestead from old man Eddy. He looked upon it in the light of a -sacred trust, a view in which he was keenly supported by his wife. For -he did cherish an earnest hope that some day his old friends’ children -might be reunited, purged by suffering, and, returning to their old -home, find with grateful hearts how good to them had been the God of -whom they had thought so little. And to this end he and his wife added -to their nightly intercourse with their Friend the petition that these -wayward ones might yet be gathered in and find peace at home. - -Of Priscilla, of course, they had never heard a word since her -departure, but without a shade of resentment they remembered her and -wondered how she was faring. Their ideas, naturally, could be only of -the vaguest, since they knew no more than they did of Reuben where -she was or whither she was going. But from what they had heard from -Will, applying sensibly considerable allowance for pique, they feared -that she had before now found how great a mistake she had made, and -had repented too late to avoid the suffering it had entailed. But -none of these reflections had the effect of making them despair of a -righting of matters at the long last, and so they cheerfully took up -the additional burden of their self-imposed duties, finding that, so -far from their being irksome to perform, they brought with them many -consolations. If only they could have heard from Rube! But apparently -that could not be, and so they waited, in patient well-doing, for the -breaking of the day. - -When Jake, driven forth ignominiously from the home he had so wronged, -by the brother he had despised, returned to New York, he was utterly -reckless. Without troubling to look into his affairs, he and his -companion were driven from the depot to a high-class hotel, where -they immediately resumed the course of high living and deplorable -extravagance which seemed to have become necessary to Jake’s life. -Now, the squandering of money is a thing that requires very little -teaching, and can be carried on successfully in most so-called centres -of civilisation, but I doubt very much whether any great city can -afford the spendthrift more facilities for speedily reaching the end of -his resources than New York. For its plethora of supereminently wealthy -men have perhaps unconsciously raised such a standard of expenditure -as does not obtain anywhere else in the world, and, of course, this is -ever before those fools who have neither sufficient money nor brains -as a shining example to go and do likewise as closely as circumstances -will permit them. Without blaming the multi-millionaires too much, -there can be no doubt that the example most of them set in the -direction of foolish waste of money is wholly evil. - -So it came about that a fortnight after Jake Fish’s return to New -York he had exhausted every possible means of raising funds, and was -confronted with the prospect of being utterly unable to meet his -bill due on Saturday at the Hoffman House. Sobered a little by this, -he consulted his companion on the matter, and suggested her parting -with some of the costly jewellery he had given her. Vain fool! She -sympathised with him tearfully, avowed her willingness to share a -crust with him rather than live in luxury with any other man, said -the shock had so unnerved her that she must go and lie down awhile to -recover herself, after which she would come with him and dispose of -all the glittering ‘trash’--yes, she called it that--when they would -go away to some quiet spot and be very happy. Overjoyed, Jake lavished -multitudinous caresses upon her, sent her up stairs, and retired to -the smoke-room to work out some plan for making these new funds go as -far as possible without too much appearance of retrenchment. Then in -his easy chair, surrounded by every luxury of appointment a man could -desire, he fell asleep. - -He was awakened by a waiter, who handed him a scented note. At -first he stared at the man stupidly, only half awake, and utterly -uncomprehending. Then as sense returned he tore open the envelope and -read: - - ‘Dear Jake,--You’ve had a pretty high old time, and so have I. But you - might have the savvy to let it go at that. You must be a bigger fool - than even I took you for if you imagine that I am going to slide down - to the bottom along with you, and begin by coughing up all the stuff - you’ve paid me with. No, no; you’ve been playing long enough: now run - along like a wise little man and _earn_ something. I’m off on a much - better campaign. Good luck.--Not yours, - - ‘A. C. - - ‘P.S.--If you feel inclined to kick, watch out how you do it. It isn’t - very healthy exercise for you.’ - -Jake read this letter thrice without understanding a word of it. Its -general import he knew, and it had paralysed him. He sat staring -stupidly at the paper until the waiter, nudging him, politely called -his attention to the fact that his bill was before him. That roused -him as does the far-heard crack of the fowling-piece arouse the timid -hare. Summoning all his energies, he dismissed the waiter with a curt -‘All right, I’ll ’tend t’ this d’reckly,’ and rising, lounged toward -the lift, his head throbbing furiously. Poor wretch, he was really -more fool than rogue--thoroughly selfish, yet beaten by one more -selfish than himself, upon whom he had lavished all he had; heartless -towards his own, yet punished for his benevolence to a stranger who -had befooled him; he was really a fair type of a large class of men -everywhere who are only virtuous because they lack opportunity or -initiative to be otherwise. Reaching his sumptuous room, he found -his clothes bestrewing the floor, showing how thorough had been the -search made by the departed one for portable plunder. He felt his head -beginning to swim, and realising that he _must_ escape or make the -acquaintance of a Tombs gaoler, he pulled himself together, slammed his -door, and, descending by another lift, passed from the hotel and was -soon lost in the crowd. - -Now, there is one tremendous difference between the cities of North -America and those of Great Britain in respect of their harbourage of -such men as Jake Fish was now in a fair way to become. London, for -instance, seems to offer a premium to the most worthless. A loafing, -shiftless vagabond need exercise no ingenuity, no originality of -resource, in order to be better looked after in every way than, -let us say, a seaman in a merchant ship. London workhouses swarm -with humans of this type, well fed, well clothed, well housed, and, -oh, _so_ tenderly entreated as to work. Any little ailment that a -working man would never notice is considered sufficient warrant for -lapping these spoilt children of fortune in cotton wool and tenderly -nursing them back to convalescence again in palace chambers fitted -with all the appliances for the healing of disease that the mind of -benevolence and medical skill can devise. And for all this the sorely -burdened ratepayer must needs provide, although he, in common with -most of England’s working poor, thinks of the workhouse as the home -of disgrace, and would in most instances rather die of starvation in -silence than go there. - -But in North America, while there is great store of loafers, not -confined either to the lowest class, they must have some original -talent, some inventive enterprise about them, whether in criminal way -or merely low trickery. Otherwise they become hoboes, or as we should -call them in England ‘tramps,’ whose chief qualifications must be an -unconquerable aversion to work, great powers of passive endurance, a -love of filth--in fact, a reversion to the worst type of savage without -one savage virtue. There is little room, however, for the hobo in -a city. The exercise of his chosen calling needs great open spaces -sparsely peopled, where there are hardly any police. Moreover, the -hoboes, according to Mr. Josiah Flynt, are a close corporation looking -with much disfavour upon would-be recruits, so that admission to their -ranks is not easily gained. - -Jake Fish then, had he realised it, was in evil case. He was a -veritable prodigal, unrepentant, and with no father’s house to return -to in case of repentance. Only fit for farming, and hating that -furiously, he had no idea of doing anything else for his bread, and, -as we have seen, his tastes were costly. Consequently, now that he had -spent all, he felt that he had a bitter grievance against society for -not graciously providing him with the means to continue his career of -viciousness. But he was, besides, an arrant coward, an essentially -worthless man, such as may be, by a miracle, made into a useful member -of society, but, alas, very seldom is. He drifted down, down, down. The -few dollars in his pockets when he left the hotel were squandered with -the same utter absence of forethought as had always characterised him, -and then, when, driven by hunger, he would have obtained some labouring -work, he found himself fiercely shoved aside by far better men. - -He disappeared. Not that there is not work and food for all in the -Great Republic, but the conditions of life are strenuous, and if a man -will not work, and work hard, he must scheme, and that cleverly, or he -will certainly disappear as Jake did, and no one will take any trouble -to inquire whither. - -Will, on the other hand--bright, eager, and industrious--arrived in -Chicago with resolute determination to take his fate by the throat, -also to husband his small resources with the utmost care while seeking -among the busy throngs for something that he could do. And he was -determined not to stand choosing, but to do as he had read that so -many others had done--take the first employment offered, no matter how -deficient in qualification he might feel himself to be for it, and, -having once got work, to strive manfully to keep it, and rise from -one point to another by ceaseless attention and industry, and, above -all, to avoid the saloon (public-house) as he would a plague-spot. -Fortunately for him, he had never acquired the taste for dissipation -which had destroyed his brother, for opportunity had been lacking. It -was not a question of moral principle at all. And now, although he did -not know it, would not have believed it had he been told, he was in a -position of the utmost danger. Without any home ties, with no religious -convictions, nothing to safeguard him from ruin, he might easily have -sunk; but he had no physical inclination for the destroying vices, -having never been tempted. - -At this juncture he was standing one day watching a busy little knot of -porters loading up packages of hardware from a warehouse into a couple -of heavy waggons. The swiftness and apparent eagerness with which -they did their work, without any appearance of being driven, appealed -to him, and unconsciously his face took on a wistful expression--he -would so much have liked to be one of that busy band. A keen-eyed, -pleasant-faced man of middle age, who stood in the doorway with a book -in his hand making certain entries, caught sight of the waiting, -earnest-looking man. And being of an imaginative, romantic turn of mind -(which, scoff at the idea as you may, is almost essential to the making -of a successful business man), he began in a side alley of his brain to -build up a theory concerning this evidently country-bred young fellow -who was watching manual labour being carried on with such manifest -desire to take part in it. Moreover, the owner of the warehouse, for -it was he, was a kindly Christian, whose interest in all men, but -specially his own employés, was proverbial in Chicago--that humming -hive of business that contains so much that is evil, but, thank God, -has also so much that is pre-eminently good. - -Will began to move away slowly, but Mr. Schermer made half-a-dozen -swift strides after him, and tapping him smartly upon the shoulder, -said, ‘Say, young man, are you looking for work?’ ‘I am, sir,’ Will -replied smartly. ‘Then come right in here, and I’ll start you at -once. I’m wanting a young fellow of your build pretty bad.’ And in -ten minutes Will felt that he was on the high road to fortune. Plenty -of work, not difficult to learn, good thews and muscle to do it, and -a hearty, appreciative man at the head of things; he was delighted. -More by a turn of Fortune’s wheel than any design discoverable by man, -Will had fallen into just the place he needed, where not only did he -receive fair play, but where the employer kept ever before himself the -fact that each of his men was an individual soul for whom Christ died, -and not just the cog of a machine; where the employer shouldered his -responsibility for his men as he did the bills he endorsed, and with -just the same absence of consciousness that he was doing anything more -than his obvious duty. No one praised him for meeting his bills as they -fell due; why should they praise him for considering the men who were -serving him faithfully, and all the more faithfully because they knew -full well that their employer had their interests at heart as well as -his own--nay, that he regarded their interests and his as inseparable? - -I must leave Will here, under the most favourable conditions, to push -his manful way up the ladder of prosperity, and to preserve, if he can, -a measure of humility with it all, in that it was his lot to fall into -good hands without any seeking of his own. Also I have a half-guilty -feeling that this has been a prosy old chapter, quite at variance with -the strain of high adventure which I have endeavoured to maintain -throughout the rest of the book. And now we must return to Priscilla. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -REPAIRING DAMAGES - - -The old _Grampus_, all unknowing of the hopes and fears and aches and -pains she bore, rolled uneasily throughout that terribly long night. To -tell the exact truth, she was often left entirely to herself, existing -only by the good will of the elements or any passing ship. In much the -same condition as the remnant of a beaten army, whose outposts, weary -to death, fall down and sleep weltering in mud and blood because poor -human nature has said her last word, the broken mate lay sleeping, -his fractured leg, benumbed from heel to thigh, straightened out, and -his utterly worn-out body not disturbing it by a single movement. -The battered men below in the stifling reek of the foc’s’le also lay -asleep (blessed be God for sleep and death), utterly unconscious of -their woes. The shipkeepers, whom a sense of duty kept, desperate as -their need was, from sleeping too long at one spell, lay in uncouth -attitudes about the moonlit deck. Occasionally one of them would rise -and aimlessly rove aft to the binnacle, gaze into its glittering oval -with eyes that distinguished not North from South, and then with -another owl-like glance aloft would stagger forward and tumble down -asleep again. And the missing ones, six stalwart men who yesterday -morning were each a centre of activity and private hopes, desires, and -possibilities? At any rate their rest would be long and sound. - -Priscilla woke about midnight, and looked uneasily about her. The -almost stifling atmosphere of the tiny cabin, the reek of the lamp, -and the innumerable exhalations from below, made the place almost -unbearable. And as with a feeling of nausea overpowering her she -surveyed her prison, there came to her, like a voice from a previous -life, the most vivid recollection possible of the sweet breath stealing -over the fields of her old home; of the careless days when singing she -went about her household work; of the many delights brought by the -changing seasons, each with its own particular charm; yes, even the -hard, bitter winters when all the land was held in a grip of steel, and -only amusement, out of doors, seemed possible. That seemed to her like -a glimpse of paradise, from which, by her own act and because she did -not value its joys, she had been shut out: she had exchanged it for -this. And her eyes filled, her heart swelled with self-pity, regret, -repentance, until suddenly a hoarse murmur by her side resolved itself -into: Pris, whar air ye?’ - -Immediately she was recalled to present realities. Swift as thought she -had asked and received strength, and leaning over her helpless husband, -she said, quite tenderly, ‘Yes, dear, I am here. What can I do for -you?’ Apparently ignoring her gentle question, he muttered savagely but -disconnectedly, ‘What’s th’ matter? whar’s everybody? what’s doin’? -call th’ mate.’ I do not see any necessity for indicating the stream -of fantastic blasphemies which followed, apparently to emphasise his -demand for information. They made her shrink, as does a delicate skin -upon meeting a cold blast; but as soon as she was able she said, ‘The -mate has been badly hurt, Ramon, but I can call the second mate if -you will. He can explain so much better than I can what has happened.’ -‘Well, whyn’t yew call him, then? Kain’t ye see, yo’ pulin’ idiot, -’at I want t’ know--t’ _know_, d’ ye hear?’ More horrible emphasis, -in the midst of which Priscilla crept from the cabin, and, going to -the companion, rung a little handbell, an agreed signal for summoning -the steward. That worthy man was lapped in profoundest slumber by -the side of the galley, but at almost the first tinkle of the little -bell he sprang to his feet, and, hastening to the companion, listened -breathlessly to his mistress’s orders (he called them so, but they -sounded more like entreaties). - -As soon as he understood them he departed, and returning in two minutes -announced to Priscilla that he had succeeded in arousing the second -mate, who was coming immediately. Receiving Priscilla’s instructions to -keep handy in case she wanted anything, he retired to the lee-side of -the skylight and waited. In about a minute the second mate appeared, -still heavy with sleep (the deep sleep of utter exhaustion from which -he had been aroused), and lumberingly made his way down into the -darksome cabin. Tapping gently at the skipper’s state-room door, he -was greeted with a torrent of oaths, and understood that if he didn’t -hurry in nameless consequences awaited him. Trembling in every limb, he -instantly obeyed, and presently stood beside his commander’s couch like -an utterly abject coward. Yet he was, as we have seen, nothing less -than a hero. His deeds on the preceding day were those of a man who -counted the preservation of his own life but a very little thing, if -haply he might save some of his shipmates from death. In the midst of -those aggressive monsters he did not quail, but led his men on to deeds -as noble as any that have ever been recorded--yet here he stood abashed -and quivering before a helpless man morally as much his inferior as it -was possible for a man to be. Mystery of mysteries, and one that men -have never yet taken sufficient account of, even with the stupendous -object-lesson of that utterly contemptible animal, but supereminent -commander of men, Napoleon, before their eyes. The meanest soldier -of Napoleon’s armies was a greater hero than he; but the possession -of that awful power of domination enabled this utter egotist, this -unutterable cad, to rule Europe and send to sordid deaths rejoicingly -hundreds of thousands of men, most of whom were in a moral and physical -sense immeasurably superior to himself. - -Thus Mr. Winslow stood before his skipper, who, glaring up at him with -an expression of fiercest contempt in his black eyes, demanded of him -why he had not reported before the doings of that disastrous day. -Falteringly, as if personally to blame for the skipper’s incapability -of receiving any information before, Mr. Winslow began his melancholy -narration. His nervousness, coupled with a most excusable desire to -make the best account he could of an exceedingly bad job, caused him at -times to be almost unintelligible, and subjected him to the fiercest -abuse from the skipper. But this incitement had one good effect. It -tended to brevity of account, and in ten minutes there was little left -to tell. For a moment or two after he ceased speaking there was a dead -silence, through which the ceaseless wash of the watchful waves outside -against the topsides could be felt rather than heard. - -Then suddenly the skipper spoke again. ‘’Spose ye’re all hard at it -repairin’ damages, hey?’ ‘Well, sir,’ stammered the officer, ‘ye see, -sir----’ ‘Give _me_ none o’ yer lyin’ backin’ an’ fillin’, y’ lazy -hog, ’r I’ll----’ He got no further. All Mr. Winslow’s manhood came -to his assistance, breaking through the mysterious bonds that had held -him so long. With all his nervousness gone, he made one stride nearer -the skipper, a dangerous light gleamed in his blue eyes, and he said: -‘Stop right thar, Cap’n Da Silva. Ther’ ain’t a man aboard this ship -but wut’s done his duty like a man, an’ no one could ha’ done any -better. We’re all nearly dead with fightin’ fag, all ’cept me sleepin’ -w’ere we fell down, an’ some of us is broke up so in body ’at it’ll -be months before we’re fit again. An’ you dare t’ lie there ’n’ speak -t’ me ov lyin’ and laziness. Say it again, an’ jes’ ’s if yew wuz any -other varmint I’ll choke th’ life outen ye where ye lie.’ He wound up -with a terrible oath. But Priscilla rose and confronted him, her grave -eyes looking unnaturally large in the whiteness of her face. ‘Go on -deck, Mr. Winslow,’ she said; ‘you forget yourself. The Captain is very -ill and irritable, and cannot be held responsible for what he says.’ -Without a word the second mate bowed his head and departed, leaving her -alone to face the fiendish malice of her husband, who, as soon as his -officer had departed, turned upon her and exhausted even his perverted -ingenuity in abuse. - -Strange to say, this bad exercise seemed to improve his bodily -condition, for in about an hour, during which Priscilla waited on him -with the utmost care and in as perfect a silence as if she were stone -deaf to his shameful words, he ordered her to assist him to dress. When -she had done so he staggered to the state-room door, rudely thrusting -aside her proffered arm, and dragged himself on deck. As soon as he was -gone from the room she prayed with all her heart on her lips for peace, -filled with pity for the poor men above now that their tyrant was -unloosed again. A hoarse cry of pain sent a thrill of sympathy through -her, but she _would_ not be distressed, believing that in some way she -would have a satisfying answer to her prayer. - -On deck the skipper, his cold heart full of malicious intent, had -stumbled over the body of the steward lying by the side of the cabin -skylight, and kicking savagely at the prostrate man had aroused him to -an immediate sense of his peril. Scrambling to his feet, the frightened -black man was slinking below, when the hoarse command of the skipper to -‘Come here’ arrested him, and he obeyed with shaking knees. ‘Whar’s the -helmsman?’ demanded the Captain. ‘I d’ no, sah,’ pleaded the steward. -‘I’ll go see, sah.’ ‘Stop right whar y’ air, will ye?’ was the fierce -answer, and in the dim light of the binnacle the steward saw the -skipper’s hand go to his hip-pocket, produce something that glittered, -and immediately a couple of shots rang out startlingly through the -quiet night. At that dread summons men began to appear from all around, -first of them all the second mate, with wild inquiry in his eyes. ‘Mr. -Winslow,’ snarled the skipper, whose voice was growing stronger with -each word he spoke, ‘call all hands t’ make sail. A hand ’t th’ wheel -at once.’ By this time all those who were able to do so had mustered, -and with the instinctive habit of obedience, as if all recollection of -their recent interview had disappeared from his mind, the second mate -replied in his usual tone, ‘Aye, aye, sir,’ then roaring, ‘All hands -make sail, loose taups’ls ’n t’gallants’ls fore and aft. Clear away -stays’ls, jib, ’n’ spanker. Naow git a move on yerselves, d’ ye hear?’ - -There was a rush to obey, for all felt somehow that their brief season -of relief from the skipper’s oversight had come to an end, and as they -disappeared in different directions with their old frantic haste, the -skipper said to the second mate in a voice that could not be overheard -by any other: ‘See hyar, Mr. Winslow, fur what yew said to me to-night -I’ll pay ye full price an’ interest, ef it takes me all this voy’ge. -But fur now yew go scot free ’cause I need yer assistance, ’n’ I hain’t -goin’ t’ hev enny limejuicer rot of bullyin’ my officers ’fore the men -an’ destroyin’ disciplin’. Only ef thar’s enny sign ov ye playin’ it on -me, wall, yew’ll hev to shoot quick ’r yew’ll be a goner. I’m heeled -an’ I’m watchin’ fur ye.’ Again the second mate replied steadily, ‘Aye, -aye, sir,’ and almost instantly after his shouts of ‘Sheet home fore -taups’l, sheet home mizen taups’l, histe away stays’ls,’ &c., made the -solemn night hideous. - -A low groan a little forward of where the skipper stood caused him to -move that way, and, stooping, he found the mate, who had been aroused -to a miserable consciousness of bone-wrenching pain by the clamour -around him. Stooping towards him, the skipper said in a grating tone, -‘Wall, ’n’ wut’s wrong with yew? Whyn’t yew gettin’ abaout yer dooties? -Pretty fine condition yew’ve let the ship git into in a few days.’ -Pausing as if for a reply, and receiving none, the skipper went on, -‘What in thunder yew lyin’ thar fur? Don’t ye know it’s “all hands”?’ -‘Kain’t move, sir,’ came slowly from the mate’s parched lips, as if -dragged thence by torture, ‘fur me right arm an’ leg seem’s if they wuz -one big pain. Fact, I seem to be all raw on thet side of me. _Kain’t_ I -hev a drink o’ water, sir?’ ‘Wall, I guess yew kin. Here, boy!’ to one -of the younger men hastening across the deck, ‘give the mate a drink of -water, an’ look slippy.’ The skipper looked on while the unfortunate -man drank as if his poor throat had been a bed of unslaked lime. Then -he said, ‘I guess yew wun’t du any wuss till daylight, ’n’ I’ll be -all th’ better fit to see wut kin be done with ye. But yew’ve made a -hell ov a mess ov th’ cruise, naow, ain’t ye?’ The sufferer drew in -his breath sharply as this mental blow was added to all his physical -sufferings, but he did not--indeed, he could not--answer. The merciful -climax of suffering was reached, the broken human machinery protested -vainly to the surcharged brain, and Mr. Court, relapsing into blessed -insensibility, passed into a place where neither the malignity of man -nor the liabilities of the body could trouble him. - -The Captain strode away muttering until he stood by the wheel and -gazed into the face of the compass. He was revolving in his mind the -possibilities of fetching the Cape Verde Islands, as they were now on -the edge of the Doldrums, those neutral latitudes between the trade -winds that are such a sore trial to the patience of sailing-ship -masters. Only a gentle zephyr was stirring, like the last breath of -the departing N.E. trade winds, and it was rather a serious question -to decide whether to struggle eastward to Brava, or keep on southward, -doing all the repairs possible until reaching Rio de Janeiro. One thing -only was needed to turn the scale--the personal touch. And it availed. -He knew the place so well; although he had not been born there, much -of his youth had been spent there, and he was sure not only of getting -a few fresh hands who would be devoted to himself, but there would not -be the faintest opportunity given for any one of his remaining crew -to desert. So he gave a muttered order to the helmsman, followed by a -shout of ‘Square away the mainyard,’ as the old ship fell off the wind. -With his usual skill and alertness he conned her as she slowly wore -round on to the port tack, and to his grim satisfaction he found that -she would head a little to the northward of east, and that the breeze -was even then freshening a little. - -By this time the whole of the available canvas had been set, and the -men were busy coiling up the gear. Again the skipper called Winslow -to him, and in a quiet, passionless tone gave him certain orders -concerning the repairing of damage that would keep all hands busy -for some time to come. Then the carpenter and cooper were summoned, -and each received a few vitriolic remarks concerning their so-called -laziness, coupled with a warning that before long they would have paid -very dearly for the advantage they had taken of his helplessness. -Moreover, he told them that, being now quite well again, he was fully -prepared to keep them at their work, if he had to do it at the mouth -of a revolver. They stood perfectly silent and submissive, neither -attempting the faintest justification of himself, and when dismissed -with the contemptuous remark, ‘Naow git t’ hell eout er this, an’ do -some work,’ they turned and slunk away like beaten curs. Both were -Americans of the best type, both were splendid workmen of middle -age, with whose way of performing their duties it would seem utterly -impossible to find any fault, and yet both endured such utterly -undeserved and blistering contumely as this without a word, and, what -is more, without a thought of retaliation. So well had they been -trained in whaleship ways. - -Thus having resumed the reins of power in altogether vigorous fashion, -and reasserted his ability to make himself feared as well as obeyed -fore and aft, the skipper went below, growling as he passed the -helmsman, ‘Naow jes’ keep her full an’ bye, an’ ef I hear anythin’ -shakin’, by ---- I’ll shake _yew_, till y’ don’ know whether yew’re dead -’r alive.’ The man replied cheerfully in the stereotyped phrase, ‘Aye, -aye, sir,’ relieved beyond measure to find that he should be free of -the presence of his enemy for a little while, at any rate. - -The skipper’s first action on getting below was to send for the steward -by ringing his bell, and on the darkey’s immediate appearance to order -some food and coffee to be prepared for himself. Of his wife he took -not the slightest heed. Then going to his medicine-chest he took out -the little book of simple instructions in surgery and medicine that is -always part of the furniture of a ship’s medicine-chest, and, seating -himself at the cabin table, with one hand fiercely tugging at his -black beard, he began to study the chapter on setting broken limbs. A -sardonic smile twitched upwards the corners of his mouth as he imagined -how the poor mate would suffer. There was just a glint of pleasure in -the thought lighting the otherwise beclouded horizon of his mind. When -he had settled to his own satisfaction the course of his operations -upon his mate (fancy learning to set a broken arm and leg in an hour!), -he sulkily called to his wife, ‘Here, you, git me some bandages ready, -an’ be quick abaout it.’ She, watching for his lightest word, came on -the instant, and quietly asked how long and how wide he wanted them. -Even this essential question seemed to afford him an opportunity of -venting more of his spleen upon her, but wearying of that soon (indeed, -he was as yet far from strong), he supplied the information, and -went on with his studies. Then lying down upon the transom locker he -composed himself to sleep, well satisfied with his watches work. - -On deck the ship hummed like a hive. Even the men who had been so -badly bruised that the most elementary exercise of humanity would -have allowed them to rest, dragged themselves wearily up out of -the forecastle, and did whatever they could do towards the general -refitment which was going on. Some were hoisting on deck coils of -‘tow-line,’ the beautiful rope which is fastened to the harpoons; -others were taking the superfluous turns out of it, and stretching it -by passing it through a block as high as the topgallant crosstrees, -and coiling it again and again the reverse way of the lay. Others, -again, were fitting harpoons to poles, and securing to them their -bridles of tow-line; others were doing the same to lances, or putting -keen edges on new weapons. Several, under the carpenter’s orders, were -working away at the repairing of the one boat which had been picked -up, sawing timbers and planks, and carefully unriveting broken knees -from splintered skin. Two men were assisting the cooper to make new -line-tubs. And amidst it all Mr. Winslow moved alert, with eyes like -a cat’s, unhindered by the encompassing darkness, but for all that -earnestly desirous of the day. - -Unto these toilers at last came the blessing of light, bringing with -it a certain satisfaction, as it always does, to those who have been -working in the dark, but also sadly associated with the idea that the -skipper would soon be on deck among them. Every now and then one of -them would glance furtively aft in search of his dreaded appearance, -and, relieved temporarily by the assurance that he was not yet among -them, would renew energetically his efforts to accomplish his task. -Suddenly all hands were startled by his voice, all its old vigour -having returned, shouting, ‘Mr. Winslow.’ The second mate immediately -hurried aft, and saying inquiringly, ‘Yes, sir,’ awaited his orders. -‘Clear away the carpenter’s bench, an’ bring it aft here!’ snarled the -Captain. ‘Pedro, Bibra, come here.’ The carpenter’s bench having been -placed on the fore side of the skylight, athwart the deck, the steward -made his appearance, carrying the bandages and certain bottles, also -some pieces of rough but thin boards, just portions of canned meat -cases with the nails drawn, split to necessary narrowness, and cut -in proper lengths. At an order from the Captain, the two Portuguese -harpooners lifted the still insensible body of the mate on to the -bench, and began to bare his broken limbs, a most difficult task, owing -to their having become glued to the clothing with dried blood. - -This operation roused him at once from his stupor, and with groans -that shook his whole frame his glazed eyes opened. He muttered feebly, -‘For God’s sake go easy: ain’t I sufferin’ enough?’ But a glance at -the skipper showed these rough attendants that, even had they been -inclined to yield to the mate’s prayer, and ‘go easy,’ they dare not, -so, disregarding his agony, they persevered, and after dragging and -slitting and soaking his clothes, succeeded at last in exposing the -leg and arm, each with fragments of bone protruding through the torn -and swollen flesh. By the time this had been done the mate could only -feebly gasp, ‘Water! water!’ and the steward, with a fearful glance at -the skipper for permission, put a pannikin full to his cracked lips. -Then with a corner of the towel he carried he was about to wipe the -sweat from the mate’s drawn face, but an execration from the skipper -caused him to scuttle back into his place like a frightened rabbit. - -The operation began, and really it is questionable whether the utter -callousness and brutality of the operator were not more merciful to the -sufferer than the tender, half-afraid manipulations of a kindhearted -and unskilful man would have been. For in any case much pain had to -be endured, and, as I have before noted, the human body can only feel -a certain amount. When that has been borne, whatever you may have to -endure does not matter in the least as far as your consciousness of -it goes. It is a comforting thought when reading of the infliction of -ancient tortures. So now, before the mangled arm had been straightened, -the fragments of bone drawn within the swollen muscles, the mate had -again lapsed into insensibility. The attendants glanced fearfully at -the white, set face, and from it to the scowling visage of the skipper, -but dared not utter their fears that the patient was dead. The operator -worked on with a skill amazing to see in one who had never performed -such an operation before, nor had ever seen such a thing done. Without -again referring to his book, without a moment’s hesitation, he placed -the splints, passed the bandages, saturated them with carbolic lotion, -and then, having satisfied himself that, in spite of the ghastly -appearance of the mate’s side, it was only an extensive superficial -laceration--there were no ribs broken--he ordered the two harpooners to -carry the patient to a mattress placed for his reception on the after -corner of the deck behind the tiller, and leave him there. The steward -was given orders to keep an eye on him, and feed him occasionally with -a little soup and bread, and again the skipper retired below. - -By this time the meal-hour had arrived--eight bells--and a brief -respite from their labours was enjoyed by all hands. The day was fair -and bright, the wind was steady at about north, and the old ship was -making good progress. So Mr. Winslow sent everybody but the helmsman -to breakfast, and himself came aft and sat beside his brother officer, -full of pity, but oppressed by his own utter inability to do anything -for him. But he had the satisfaction of noting how well the work of -repairing the broken limbs had been done, and, as he was thinking how -even the worst of men sometimes compel our admiration, he was intensely -gratified to see Mr. Court open his eyes and look wearily round. ‘Wall, -haow d’ ye feel abaout it naow, sir?’ said he earnestly. The mate -stifled a groan, and at last managed to reply, ‘Winslow, I’d rather ten -thousan’ times ’a’ died than ben thro’ wut I’ve suffered this laest -twenty-four hours. But I don’t feel’s much pain’s I did, an’ if only -I k’n git a little food ’at I k’n eat I think I sh’ll do. Ole man’s -awful mad, ain’t he?’ Bending his head close down, Winslow gave the -mate a hurried outline of the proceedings since the skipper’s return to -command, and wound up by saying, ‘He ain’t said nawthin’ abaout it, but -I believe he’s makin’ fur Cape Verdes. We’re carryin’ all sail to th’ -eastward.’ ‘Thank God fur that,’ murmured the mate; ‘thar’ll be some -chance ov seem’ a doctor if I need one by then. Say, Winslow, ef ye k’n -git one o’ th’ fellows t’ give an eye to me now an’ then, I’ll be glad.’ - -For all answer Winslow patted his cheek, and in response to the -breakfast bell departed below. He and the mate, while respecting each -other, had not been chums in any sense of the word, but the recent -happenings had drawn them very close, this feeling especially affecting -Winslow. And he began to feel as if he could do anything, endure -anything on the mate’s behalf while he was so helpless--yes, even dare -the risk of being shot by the skipper, if he should go too far in his -calculated brutality. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE CAPTAIN GOES ASHORE - - -Favoured by exquisite weather, and trade-winds hanging well to the -northward, the _Grampus_ ploughed steadily along towards her objective, -no one but the skipper knowing that it was Brava. After the first three -days of almost frantic labour the skipper’s experienced eye noted -how stale the men had become; want of rest and poor food had reduced -them so that threats and blows no longer goaded them; they were fast -approaching that stage when nothing matters, and suffering least of -all, because it had become a normal condition. So Captain Da Silva, -being anything but a fool, ‘let up’ on them as he termed it, not -because he considered their punishment at all adequate to the crime -they had committed of being beaten in spite of having done their best, -but because he needed their services in the future. He restored their -regular watches, and although the amount of quite unnecessary work -still carried on would have caused a mutiny in any British merchant -ship, this crew chuckled to think what a good time they were now -having. And, besides, their lives were not so devoid of interest, for -there could be no doubt that they were bound to some anchorage--it did -not matter much where--they would see the land again and perhaps taste -vegetables. - -And the sorely wounded mate, despite the roughness of his treatment, -the almost utter absence of nursing, steadily improved. His iron -constitution, a certain ox-like patience, and the absence of drugs -combined with perfectly pure air--all these helped to make his recovery -marvellously rapid. But he almost had a relapse ten days after the -accident. He had so far progressed as to be able to sit up upon an -improvised little platform by the taffrail, and was watching the -sea, when his dull eye suddenly brightened, his form stiffened, and -lifting up his voice he raised the cry of ‘Blow!’ The skipper since -the surgical operation had held no conversation with the injured man, -except one or two of the briefest remarks passed each day, just what -were absolutely necessary. But now he spun round on his heel, his black -eyes flaming, and shouted, ‘Whar away, Mr. Court? Aloft there! wut ye -doin’? Kain’t ye see ’t all?’ Springing up on the little hurricane -deck peculiar to all whaleships, he at once caught sight of the whale, -a big lone fellow, proceeding in leisurely fashion due south. Without -apparently considering for one moment the fact that he had only two -boats to use, he issued his orders, sharp and sudden like rifle-shots. -Sail was shortened to the topsails, the vessel put upon the other -tack; then, springing upon the starboard quarter, where the best boat -hung, he shouted, ‘’Way boats!’ sweeping contemptuously away the third -mate, who of course was standing by to take his place in his regular -craft. A whirring of the sheaves followed, and down went the boat, -striking the water fairly and being released at once with a smartness -delightful to see. Then, grasping the dangling falls with one hand, -the skipper turned to the mate, who lay fretting himself into a fever -at his inability to move, saying as coolly as if just setting off for -a pleasure trip, ‘Guess yew k’n con th’ ship whar y’ air, Mr. Court, -kain’t ye?’ ‘Sure, sir,’ murmured the mate, the prospect of being able -to do something seeming delightful to him. No answer, but for a moment -the skipper’s body was outlined against the sky as he launched himself -downwards, struck the boat, seized the steer oar, and issued his -orders. Away flew both boats as if the lives of their crews depended -upon their utmost speed. - -Now, I do not wish to weary my readers with repeated accounts of -whale-fights, and therefore I must omit all the circumstantial -details of this one. But I do need to say that Captain Da Silva had -apparently found exceeding compensation for his late tribulations in -this opportune encounter, and he behaved as one possessed of a demon of -destruction, to whom no mishap could possibly come. Yet he was by no -means reckless. Every precaution that could be taken against disaster -he took, but, on the other hand, he neglected no opportunity of rushing -in whenever and wherever the slightest opening presented itself. -Scorning bomb-lances, he used only the long primitive spear, and with -fiendish howls he ordered the second mate to keep aloof in readiness -to aid in case of accident. The whale, evidently an old hand at the -game, tried every ruse known to whales, but in vain, for, rolling over -towards the oncoming boat, and sinking his body in the middle in order -to get a grip of the boat with his gaping jaws, he felt suddenly the -diamond-shaped head of a lance gliding through the thick muscles of -his throat downward to his mighty heart. Six feet from that searching -point the captain leaned his shoulder upon the lance-butt, lending all -his great strength to the thrust. The boat passed to the other side of -the body. ‘Pull ahead all!’ yelled the skipper, and out drew the steel, -distorted to the likeness of a conventional lightning flash. ‘Pull -all!’ again yelled the skipper, and in response the boat shot away from -the vast writhing body, so fatally pierced that in three minutes, with -a few gigantic convulsions, it lay still, dead. - -Again the voice of the skipper arose--no note of triumph in it, no -suggestion of rest for his crew. ‘Hull in thet line, lively naow. Hyar -yew,’ to the after oarsman, ’histe thet wheft’ (small blue signal -flag) ‘’n’ wave fur th’ secon’ mate t’ come up.’ So they hauled up -alongside of the whale and cut the line from the harpoon, by which time -Mr. Winslow, who had kept close to the fight all the time, was also -alongside. ‘Naow,’ shouted the skipper to him, ‘git thet fluke-rope -passed ’s if ye knew haow, an’ be ready with yer eend to pass aboard -when I come. Pull two, starn three, so, all together,’ and away shot -the boat towards the ship, which was coming down towards them at a fine -rate. So fast, indeed, did the two craft draw together, that barely -ten minutes had elapsed from the time the skipper’s boat left the -whale until he was again on board and, hoisting his boat, was issuing -his orders as if he were an engineer handling the cranks, levers, and -throttle-valves of his engines. Now he was in his element--now he -felt the primal delight of power--to rule his fellows and bend to his -moulding will. The whale was not large as regards bulk, but full of -fatness--so full, indeed, that the utmost care must needs be exercised -lest the hoisting gear should tear out of the almost rotten blubber. -The operations were conducted in peerless fashion, the skipper being -apparently the mind of all hands--his late disablement appeared to -have given him an impetus that none of his previous experiences had -supplied. So great, indeed, was he that muttering passed from man to -man after this fashion: ‘Oh, but he’s a horse, ain’t he?’ ‘Don’t he do -it?’ ‘What a man he is!’ &c. - -The work of securing the spoil was carried on with such vigour, such -exquisite skill, and due apportionment of labour, that before the day -was closed all the worst of the duty was done, and the skipper strode -proudly the scanty limits of his quarter-deck with the mien of a man -who could not possibly learn from any a better way of doing his work. -And, as I have already noted, he had also earned the intense admiration -of all hands, although each one of those men was aching from head to -heel with the extraordinary strain put upon him. - -And Priscilla? Well, she had not suffered. She had learnt to wait in -patience the outcome of all things--not to be distressed by strange -noises as of strife, or no less strange interludes of silence, when -it seemed as if everyone but herself was dead. Even when upon the -deep quiet (as of the grave) which enwrapped her there impinged a -great noise, she did not shrink or shudder: she just looked up and was -comforted. That she should have been thus becalmed, as it were, in the -midst of tempests, that to her wilful, wayward heart should have come -so bountiful a measure of the Divine patience, will naturally seem -incredible to many--quite as great a miracle as the raising of the -widow’s son. But, thank God! there are also many of us who know that -such miracles are daily wrought by the direct interposition of God. -Sometimes man is honoured by being the instrument in such cases, but -more often they are the outcome of an answer given by the trembling, -tired soul out into the darkness whence comes the comforting, still -small voice. - -When at last the skipper came down he wore all the self-conferred -honours of a successful tyrant. He had vindicated his position as the -one man who could do things without making mistakes, who could be -depended upon to come upon the scene when disaster seemed imminent, -and, taking the helm of affairs, conduct them triumphantly to victory. -And the knowledge was almost too much for him. He strode into his -state-room and flung his orders at Priscilla much as if she had been a -negro slave--with little distinction between her and the steward. And -she, with calmest demeanour, obeyed him to the foot of the letter. She -gave him no cause of complaint, and to his intense surprise he found -himself looking furtively at her and wondering how it was she did not -cry or protest or do something, anything except act like one whom -nothing could make unhappy or disobedient. At last he could no longer -endure the spur of his curiosity, and he said, in strangely subdued -tones (the steward having gone on deck), ‘Wut’s th’ matter with ye, -Pris? Ain’t feelin’ sick, air ye? Yer lookin’ kinder curis, y’ know.’ -She turned her calm face to him and said, ‘No, Ramon; I’m feeling very -well, thank you. Is there anything more I can do for you?’ He did not -answer. For his keen Latin wits had come up against something that was -quite outside of his experience. Something of the baffled rage of the -early persecutors possessed him as he realised that his wife had passed -into a region from which he was quite shut out. So he hurled a savage -curse, a farrago of Portuguese blasphemy, at her, which sounded like -the rattling of manacles, and passed on deck again. - -Remember, if you would blame Priscilla for not trying to win this bad -man, that she knew him, knew that any language she might use would be -utterly unintelligible to him, knew that his long and successful career -of cruelty had hardened in him all the baser attributes, and she felt -it would be hopeless to try. She felt, too, that she would only be -bringing more suffering down upon herself, and was not at all confident -as to the limit of her endurance. She was wrong, of course: she had not -a sufficiently ample idea of the power of God to save. But we dare not -blame her: many of us in her position would have gone mad. And she did -pray for him, but without the faintest belief that her prayer would -be answered. She felt, as Mr. Moody once expressed it, as if when she -prayed for that man the heavens above her were as brass, that prayers -on his behalf could not ascend. - -So the _Grampus_ sped onward towards Brava under the most favourable -conditions possible. The work of securing the spoil of the whale was -carried through in marvellous fashion; the wind held true to the north, -even sometimes a point to the westward of north, and freshened enough -to give the old ship a speed, rap-full, of five knots an hour. Whether -it was any anticipation of meeting old acquaintances (a man like that -never has friends) or not, the skipper, too, was certainly less severe -than usual in his treatment of his men. He even condescended to inquire -occasionally after the health of his mate, who was doing wonderfully -well in the pure air and utter lack of all medicine, aided by his -splendid constitution. So well, indeed, did the old ship progress, that -by the time she had been restored to her ordinary condition of spotless -cleanliness, the beautiful outlines of the islands were sighted, and -all hands, with quickened pulse-beats, began to look forward to a -little change in the ordered monotony of their lives. But great was -their disappointment when they found that, instead of going as closely -in as was safe, the Captain anchored his ship in thirty fathoms of -water--far out to sea. And without the loss of an hour he ordered his -boat to be manned (by Portuguese only), and, dressed like a bridegroom, -mounted the rail preparatory to descending. The second mate stood -near; the mate listened from the corner aft, where he sat helpless, -with painful earnestness for any word the skipper might drop of his -intentions. - -‘See here, Mr. Winslow,’ drawled the skipper, ‘ye’ll keep the men at -work, watch on watch, same’s at sea. Yew’ll keep a bright look-out -for me comin’ back, as I shall be ’fore long, anyway. An’ if anythin’ -happens ’at ye want me sudden, set the ensign at the peak.’ And without -another word he was gone, and his boat’s crew, with the splendid stroke -of the trained American whaleman, was making the pretty craft fly -towards the shore, its captain standing erect in the stern, handling -his steer-oar, like a figure of stone. The second mate watched him -out of definition range, then, descending from the rail with a sigh, -he sought the mate, saying, ‘Well, Mr. Court, whut ye think of him? -Ain’t he a daisy? I really dunno haow it es, but th’ wuss he is th’ -more I admire at him, until his back’s turned, ’n’ then I want t’ kill -him. An’,’ dropping his voice, ‘d’ jever before in a ’Merican ship see -a lady treated like this one? I have stood, I k’n stand, a good deal -frum him, but if ever he raises his hand t’ thet poor broken-hearted -woman when I’m erroun’ I’m goin’t’ kill him right in his tracks--naow, -yew hear me!’ ‘Oh, shet yer head!’ fretfully replied the mate. ‘I know -all abaout thet; wut’s th’ use er chawin’ it over? What I wunt t’ -know is, wut sort of a gang of dagoes is he goin’ t’ bring with him. -All his own relations, I suppose, ’n’ thar’ll be the usual amount er -spyin’ an’ lyin’ an’ devilishness generally. If only I had this leg -’n’ arm o’ mine usable! I ben thinkin’ over a good many things sense -I ben a-laying here, I tell ye, but I got one idea solid, ’n’ that is -thet, live er die, I’m a-goin’ t’ stand up t’ him an’ whoever he brings -aboard here, an’ hev’ my rights as mate. You, too, I know, Winslow; but -only as man to man; no hatchin’ anything’ or conspirin’. We’ll leave -that to them. But I do wish we could help the poor woman.’ - -‘Thank you, friends,’ said Priscilla, who had glided on deck and -overheard the last portion of the mate’s remarks. ‘It’s very good of -you to think about me, but I shall be grateful if you will behave as if -I were not on board. I cannot, must not, be a source of trouble, and, -moreover, the Captain is my husband. Now don’t, please don’t, think -of helping me, as you call it, any more. I’ve got help of the best -kind always available. I didn’t know I had until a short time ago. I’d -forgotten God, as it seems to me God _is_ forgotten at sea. But when -I was ready to go mad with what I thought was my undeserved trouble, -He came to my rescue, and now I feel I can bear anything. And, anyhow, -what is my trouble compared with yours? Ah, Mr. Court, I have felt so -much for you in your awful pain, and not to be able to help you at all. -Are you in pain now?’ ‘Oh, no, ma’am, thank you kindly,’ murmured the -mate; ‘that’s all over and done with. Anyhow, it was never quite as -bad as you might think. Sounds a good deal worse than it is. I’m hurt -more at havin’ to lie here doin’ nothin’ than by any pain I’ve got.’ -‘Well, I’m glad to hear you say so. Now I must go down. I feel that I’m -doing wrong sitting up here talking to you, as I should certainly not -be doing if my husband were here.’ And she departed below, leaving the -two mates, with a totally new set of sensations, staring at each other -dumbly. - -Unfortunately, mischief had been done. One of the Portuguese sailors -had been ostensibly occupied in renewing the seizings on the mizen -shrouds, but for the last ten minutes he had devoted all his faculties -to listening. Vainly; he did not know enough of the language to take -in the conversation, but he knew that the Captain’s wife had been -talking for a long time to the two mates. And he determined that the -knowledge should not be wasted. The two officers, so deeply interested -were they, did not notice this man, and when presently the second -mate almost guiltily resumed his oversight of the men and their work -he did not even see Lazzaro furtively glancing at him from the mizen -rigging. No more was said by either of the mates or Mrs. Da Silva on -the subject, and the work of the ship went on throughout the day with -something of its old machine-like regularity. Night fell, and still no -sign of the skipper. With deepening distrust and anxiety the officer -saw the watches set, attending to every detail of his duties with the -utmost fidelity, and reporting at eight o’clock all his doings to the -mate. Mr. Court sent a respectful message to Priscilla on hearing this, -acquainting her with the condition of affairs and assuring her that -she had no cause for alarm. She would receive instant attention to her -lightest wish, and probably the Captain would be aboard before morning. -And so, quietly enough to all outward seeming, but with much anxiety -among the afterguard, the night passed away. - -Ashore the Captain was having what sailors term a mighty good time. -Congenial spirits awaited him of both sexes, long known to him, and, -flinging aside all the restraints he felt he had been bound by during -the last year, he plunged into the wildest excesses. He was one of -those men to whom such an outburst, even at very long intervals, seems -a necessity of life--one that when the opportunity for obtaining it -arrives can by no effort of will be refrained from, although it is hard -to suppose that such an effort is ever made or attempted. And yet he -could be, as far as abstention from vulgar vice was concerned, a very -eremite for a year at a time, otherwise he would never have reached his -present position; for the American shipowner--or, indeed, employer of -any kind--is entirely intolerant of drunkenness or debauchery among -his servants, and will have none of it if by any means he can prevent -it. Now, however, his boat’s crew disposed of--allowed to run a little -riot of their own among their cronies, and merely ordered to turn up -in the morning at eight o’clock, bringing six recruits with them, he -abandoned himself to the fierce delights of the Latin seaman when let -loose. - -But in spite of the long night’s excesses there was little alteration -in his appearance or manner when he met his men in the morning, noting -with high approval that they had succeeded in obtaining the new hands -he wanted: six huge piratical-looking ruffians, three of whom were -of that peculiar type of Portuguese which can only be found in the -islands of the North-West Atlantic--men, that is, with the high-bred -facial characteristics of the Portuguese allied to a perfect blackness -of skin. Some of these men are of great size, and almost all of them -know something about sperm-whaling, since all of these islands were for -hundreds of years most prolific haunts of the cachalot. Therefore they -have always been welcomed as recruits for whaleships, their undoubted -courage and great powers of endurance adding to their desirability. But -to Captain Da Silva they represented more than these advantages. They -were his own countrymen, and might be relied upon to abet him in any -scheme of devilry he might devise, in which he would certainly lack -the support of his American officers. And a dim idea of vengeance upon -those officers was certainly taking shape within his mind, which, once -definitely arranged, he would spare no pains to carry out nor allow any -peevish scruples to prevent him doing so. - -With a few quiet words to the newcomers about pay, position, &c., also -the time of meeting to make the engagement--a very simple matter in -those ships--he gave them some money, and went his way to purchase -three new whaleboats. In this he was also fortunate, for a local bay -whaling company had just dissolved partnership, and all their gear was -on sale. He succeeded in purchasing from the representative of the late -company four boats and a large quantity of gear for less than half -their ordinary value, which pleased him so much that he determined to -stay another night ashore and continue his enjoyment. But first he made -arrangements for his new purchases to be taken off to the ship. The -only message he condescended to send was that the boat should return -for him the next day at 10 A.M. And not an ounce of fresh meat or -fruit or vegetables went off. These articles were cheap enough in all -conscience, but Captain Da Silva never pampered his crew, especially -this early in a long voyage, and, besides, there was punishment to be -carried out. And no form of punishment on board ship as applied to a -whole crew is more effective than to be anchored near a fruitful shore -after months of bad salt food and be denied a taste of the delicious -things they can almost see growing. Under ordinary conditions such a -deprivation would be next to impossible, as there are always people -along shore anxious to earn a little by catering for the needs of a -ship’s company, except in the most savage lands. And if there be no -money on board, barter can always be resorted to: quite a quantity of -sweet potatoes, oranges, or bananas can be obtained for a shirt. The -Captain, however, had arranged all that; according to his wishes not a -boat had been near his ship. And, besides, she was a long way out. - -When the officers saw the gear and boats, and received the message, -they looked at each other significantly, but said no word. Mr. Court, -now able to hobble about, took charge of operations, and in quite a -short time the newly acquired boats had been placed in position, had -each received a coat of white paint, that being the colour of the -_Grampus’s_ boats, their gear fitted to them, and everything made ready -for their lowering to a whale. They came alongside at midday, and by -nightfall were ready for use. During all this activity Priscilla had -been quite forgotten. The officers felt doubtful how she would receive -any information about her husband which, in answer to questions, -they might have felt tempted to supply, so they did not mention the -matter. Only the genial darkey steward, in the perfectly respectful yet -familiar manner common to negro servants in America, chatted away to -his mistress, and kept her from being too lonely or dwelling too much -upon the unknown reasons which had induced her husband to leave her on -board the ship for two days without giving her any information at all -of his doings. Had she known it, she might have felt surprised that he -had never so much as given her a thought. But she would hardly have -been grieved at anything he did now to her, having fortified her mind -against the worst that could befall. - -Punctually at the time appointed the boat arrived at the place ordered -by the Captain, who almost immediately appeared, and gave orders for -the transhipment to the boat of a number of cases. Altogether they made -a heavy cargo for such a frail boat; but whalers are most expert at -this business, and effect transportation by means of these boats that -seems impossible to any ordinary sailormen. This done they shoved off, -Captain Da Silva standing erect in the stern, his eyes fixed upon his -ship, and noting detail after detail as they became visible. A frown, -never entirely absent from his handsome face, deepened upon it as he -failed to see any cause for complaint. She looked beautifully trim; not -a rope yarn out of its place, the weather-beaten patches on her side -carefully touched up, the boats all bright with new paint, the three -mastheads manned, and, as he came alongside, the mate at the gangway -to receive him, and the crew all standing by the boat’s falls ready to -hoist her up the moment he should step on board. - -As he put his foot on the rail, Mr. Court said, ‘Good morning, sir.’ -But instead of replying, the Captain said, ‘Whyn’t ye git under weigh?’ -And without pausing for an answer shouted: ‘Man th’ windlass.’ The -cry was re-echoed all over the ship, and almost immediately nothing -could be heard for the clatter of the pawls as the big windlass barrel -revolved at top speed. ‘Down frum aloft there an’ loose sail, courses, -taups’les, an’ t’gallantsails,’ again shouted the Captain. ‘Lively -naow; think yer goin’ t’ sit up thar an’ sleep while th’ ship’s gittin’ -under weigh?’ Oh, he was a hustler, was Captain Da Silva. In ten -minutes from the time he came on board the boat’s cargo was discharged, -she was hoisted, the _Grampus_ was under weigh, and pointing south for -the resumption of the long and weary voyage. Then, and not till then, -did the skipper condescend to say anything to his chief officer. He -called him, and with a coldly sarcastic curl of his lip as he saw him -hobbling aft on improvised crutches, he said, ‘Anythin’ t’ report?’ -‘No, sir,’ replied Mr. Court, ‘’cept thet I’ve returned t’ duty.’ ‘No -need t’ report _thet_, anyhaow,’ growled the skipper; ‘I k’n use my -eyes. But yew don’t look pretty, ’n thet’s a fact. Mout’s well hide -yerself a bit longer, moutn’t ye? Hain’t gut tired doin’ nawthin’, I’m -sure.’ ‘See here, Captain Da Silva,’ hissed the mate, ‘you’ve gut th’ -whip hand now, I’ll own, but if ever I git on equal terms with ye, all -this’ll hev t’ be settled fur.’ ‘Go, lie daown, dog,’ muttered the -Captain. ‘I’ll attend t’ you an’ all th’ rest right along ’n’ git all -th’ sleep I need too.’ And the _Grampus_ began to rise and fall gently -to the incoming swell as the Captain went below. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -AMONG RIGHT WHALES - - -We left our hero Rube suffering in body but triumphant in soul, and -also in perfect ignorance of the astounding change his behaviour was -bringing about in all hands. I have always maintained that a Christian -ship presents as near an approach to what most of us agree Heaven must -be like as we can make on this side of the gate thereof. For look at -the position! The grosser forms of temptation are entirely absent, yet -there is none of the selfish side of monasticism present. Men talk and -laugh and work with their fellows amid the most glorious of all earthly -surroundings--the pure, wide, bright ocean. There is no monotony, -since every day brings diversified duties, and in hours of rest not -needed for sleep there is an ever-changing panorama of glory present -to the newly awakened eyes, drawing ever-deepening thankfulness from -the regenerated heart. The thousand-and-one miseries and pettinesses -that distract men ashore are absent. From the little world evil has -departed--almost the knowledge of it, since there is no daily paper -recording the never-ending succession of crimes. - -Yes, it is an ideal state of existence, a sort of Happy Valley in the -midst of the ocean, whence the trail of the serpent has been removed, -and where the community bask, unshadowed by sin, in the sunshine of -God. Of course, it will be cynically remarked that this is a picture -of perfection, unattainable, impossible. Well, it is nearly, but not -quite. I have experienced something very near it, and I beg to submit -that it was so idyllic that it could not be made a subject for cynical -sarcasm, even by the editor of the _Freethinker_, if he only saw it in -operation. It might be called right fruit of wrong belief; but I do not -love paradoxes. I prefer to believe that men do not gather grapes of -thorns or figs of thistles. - -But I am doing an injustice to Reuben and his shipmates by -interpolating my own meditations in their story. When the work of -realising the spoil of their first whale had been finished, all hands -felt that they had now served their apprenticeship--were now fully -equipped for their work on board, whatever it might be. And in their -watches below the men found a wondrous fund of conversational matter -in the happenings of the past few days. But whenever they approached -the subject of Rube’s rescue of MacManus there was a perceptible -lowering of the voice, an air of solemnity upon everybody, for they -all felt that here was a man who, given opportunity, would have dived -into hell itself if by so doing he might haply rescue a comrade. And -that a comrade by no means specially dear to him, but just one of the -many. The incident brought them a truer insight into the character of -Christ than millions of sermons could have done. And in saying this -I in no wise undervalue sermons. ‘It hath pleased God through the -foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.’ But the living -example of faith’s outcome, a far-off and feeble imitation of Christ, -carries us beyond the reach of argument, makes the most sceptical -silent. Against it the waves of criticism beat in vain. Logic, with -all its perverseness; the scornful finger-pointing at the unfaithful -professors; the cavilling of the sticklers for formulated creeds--all, -all are silenced or stopped; and the splendour of Christ manifest in -the flesh again, though it be but in the flesh of one of His humblest -servants, overwhelms us. - -But it must be confessed that Captain Hampden, even in the midst of his -new-found peace of soul, had occasional fits of despondency when he -realised how little progress the ship was making towards a prosperous -voyage. Over six months had now elapsed and only one sperm-whale had -been seen. Hope buoyed him, of course, but it was often deferred, -and, consequently, though he maintained a cheery demeanour towards -his officers his heart was becoming very sick. Going below into his -lonely little cabin he would stand as if in deep thought, gazing -into vacancy and wondering in some indefinite way how it was that he -was so unfortunate this voyage. For he had the reputation of being a -‘lucky’ skipper who never stayed out all his legal time, and on several -occasions so great had been his success that he had found no need to -go out of the Atlantic Ocean. Twice, indeed, he had spent gloriously -successful seasons on ‘Coffin’s Ground,’ just a little south and west -of the English Channel, finding there sperm-whale, so numerous and fat -that he was inclined to wonder why it should ever be necessary to go -farther afield. I could not help thinking of him last year, when, on my -way to the Mediterranean in one of the crack P. and O. liners, I heard -the veteran captain tell a lady at dinner that there were hardly any -whales now--they had been almost exterminated. I ventured to question -his dictum, and we had rather an interesting discussion. But next -morning he and I met on deck a little after daybreak, to find the ship -gliding along at her usual seventeen knots through the midst of a -school of sperm-whales of the largest size, extending to the horizon on -both sides, and taking us an hour to get away from them. - -Nothing of that kind, however, came in the way of the _Xiphias_. -Day after day passed, lengthening into weeks, during which from the -lofty eminence of the crow’s-nest nothing could be seen but sea and -sky, an occasional barnacle-encrusted piece of drift-timber, a school -of dolphin or bonito, a few porpoises, flying fish innumerable, and -now and then a fin-back whale. But with the exception of the skipper -nobody seemed to worry or find the life monotonous. Work went on with -clock-like regularity, but outside of the work the men’s lives appeared -to be full of interest. Interminable yarns, often inconsequential, -were exchanged, and hardly a detail of their lives remained unrevealed -to each other. Reuben’s return to active service was hailed with such -delight that he did not appear to understand what it meant. He could -not realise that the service he had rendered to his shipmate so readily -could have taken such heroic proportions in the eyes of the crew. If -he could have known, that great deed was, after all, but an incident: -it was the lovely life, the splendid man in him which appealed to all -hands, as, indeed, it will ever do where men are gathered together. -Many complaints of lack of appreciation are heard from men of all -classes, but the truth appears to be that with few exceptions men -and women are marvellously generous in their appreciation of one -another’s good deeds. There is, of course, a bogus hero-worship, an -undiscriminating appreciation of work that only makes for evil, and -consequently had far better be left undone, but it is only a virtue -carried to excess. Let men or women do ever so little good work to-day, -and, if it becomes known, their reward is almost certain to transcend -their merits by far. - -So Reuben, unconsciously as the sun shines or the birds sing, was -made the means of sweetening the crew of the _Xiphias_, and keeping -them sweet, and at the same time, as a consequence, was teaching -them--teaching them how to teach themselves from the great book open -around them lessons that would be the delight of their whole remaining -lives. Meanwhile the Captain grew more and more irritable, moody, -despondent. He still prayed, but listlessly, as if wondering what good -it could do. And all this mental agony of his was just due to the lack -of common-sense appreciation of the benefits conferred by the Gospel -of Christ. What should we say of a parent, who, while ever ready to -confer upon his children the best of advice, the best educational -advantages possible, and who gave them promises of glorious prospects -in the future, should yet keep them without the common necessaries of -life, food and clothing--yes, not only keep them without, but hinder -them from obtaining those things for themselves? Yet this is the idea -which so many, the vast majority of orthodox Christians, have of the -dear Father God. But the educational process, if of any value, is slow, -and Captain Hampden was learning, unwillingly it is true, but still he -_was_ learning. At times, though, the content which seemed to possess -all hands but himself was very trying to him. He naturally felt that -his crew should in some measure share his anxiety over the non-success -of the voyage so far, and resentment at their apparently callous -conduct often made him miserable. Their behaviour was irreproachable. -There was no slackness shown in any duty, and he knew that as far as -the look-out was concerned not a fish could leap by day within a radius -of four or five miles without being instantly noted by one or more of -the six pairs of keen eyes at the mastheads. - -But it was not until the old _Xiphias_ had rolled her way eastward as -far as Gough Island that payable whales were sighted again. Then when -within about ten miles of that huge isolated crag rising solitary, -awful, out of the vast waste of the Southern Ocean, a dubious cry of -‘Blo--o--o--w’ was heard from the fore crow’s-nest. It told plainly -that the utterer was not at all sure whether what he was reporting was -worth while troubling after. So many false alarms had been raised, -rorquals, finbacks, grampuses had so often filled them with delusive -hopes, that only the unmistakable bushy spout of a sperm-whale was -looked for. Since, however, no chance, slight though it might be, was -neglected, the warning was given, and was presently being repeated by -all the other watchers. Captain Hampden rather listlessly mounted the -rigging, his binoculars slung to his neck, and reaching the mainyard, -focussed them upon the, as yet, far-off whales. One glance was enough. -In a tremendous voice he roared his orders to come down from aloft, -prepare to leave the ship, alter the course, &c. He had discovered -that a school of ‘right’ whales was in sight: a species of cetacean, -almost identical with the great Greenland whale, and because of the -high value of the baleen, or whalebone found in the mouth, worth almost -as much in those days as the sperm-whale in spite of the poor quality -of ‘right’ whale oil--perhaps, when all the circumstances were taken -into consideration, more, for even the Southern right whale, although -certainly more elegant in figure and swifter in movement than his -Northern congener, is a meek and gentle creature, in the chase of which -an accident is almost unknown. - -There were about twenty individuals in the school, of average -size--that is to say, each looking as if he or she might yield eighty -or ninety barrels of oil and seven or eight hundredweight of bone. I -mix up the genders, for, curiously enough, while the sperm-whale cow -never attains to much more than one-fourth of the size of the adult -cachalot, the mysticetus, or right whale has little or no disparity -between the size of the sexes; what difference does occur is usually -in favour of the female. With great glee the skipper ordered all five -boats away, leaving the ship in charge of the four petty officers -and two men only; and having told each boat-header to do his level -best to get fast to a whale for himself, and not interfere with any -other boat’s quarry, also to make the best possible time down to -where the whales awaited them all unconscious of their proximity, -the chase began. Oars and sails were both used with such good effect -that although the breeze was not strong the boats fairly flew over -the darkened surface of the sea. It was in the mid-morning--about 10 -A.M. and the sky was, as usual in those latitudes, on the edge of the -roaring forties, overcast with a thick veil of grey clouds which shut -out the sun as effectually as night. And when the sun goes the sea’s -aspect is cold and cheerless even on the Line. Also, there rolled -up from the west mighty knolls of water, the heaving of old ocean’s -breast, which when they caught a boat, hurled her forwards as if she -were flying, sometimes accurately balanced upon a gliding summit as -if by the fingers of a juggling genie. Viewed from an independent -standpoint, the enterprise of these seafarers would have looked like -some forlorn hope whereof the prize was leave to live a little longer -and the penalty death. But the men in those boats had no such thought. -Their teeth clenched, their nostrils expanded, their eyes ablaze with -excitement, they plied their oars, scorning fatigue, overcoming the -ache in their bones by sheer will-power, and without a word or sign -of encouragement save those which proceeded from their own fierce -desire to do better than the fellows in the next boat. It was emulation -unpaid, unfostered, raised to its highest power, and achieving far more -than any hope of reward could have done. - -With a wild yell of delight, the mate’s boat dashed into the centre -of the school, and his harpooner’s weapon flew into the body of the -nearest monster like a lightning flash. The other boats, spreading -themselves fan-wise, came on the scene almost immediately, and then -all the wild delight of the chase, all the romantic interest of the -scene was for a season in abeyance. It was too sordid. The clean sea -became a slaughter-house; the soul-sickening smell of blood permeated -the air. The exuding oil from the wounds made the sea quite smooth, -although, of course, the swell rolled high as ever. The bewildered -victims, unable to fight or flee, rolled helplessly upon the surface, -exposing their vitals to the deadly thrust of the long lances, and only -by an occasional flap of their mighty tails did they show any sign of -resentment or desire to escape. Happily it was soon over. Within half -an hour from the time of attack and without the expenditure of one -hundred fathoms of line, five whales lay dead upon the solemn sea. -No boat was injured, no damage of any kind had been done. And round -about the victims and their slayers quietly circled the still-living -monsters as if by some horrible fascination held to the spot. The -skipper gave orders that none of these apparently mourning ones should -be molested--not, be it noted, because of any tenderness for them, -but because the average sailor, and especially the whaler, is averse -to taking life wantonly. Where profit is concerned blood flows like -water--slay, slay, slay, insatiable apparently of slaughter; but kill -for killing’s sake as some gentlemen do in a pheasant battue--no: the -rude whalemen leave such practices to their betters. - -The deadly work had been so well and swiftly done that, as the mate -said figuratively, ‘a good-sized handkerchief would have covered ’em -all.’ Making allowance for pardonable exaggeration, the whole of the -five certainly lay within half a square mile, and, therefore, two -boats were judged sufficient to attend to the needful tail-boring, -&c., while the other three cut adrift and sped back to the fast -approaching ship, all their crews in a state of wild delight at so -successful an encounter, and feeling quite fresh, for really they had -hardly got their second wind. Indeed, it was a busy day for them, -although rendered much easier than it would otherwise have been by -the exceptionally favourable circumstances. Still, even then the work -of getting alongside and securing by the passing of fluke-chains five -gigantic bodies like those was bound to be a heavy one in any case. -However, it was successfully accomplished by eight bells, noon, and -with a satisfied sigh of relief every man made his way below to as good -a dinner as the circumstances would admit of. - -A full hour was allowed the resting men for food and smoke, and then at -the first cry of ‘Turn to!’ they all scurried on deck as if eager to -get to work again. But a surprise awaited them. Instead of the tedious -and terribly hard work which they had seen before of cutting off and -splitting lengthways the head of the sperm-whale, now the clatter of -the pawls was unceasing. Once the upper jaw of the right whale, with -its valuable fringe of baleen, is lifted out, the rest of the work of -‘flenching,’ or skinning the blubber off the body of the whale, is just -a pleasant piece of recreation. And here let me say that, whatever -may be the practice in bay-whaling when the big body is stranded, it -is utterly ridiculous to suppose, as so many readers of fiction do -suppose, that men with spikes in their boots get down upon the whale’s -back and hew slabs of blubber off his body, which they fling on deck. -Such a feat would be utterly impossible, besides being most wasteful -of time as well as spoil. For the ship and the whale roll and tumble -about to such an extent that standing upon that rolling mass alongside -is inconceivable. No: the great ‘cutting-tackles’ come into play, and -once having a wide riband of blubber started off the whale’s neck the -blubber is unwound as it were by continual hoisting, cutting at the -still attached side, and the rolling round of the body. - -The men all toiled as if fatigue were a word of no import, nor was a -word spoken or needed to spur them on to greater efforts. They toiled -until the deck, as well as the blubber-room, was packed from end to end -with the mountainous masses of blubber and upper jaws with their wealth -of bone. And as the last despoiled carcass was cut adrift the men -raised a great shout of joy. It had been such a mighty task, so well -and profitably performed, that their exultation was legitimate, and -even praiseworthy. But the Captain, feeling the reaction from his great -exertions, in a sense of almost overpowering lassitude, slowly dragged -himself up on to the little deck aft to have a look round before going -below for a meal and a short rest. And he saw a sight that drove the -blood back to his heart, and left his extremities cold and numb. In the -fury of labour no one had noticed the drift of the ship, nor indeed, -the worsening of the weather. True, the sails had all, except the -close-reefed main topsail and fore topmast staysail, been furled before -beginning, so that the weather mattered little, but--the grim, towering -mass of the island was close abeam to leeward. Like some vast cloud -it loomed above them, while to windward, through the fast-gathering -gloom of evening, came thundering on the rising, gleaming seas of the -great Southern Ocean, precursors of the gale that would presently be -here--nay, was already making its presence felt and heard. - -For a few moments Captain Hampden stood and gazed irresolute. What -could he do? With his deck so hampered by those vast greasy masses -that movement fore and aft was well-nigh impossible, with night almost -here, and crew worn out with the severe labour they had so cheerfully -performed all day, what could he resolve upon? Like an inspiration -came the thought, ‘Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity,’ and baring -his head he said, ‘O God, save us, don’t let us perish like this. Let -us escape, please, Father, from this awful danger.’ In a moment his -relaxing muscles stiffened, he stood erect, and with a voice that -reached every corner of the ship he shouted, ‘Lay aloft and loose -taups’les an’t’gallants’les. Drop everything, men, and get sail on -her.’ There was a momentary hush as the crew took in his words, and -then cheerful cries of response came back to him as the weary fellows -realised that they were being called upon for a supreme effort. -Slipping, clutching, fighting their way over the greasy masses, they -scrambled aloft, and soon the white gleams above told of the loosened -canvas, while the waiters below tailed on to the halyards and sheets, -and in all kinds of apparently impossible attitudes among the slimy -obstructions dragged the reluctant sails up again. By the time all -possible sail was made there was another and a deeper note mingling -with the voice of the storm--the deep roar of the great Atlantic -rollers beating up against those aged barriers of rock. But to their -amazement the crew felt the vessel’s motion ease. She had been rolling -heavily, labouring under the immense upper weight as if bewildered by -it and hardly knowing what to do. And now she hardly moved at all, -while overside the whole sea seemed smoothed down and ablaze with -phosphorescent light. Even the veteran officers were puzzled, until the -Captain suddenly bethought him of the gigantic seaweed that in fronds -of hundreds of feet in length, and the thickness of a man’s body, grows -upward to the surface in those waters all around the bases of the -island mountains. But was there any protection there? True, the sea -had become smooth, but the ship’s way had also deadened so that she no -longer forged ahead, while it was impossible to ascertain in any way -whether or not she was drifting broadside on over the heads of the kelp -towards the stern precipices to leeward. The night was now so dark that -in spite of the proximity of the mountain to leeward it was impossible -to distinguish between one side and the other. Only the ear could tell -by that deep moan of the sea against the rock bases. - -Nothing could be done now but wait patiently to see what was the will -of God concerning them. It was most obvious that if the kelp let them -through, the ship must be battered to pieces against those precipices, -where the sea was at least twenty fathoms deep alongside the rocks. -Anchoring was out of the question--seamanship, in fact, was entirely -discounted. And so, feeling all this, Captain Hampden, again raising -his voice, summoned all hands aft. ‘Boys,’ he said, when they had -gathered around him, ‘this looks like our last night of life. Now -we’ll pray that God will let us live, but specially we’ll pray that -if He doesn’t see fit to grant us any more life we may die clean an’ -wholesome. An’ whether we live or die we’ve done our best, and that’s a -great comfort.’ So holding on in all sorts of attitudes, those hardly -bestead men prayed with the skipper, full of faith that whatever the -outcome of the night might be, it would be all right. They finished and -were dismissed to their quarters, while the gale howled ever louder, -and the awful shadow to leeward deepened. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -A DOUBLE DELIVERANCE - - -Hour after hour wore on, while many of the men, in spite of their -fears, slept soundly. Rube, indeed, seemed unable to realise that -there was any danger at all. Having joined in the general prayer for -deliverance he appeared to regard the matter as quite settled, and -as not requiring any more care on his or anyone else’s part except -the Father’s. Most of the men, over-borne with weariness both of -body and brain, slept fitfully in many uncouth attitudes, some half -reclining upon banks of grease-exuding blubber gently heaving with -the motion of the ship, others twisted into comfortable corners, -apparently impervious to cold, or wet, or fear. But the Captain, more -at peace with his surroundings than he could understand, and dimly, -subconsciously wondering why, sat on the little deck aft listening to -the angry roar of the baffled sea far outside the engirdling groves -of kelp. The sullen boom of the rollers against that unseen mass to -leeward, the hissing, swishing sound of the great leaves restlessly -sliding over each other and against the ship, and the ever-deepening -roar of the gale overhead made up a concert truly terrifying in its -effect upon the heart. And yet Captain Hampden felt little terror. -Knowing his utter helplessness, he was driven to as utter a dependence -upon a kindly Power which he knew was not merely capable of saving his -ship and all hands, but was always benevolently disposed towards man, -and never more so than in his hour of deepest distress. - -So he sat calmly and wished for the day. Several times he made the -beginning of a move, feeling that action of some kind, even though only -in the direction of clearing the decks, would be better for all than -quietly enduring this season of suspense. But each time he realised -how hopeless such an attempt would be in the present condition of the -deck and the state of all hands. Therefore, he waited with wonderful -patience until the cook’s head appeared at his side above the break -of the house, and a deferential voice said, ‘Wun’t yo hab drop ob -hot coffee, sah? I got it yah, all ready, sah.’ ‘Yes, cook, think I -will. Jest wut I ben needin’ fur a long time ’n’ didn’t know it.’ And -as he took the cup from the delighted black man he thought how good -a thing was service done whole-heartedly, and how well and willingly -it was rendered by such men as these. A smile may rise at the thought -of any shipmaster considering his cook like this, but it would be the -smile of ignorance. For if a cup of cold water given in the Master’s -name shall in no wise lose its reward, there is little doubt that a -cup of coffee on a bitter night, prepared with much difficulty, by a -man who, although only doing his duty, is doing that duty with all -his might, will in like manner gain him a reward. I remember when I -was lamp-trimmer on board the _Wentworth_, running between Sydney and -Melbourne, I used to be called at daybreak to duty. After taking in -the lamps, my first thought was to make a cup of coffee--it being some -time before the cooks were at work. And it was my practice, though -in no sense my duty, to take a cup and a piece of toast up to Mr. -Wallace, the chief officer, on the bridge, whom I used to picture as -burdened with the care of the ship up there in the bleak night. He was -a brusque, almost coarse, sailor, but I know he was grateful. A word -of thanks from him set my heart dancing (I was barely fifteen years -of age), but my chief reward was in the knowledge of having done a -kindness. And this is the spirit that moves the world to-day. Everyone -should take courage, whatever their creed, in the thought that the -Christ ideal, which is unselfishness raised to its highest power, is -becoming universal, and that the many exceptions have no contradictory -force at all. - -By the time Captain Hampden had finished his coffee he found that there -was a perceptible lightening of the gloom around, although the wind had -increased so much that it was evident, unless something was speedily -done to ease the strain upon them, the masts would certainly go. So, -rising stiffly to his feet, the skipper sought the mate, finding him -ready, standing near the compass, and apparently endeavouring to get a -bearing of the land, which was becoming more visible, and, if possible, -more horribly threatening in appearance as it did so. ‘Good morning, -sir,’ said Mr. Pease, as soon as he saw the skipper; ‘pipin’ up, ain’t -she, sir?’ ‘Yaas; guess she is, an’ ef we want to carry any of our -sticks eout o’ this, we’ll hev t’ git thet canvas off her as quick ’s -it kin be did. I don’t think it matters much, anyway, whether she hez -canvas on her or not--she can’t make much, if any, headway through this -weed, an’ it looks ’s if th’ Lord wunt let her go ashore. Go ahead, -Mr. Pease, git th’ rags off her, ’n’ by thet time, please God, it’ll be -daylight good.’ - -So the mate obediently roared out his message to the crew, who -responded with a phenomenal cheerfulness, clambering over those -slimy, greasy masses on deck as if they cared nothing at all for the -difficulty of their passage. In half an hour they had shortened her -down to the three close-reefed topsails, and besides had cleared up the -gear so that no ropes should be in the way of the whale-matter lying -about. And having done this they stood by, waiting, oh, so anxiously, -the whole of that ship’s company; with just one exception--Rube. He it -was who wore always a beaming smile, and sidled up to first one and -then the other with some cheering word. Just as a doctor who is always -hoping for the best, while taking precaution against the worst, is the -most likely to pull his patient through, so this Divine teaching of -cheerfulness in the presence of dangerous and depressing circumstances -does really seem to win the battle before it is fought. In any case, if -the warrior does fall he falls with his face to the foe, and with the -high satisfaction thrilling his soul that he has behaved in that last -dread hour as became a _man_. - -To this little waiting crowd came suddenly the blessing of light. -As if some mighty angel’s hand had grasped the swart veil of cloud -closing them darkly in, and had rent it in sunder from horizon to -zenith, the whole western quadrant of the sky was suddenly lighted up -by the brilliant beams of the newly risen sun. So splendid was this -enlightening that for a few moments all hands stood awe-stricken, -watching the rapidly glancing sabres of glorious flashing colour -thrusting the encompassing gloom through and through. Then as if by -one impulse all turned to leeward to see how near was the fateful -rock. As if it had just leapt out of the gloom, Gough Island was -revealed, within a mile (which looks at sea less than a hundred yards -does ashore), and every heart for a moment stood still. But after that -tribute to human weakness hope instantly reasserted her lovely self. -Had they not been kept from perishing all through the blackness of that -terrible night? Was it not certain that they were now no nearer the -land than when they last saw it clearly, in spite of the stress of the -gale upon the ship’s broadside? Undoubtedly it was; and more--some of -them began to take mental bearings and compare them with the position -they could remember the previous evening, finding that at any rate if -they were not gaining ground they were certainly not losing. - -Suddenly the Captain shouted to the mate, ‘Mr. Pease, turn the hands -to on the tryin’ out. We kain’t do nothin’ with the ship as she is, -an’ we mout so well ’muse ourselves doin’ somethin’ useful.’ This -pronouncement was hailed with the utmost delight by all hands, and like -a swarm of ants they were soon busy cutting, slicing, mincing, boiling, -and getting out the bone--so busy, indeed, as well as interested -in their work, that they scarcely ever paused to look at the great -precipices to leeward of them. - -Meanwhile, the Captain had very carefully taken his cross bearings, and -had no sooner completed the simple operation than he felt certain that -his vessel was drifting south in almost imperceptible fashion. Hope -revived, and he joined his workers with a heart greatly lightened. -There by his tremendous exertions and cheery voice he encouraged all -hands to attend to present duties, and thus exclude forebodings for the -future. And two hours later when he again took his bearings his hopeful -supposition became a definite certainty: she had drifted through that -hindering kelp, in apparent defiance of the fateful pressure of the -gale striving to thrust her on shore, quite two miles nearer safety. -Now he felt impelled to shout the glad news to his splendid men who had -so nobly responded to the call made upon them. So raising his voice to -its fullest compass he roared: ‘She’s gettin’ eout ov it, boys. Praise -God we’ll be all right yet. There isn’t any shipwreck coming off this -time. She’s gettin’ raound th’ corner ov th’ island in great shape. So -peg away, men--while yew’re workin’ she’s a-dreeftin’, an’ as soon ’s -ever she gits clear we’ll give her every rag she’ll drag, an’ git away -fr’m this uncomf’ble neighbourhood.’ - -A wild cheer answered him, and all hands immediately redoubled their -efforts to clear that grease-encumbered deck. Perhaps the gentle reader -may feel a little nausea at the idea of a whole crew of men wallowing -about in a deck full of dripping--for really it is no exaggeration -to call it by that homely name--but I dare make no apology for being -as literal and realistic as possible in this matter, since by such -methods alone is it possible to make the land-living reader understand -what manner of men these were who wrested such gigantic spoil from -the depths of the mighty ocean, and under what circumstances they -lived. Here you have men involved in toil of the most strenuous kind -under conditions which to the majority of mankind would preclude any -action whatever except for self-preservation. And in addition thereto -destruction to all waits grimly by the vessel’s side, unveiling all its -possibilities of horror and inviting man’s heart to quail, his muscles -to grow flaccid, his mind to become unhinged. And in spite of all you -find this lonely group of seafarers steadfastly setting their strength -to the accomplishment of their unpoetic task in the highest frame of -heroism, which is to do what lies before you with a single eye, not -looking for the commendation of your fellow men, but because of the -inherent joy involved in just doing one’s duty. - -So hour by hour slipped by, the mincing-machine clattered incessantly, -the flame from the twin chimneys of the try-works soared palely into -the keen air, and was swept off at right angles to leeward by the wind -as if it were some angelic sword stabbing at the grim mass to eastward -of them. And the effect of their labours was manifest in that a clear -gangway along the deck was now made right fore and aft. Into the midst -of the toil came the clear, cheerful voice of the skipper calling, -‘Dinner, men, an’ befo’ y’ go remember she’s gittin’ cl’ar’s fast ’s -ever th’ weed’ll allow her. She’s made quite four miles of southin’ -sence eight bells--thet’s a mile an hour. An’ ef she keeps thet goin’ -through the afternoon as she has this forenoon we’ll be cl’ar o’ th’ -whole thing by sundown.’ ‘Hooray! bully fer th’ skipper,’ shouted the -crew, and seizing such rags, wads of oakum, and the like, as they -could get hold of they sauntered forward, wiping down as they went. -They were saturated from head to heel with oil, they looked like a -gang of piratical scarecrows, but I make bold to say that they were as -heroic a crowd as ever came out of the most hardly contested battle. -And on reaching the dim chamber, reeking with a foul combination of -evil smells, they squatted around on the greasy deck and received each -man in his little tin dish a portion of salt pork, a few spoonfuls of -haricot beans, and a little loaf. Everyone doffed his cap, everyone -felt thankful for this portion of coarsest food, and Reuben only -focussed the general sense of the company when he said, holding one -hand out before him, ‘Lovin’ God, we’re alive t’ eat, an’ work, an’ -thank Thee. We do, an’ ask You t’ make us thankful men, keep us good -men, not ashamed of one another or of Thee. For Christ’s sake. Amen.’ -The ‘Amen’ was so heartily echoed that Rube looked around startled. He -could hardly believe his ears. With all his beautiful, childlike faith -in God, he had, like most of us, but little faith in man, and when he -found how mightily God was working in the crowd around him he was, as -most of us would be, moved to profoundest wonder. Like most of us, he -had not believed ’according to your faith be it unto you,’ or that when -man’s faith fails, God, who cannot be disheartened, steps in and does -in His own way His own work at His own appointed time. - -Little was said during the meal--all were too ravenous with hunger -for that; but when the last scrap of food had been eaten up, and the -utensils cleared away by the cook of the mess, pipes were stuffed with -greasy tobacco and lighted, and although each pipe emitted a peculiar -frizzling sound as of frying, and the odour of the oily weed would -certainly have driven an ordinary smoker frantic, each man’s face wore -a perfectly satisfied expression, and a desultory conversation began. -‘Don thatt wass a narr’ squeak, hey,’ muttered a square-built little -Italian, who lay coiled up by the pawl-bitt. ‘I thinkin’ I promesso -giva candela thosa sainta, onlee I carn faget thees name thata time.’ -‘Mean yew cuddent ’member, I ’spose,’ grumbled a Down Easter by his -side. ‘Si, grazie,’ eagerly responded the Italian. ‘Don’t can memb’. -Nev’ mine. Savea one dolla. ’Sides, how I know ef thatt Sancta goin’ -elpa me bord una barca eretico lika thees?’ ‘Look here,’ Antone,’ said -a deep voice out of the gloom across the fo’c’sle, ‘You better pay fur -thet candle, annyhow. Give it as a thank-offrin’ ’at yew wuz aboard a -heretic ship. I guess ’fore th’ machinery of your crowd c’d a-got in -working order we sh’d all a-ben gone up. Wut d’ ye say, boys?’ A hoarse -murmur of approval ran round, while poor Antone grew hot as if feeling -that it was incumbent upon him to defend his faith. But suddenly -realising that as he had never understood what his faith was except -doing just what he was told (when it was easy) by the priest, he fell -back upon common-sense, and replied, ‘Well, ’corse I don’ know anyt’ing -about ’cept I’m eatina dinner, smokina pipe. Ef I say Dio Grazie thatt -goin’ be alia righta, no Rube, eh, whatt?’ The deep, cheerful voice of -Reuben immediately chimed in, ‘Of course, Antone, if you reelly are -thankful to God. But if He’s spared your life, you ought to remember it -an’ see if you can’t do somethin’ with it for Him. An’ when you come -to think of it--it ain’t much to ask--that you shall be clean in mind, -an’ tongue, that you shall be kind and helpful, an’ true, an’ that you -shall remember not now and then, but always, the gentle, loving Jesu -Christo, your every-day and all-day Friend.’ The impressionable little -Italian’s face was all awork as this little talk fell from Rube’s lips. -It went, in spite of his disability in language, right home to his hot -southern heart, and the bright drops of sensibility’s precious dew -glistened on his russet beard. - -But Mr. Pease’s stentorian voice was heard shouting, ‘Turn-to!’ and on -the instant pipes were laid aside, belts were tightened, caps pressed -down upon tanned brows, and a rush upwards was made from those fœtid -quarters into the bright, invigorating air, which really seizes upon -a man newly emerged from the foulness below like a pleasant vertigo, -making him wonder whatever can be the matter with him. The first thing -each man did upon reaching the deck was to give a swift glance to -leeward. And as each did so a very real sense of gratitude flooded his -heart. For it no longer needed the skipper’s cheery assurance that -all was well to satisfy the most ignorant of them that they were now, -humanly speaking, out of danger. True, they were not yet past the -fringe of kelp, their vessel was as yet quite unmanageable, and the -gale blew with undiminished vigour. But still it was evident that the -steady stress of that invisible force beneath them would not allow them -to be driven any farther shoreward, and, quite satisfied, they turned -to their work with as much lack of concern for the safety of the ship -as if no land had been in sight. - -Seeing that all was proceeding so cheerily, Captain Hampden called -the mate, and said, ‘Mr. Pease, I ain’t quite ’s young’s I wuz, ’n’ -after last night I begin t’ feel the flesh pullin’ a bit. So if you’ll -jest give an eye t’ her, I’ll go ’n’ hev an hour’s caulk. Maybe I’ll -need it to-night, though I hope all will be in good shape ’fore -dark. ’N’ ’s soon ’s ever yer git th’ decks cl’ar o’ blubber, set -yer watches--blubber watches, o’ course. Le’s give this grand lot er -fellows all th’ rest we kin.’ ‘Aye, aye, sir,’ cheerily answered the -mate; ‘ef I hadn’t ’a felt it ’d be persoomin’ I’d ’a’ asked yew to -go ’n’ hev a spell long ago. We kain’t afford t’ hev yew crackin’ up, -y’ know, sir. An’ yew c’n be quite sure ’at everythin’ ’ll go like -clockwork. I don’t believe they’s a spouter afloat to-day ’s got such a -bully crowd ’s we hev, an’ I’m sure yew think the same, Cap’n.’ ‘I dew -jest thet,’ sleepily murmured the old man as he swung off towards the -companion and disappeared. - -Thoroughly wearied as he was, and with a great weight lifted from his -mind, the good old man sank at once, as soon as he lay down, into a -deep sleep. But although it was in reality fully two hours since he -lay down, when he suddenly realised that he was wide awake he seemed -certain that he had but just dozed off. It is a curious sensation, but -fairly common among seamen, this of suddenly passing from the depths -of sleep to uttermost clearness of thought and readiness for action. -For a moment he waited, listening intently for some recurring sound, -explaining why he should thus have awakened, as he thought, so soon. -But except for the creaking of the old ship’s timbers and the deep -murmur of the gale there was no sound noticeable, and these lullabies -would certainly have kept him sleeping. However, the feeling that -something had happened which needed his attention forced itself upon -him, and rising stiffly from the hard cushions of the transom locker, -he snatched his cap and climbed on deck. One swift glance forward -showed him how strenuously his men had been toiling while he slept, -for the deck was clear to the try-works, and the latter were smoking -furiously, while the attendant gnomes came and went, tirelessly -carrying on their great task. He looked overside and saw that the weed -was perceptibly less in quantity; he looked at the land and--surely it -could not be--and yet--his hawk-like vision could not play him false. -He grabbed his glasses and focussed them on what he saw--a rag of -fluttering white among the sombre rocks, immediately satisfying himself -that someone needing help was there. Instantly all the powers of his -mind were busy devising means for the assistance of any unfortunate -stranded in so wild a spot. Again and again he surveyed that tiny -flutter of white; again and again he took an undecided step forward as -if to give an order, until at last he said aloud, ‘Wall, God he’pin’ -us, we ort to do something, though how is more than I can see. All -hands on deck!’ he roared, and in two minutes the mate was by his side, -his big eyes staring full of inquiry at his commander. ‘Wut is it, -sir?’ he gasped. ‘It’s a wrecked crew, I reckon, Mr. Pease. D’ ye see -yonder flicker of white in that cleft between those two big rocks--no, -a bit to starboard, so?’ ‘Yes, sir, I see it,’ said the mate; ‘d’ ye -make it out to be a signal, sir?’ ‘I do, jest that, Pease, an’--but -here kems the boys. Naow, then, m’lads, thar’s life to be saved. Lower -away starboard quarter-boat, ’n’ yew, Mr. Peck (it’s yewr boat anyhow) -make the best way yew kin to whar yew see yon white flicker among th’ -rocks. Yew’ll hev to warp yewr way along through the kelp as best yew -can, and when yew git cluss to it, be keerful--be jest as keerful as -yew know how; fur we kain’t spare either yew er yewr boat’s crew. -Thar’ll be an all-fired heavy swell on the beach (if they is any beach) -fur all it looks so smooth frum here. Thish yer kelp stops the sea -rollin’ in, but it kain’t stop th’ swell, y’ know. Now, give way, and -God go with yew t’ save.’ - -At the word the boat left the ship, the crew plying their oars with -great difficulty, because of the encumbering weed. So they soon shipped -oars, and took their paddles--every whaleboat having five of these -primitive but exceedingly useful propellers stowed in their beckets -under the thwarts--and with much laborious effort urged their boat -shoreward. As they neared the black, forbidding cliffs the officer’s -heart sank, for he saw how apparently inaccessible they were, and -how the gigantic southern swell, with never a foamy break, rose and -fell against those awful precipices. The long streamers of kelp like -multitudinous serpents writhed around the bared rock bases, then -disappeared as the whole mighty body of water lifted, lifted, lifted -until it seemed as if it must submerge the mountain tops. And still -that tiny white rag fluttered forth its agonising message: ‘Come and -save us.’ - -Be it noted that while Mr. Peck was fully alive to the tremendous -danger awaiting him and his brave fellows, the possibility of his not -being able to fulfil his errand of mercy never occurred to him. He -was one of those wonderful fellows who never calculate beforehand the -chances of defeat. And these are the men who do great deeds, although -it be accounted criminal in war to neglect the keeping open of a line -of retreat. So by every encouraging word he could speak he urged the -toiling crew to greater effort, until the kelp became so thick that -paddling was no longer possible, and they had perforce to haul the -boat along by grasping the long strands of black vegetation that rose -and fell rhythmically around them. Nearer and nearer they drew, near -enough to distinguish a forlorn little company of people clambering -precariously over the rocks and making (as yet) unintelligible signs to -them. Nearer and nearer yet, until it became evident that the refugees -were waving them towards a gigantic escarpment which rose fully five -hundred feet almost perpendicularly from the sea, and at one angle -seemed to present an edge just like a jagged sabre. They altered their -course in obedience to these frantic signallings, and presently found -themselves fighting for life against the heave and hurl of the swell, -which suddenly seemed to have found force that was lacking before -when they were farther from the land. The ropes of kelp slithered -through their bleeding hands, great fronds arose mysteriously from -the blackness and swept across the boat, scourging them as with giant -whips; they cowered and groaned, and begged for mercy in undertones, -but toiled on. And then, when all their efforts appeared to have -failed because the poor human machines could no longer respond to the -merciless call made upon them, came a blessed lull, the boat swept -round the sabre-edge of the cliff, and there, free from kelp, was a -tiny crevasse with deep blue water just gently rising and falling, -and a ledge of clean rock running all round it. Upon this ledge was -clustered a strange company, savage and weird-looking, long elf-locks -bleached by wind and storm, garments of every imaginable material and -shape. Ten of this company were crouching at the edge nearest the boat -with uplifted hands and streaming eyes. - -But when the boat came near enough for them to leap in there was a -pause. Even in here the outer swell made itself felt, and without -careful handling a calamity was imminent at the last moment. Therefore -Mr. Peck shouted to the little group to watch when the swell came -gently, as it did after every three rolls, when he would let the -boat almost graze the rocks, and four, no more, at a time, must jump -into the middle of the boat. Then it was seen that the refugees were -encouraging three smaller figures, patting them, pointing to the boat, -making signs as they talked, until one voice rang out sharply from -the shore: ‘Dear boys, these three are women--do try and catch them, -they’ve suffered so much.’ Ah! had any stimulus been wanted this would -have supplied it, for it is the glory of the Anglo-Saxon race, and -especially of the American branch of the old tree--its reverence for -woman, whether mother, wife, or sister. The boat rose gently shoreward, -the officer shouted, ‘Now,’ and three shrinking figures half jumped, -half fell, into the outstretched arms of the boatmen. ‘Safe, thank -God!’ shouted the former speaker from the shore. The rest was easy. The -remaining seven took careful bearings and leaped at the right moments -until the whole ten were snugly bestowed, and it was time to turn the -boat’s head seaward again. - -But now she was overloaded. If it had been a heavy task coming in with -her light before the swell, what would it now be going out deeply -laden--not six inches of freeboard amidships--against that awful surge? -For one moment Peck’s heart failed him as he weighed the possibilities. -Then--and this was a miraculous thing, seeing that never before had -he entertained such an idea--he lifted his cap and said, or rather -shouted, for the roar of the swell was almost deafening: ‘Boys, le’s -ask God t’ he’p us out of this hole. Keep her steady with the paddles. -“O God, we’re all in Your han’s. We’re tryin’ t’ save life, we’re doin’ -our best, we b’lieve we _kain’t_ go under without You lets us. Naow -save our lives so’s we k’n praise You all the days ov our life.” Naow -let her have it, boys. Paddle fur yer lives, an’ as soon ’s we strike -the kelp, gather it in an’ haul fur all yer wuth. Passengers, lie still -in th’ bottom o’ th’ boat.’ - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -A REIGN OF TERROR - - -Far more frequently than any shore-living people can imagine, there -occur times on board ship when it seems as if the whole condition of -things must be overwhelmed in one red holocaust. No ship, whatever -her position or character may be, is quite exempt from such crises -as these. For at sea all hands are compelled to feel that they have -been driven back upon primitive conditions, and the one paramount -question demanding answer is: ‘How much longer can I bear this?’ No -such problem ever confronts shore people, for the most obvious reason: -there is always a way of escape--at sea there is none. And, if the -true inwardness of all the awful sea tragedies that have ever been -known were inquired into, it would be found that nearly all of them -originated in a condition of things such as I have been sketching. A -brutal, unscrupulous villain (we have had them in the British Navy) -at the head of affairs, a vilely truckling gang of officers ready at -a nod to carry out that villain’s behests, and before the mast a mob -of men driven frantic by ill-treatment yet lacking initiative, the -one ignition spark which only a genius can supply. A case in point -is afforded by the tragedy of the _Bounty_. Concerning that terrible -mutiny reams have been written wherein the horrid crimes of the sailors -are continually held up to execration, but how seldom is passing -mention given to the true cause of the whole awful business--the -treatment of the men by the commander, who seemed to have felt it his -duty to make his men realise before death what sort of a place the -infernal regions must be. Only the lack of initiative has prevented the -tale of sea tragedies from being a hundredfold as many, not the desert -of those in charge, who seem to have exhausted the ingenuity of fiends -in their behaviour towards their hapless crews. - -Still, it must be confessed, and gladly, too, that few indeed are the -captains or officers who set out with the deliberate intention of -goading their crews to the point of madness just apparently in order -to exhibit their power of command, their ability to control even the -most frantic crowd of men. Few men are as wicked as that. But Captain -Da Silva certainly was, and his visit to Brava was made with deliberate -intent to procure certain auxiliaries upon whom he could rely for aid -in the vile purpose he had set before himself--viz., that of trampling -under foot triumphantly men of the hated Anglo-Saxon race, with all -their nonchalant assumption of moral and mental superiority. Therefore -it was that no sooner had sail been made and filled away for the -southward than his plan of campaign began. The recruits--all of whom, -be it noted, had been to sea before--were carefully apportioned by him -throughout the two watches. They alone were allowed to steer the ship, -and with each of them while at the wheel the skipper would converse -in their own language, while the American officers could not help but -listen uncomprehendingly, with black rage in their hearts, yet in utter -impotence. For what could they do? If the skipper was powerful before, -sufficiently so to enforce his will, he was omnipotent now. And these -six black Portuguese felt it in their bones. They did not refuse to -carry out any order given them by the officers, but they behaved in a -singularly offensive manner as who should say, ‘We do this not to obey -you, but because we are your master’s cronies, and it isn’t yet time in -his opinion that we should show you how we regard you.’ - -If this state of things was hard of endurance for the officers, it was -trebly so for the men. In the foc’s’le the Dagoes were now about even -in numbers with the Americans and other white men, but in physique -the former were far superior. And all conversation ceased in that sad -place. No man dared to complain, even under his breath, for everyone -felt that the foc’s’le was a sort of Dionysius’ Ear, where every word -uttered immediately resounded in the private apartments of the skipper. -All the worst of the work was reserved for the white men, every soft -job was kept for the blacks, and no man durst say a word, for all -knew as well as could be that sitting in the midst of this web of -devilishness was the skipper pulling the cords and gloating over his -revenge. - -Finest weather, bluest of skies, and an almost utter absence of squalls -attended the _Grampus_ as she crossed the Line. And through it all, -watch and watch, the sorely tried white portion of the crew were -kept at work scrubbing and polishing until even the flagship of our -Mediterranean Squadron would not, so far as cleanliness went, have -surpassed her. And it was with a perfect pang of delight that all hands -heard the long-drawn cry of ‘Blow’ from the mastheads when off Fernando -Noronha. Well knowing what bone-wrenching toil it would bring, they -yet welcomed the prospect of whaling almost gleefully--anything for a -change in the deadly monotony of their daily life. Poor fellows! - -They had a grand day’s sport, about which I can say very little since -it was all so orthodox and free from extraordinary incident. The whales -were medium-sized cows--that is to say, ranging from twenty-five to -forty barrels each--and as the big bull leader of the school went off -to windward at top speed when the battle began, there was but little -fighting: it was just a butchery. The poor, silly creatures crowded -round each other quite helplessly, and submitted to be done to death -almost as complacently as does the great right whale of the Arctic -regions. Of course, Captain Da Silva took part in the slaughter. Else -it had been but a wasted day for him. For he had, in common with -some of the old Romans, an insatiable blood-thirst that could not be -gratified as he craved owing to the hampering laws of civilisation, and -he was therefore driven to quench it by conflict with the mighty whale, -utterly heedless, to all appearance, of any probability of danger to -himself. His absence from the ship tempted Priscilla on deck. - -She has been neglected of late in this chronicle for several reasons. -First, any allusion to her must of necessity be tame, since she had -voluntarily taken upon herself the _rôle_ of a patient martyr, from -whom no taunt or even ill-usage could wring a complaint. Secondly, -any information about her is scarcely possible since she was more -like an automaton than aught else--moving, indeed, waking, sleeping, -and eating (very little), but speaking hardly ever, and apparently -determined to efface herself as much as possible from the life of the -ship. She was an insoluble puzzle to her husband. At first he was -brutal in the extreme, even to the length of striking her, but to this -treatment she opposed a stolidity of demeanour which alarmed him. Then -he became gentler, spoke to her civilly, almost kindly, with the same -result. Superstitious terrors took possession of him, for he began -to wonder whether, indeed, she had not died, only her body retaining -sufficient volition to keep about among them. He noticed that she -never spoke one word to anyone but him, and gave way to the opinion -that some change--he knew not what--had taken place, and unless he -wished to be haunted (of which, like the majority of Latins, he had -an awful dread) he had better let her alone. So, unconsciously, she -had been led to do just the right thing in order to secure what tiny -modicum of comfort still remained possible of attainment in her present -position. And, as for suffering--well, the edge of that was dulled -to such an extent that she often surveyed herself as it were from an -impartial mental standpoint, and wondered mildly whether she was indeed -the discontented, prideful Priscilla Fish of olden days or not. I do -not like, especially in a work of this kind, to insist continually -upon the sacred ability to detach oneself from the things of sense -that God gives His dear ones, yet how otherwise, I ask myself, can -the literalness, the common-sense application of real Christianity be -brought home to people who have been trained from infancy to believe -that religion is an excrescence, as it were--something of external -growth which can be applied like a poultice by a skilled professional -at hand at seasons when needed?--how otherwise explain that Christ -_does_ dwell in the hospitable heart, and there produces a toleration -of (not an indifference to) the world’s vicissitudes, so that ‘in the -world, but not of it’ becomes a fact of experience, not a pretty theory? - -Priscilla had been taught this by the Teacher Himself; the Comforter -had come with His consolations to this poor soul, and there amid -all that made for misery she was as nearly happy as the flesh will -allow. Occasionally, in almost an ecstasy of joy, she sat communing -with God, forgetting all else, unconscious for the time of any other -environment than that of the Holy of Holies. Herein I can see lie -twin dangers--in the expression of this fact, I mean: the one that -this must be an argument for the conventual life, the other that such -matters are entirely unreal--the outcome of mystical meditation, and -as unsubstantial and inapplicable to the ordinary details of life as -is the hermetic philosophy of the ancients. Well, it takes all sorts -of people to make a world, and if there were no unbelievers in God’s -immanent companionship and no misunderstandings of His dealings with -His children, His Kingdom would be come, and we should no longer need -to pray for it. I can only reiterate with all simplicity and directness -that in such wise (as I have feebly tried to describe Priscilla’s -case) God _does_ associate with men and women. That the words, ‘Lo, I -am with you always, even unto the end of the world,’ are literally, -not figuratively, true; and that millions of His children, given the -opportunity, will gladly testify to the same. How else, do you think, -do men and women live on through long lives, seeing what they do see -of their fellow humans, knowing what they must know of the Powers of -Darkness visible, and still preserve intact their childlike faith in -Jesus and His love? Only because it is literally, absolutely true that -‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide -under the shadow of the Almighty.’ - -But in spite of her joy in the Lord, it must be admitted that Priscilla -occasionally felt an almost overwhelming longing to breathe the free, -fresh air of Heaven. For that had of late been a luxury denied her. -She had been practically forbidden to go on deck, to appear at table. -Her husband had developed along with his belief in her uncanny powers -a horrible jealousy of her--so much so that he would not allow her -to be seen by any of the crew or officers. And although he had not -actually in so many words forbidden her to come on deck, yet so many -obstacles had been placed in her way, even to locking her in her berth, -that at last she had dumbly acquiesced in this condition of things, -and submitted to breathe the fetid air of the little cabin, which, as -everyone who has ever been on board of even a trading vessel knows, -is foul and vitiated beyond description. It is no paradox to say that -there is more air and less ventilation at sea than anywhere on earth. -Therefore it was no wonder that, learning from the faithful darkey -steward of her husband’s absence at the whaling, she crept timidly -on deck and sat on the transom, looking out over the wide brightness -of the sea with feelings of almost intolerable complexity. She had -learned, in the same perfect way, to take the keenest delight in the -beauties of creation; scenes that so many of us pass over unheedingly -were to her almost poignant in their revelations of the Father’s -benevolent and beautiful designs, and in proportion as she was debarred -from enjoying them so she prized them. Perfectly natural. How many -an old sailor has gone grumbling through his long seafaring career -apparently all unheeding the glories so lavishly spread before his -sullen gaze, and then when retired to some dull, inland village in his -old age, perhaps blind and deaf, he has feasted on the treasures of -memory, and again in fancy watched his gallant vessel leaping blithely -from sea to sea, or breasting steadily as if with unconquerable -resolution and force the relentless thrust of the storm-wind and its -accompanying sea. - -So Priscilla sat aft, soaking her soul in beauty and utterly oblivious -of her surroundings, until even her inexperienced eye detected a -returning boat--one that neared the ship at a great rate, the oars -rising and falling as if steam driven, and with a feather of spray at -her bow, showing at what a high rate of speed she was approaching. -Priscilla slipped quickly below, her heart full of thankfulness that -she had been enabled to get a glimpse of the sea and sky, and also that -she had succeeded in retreating before the advent of her husband. Truly -she had but little margin of time, for he, standing erect in his boat’s -stern, had been watching the ship with vulture eyes, and before she had -been ten minutes below he was on board, his awful voice ringing fore -and aft like that of some destroying angel. - -Seven cow whales had been killed, and the securing of them alongside -meant a truly herculean task, which was prolonged until nearly -midnight, by which time the vessel looked as if she was the centre of -an island of flame. Surrounded by these great carcasses against which -the sea broke in lambent light, the rendezvous for tens of thousands -of sharks, whose swift coming and going through the phosphorus-charged -waves made them glow like the moon, the scene was one of almost awful -beauty. But none there took any notice of it. The crew, half dead -with fatigue, stumbled about obeying mechanically the orders given, -but hardly able to keep awake, much less pull or lift as they were -ordered. At last the mate approached the skipper, saying: ‘Cap’n Da -Silva, hadn’t I better order the men to rest awhile? I’m afraid we’ll -be losing some of ’em overboard if I don’t, they’re all so dead beat, -sir.’ Looking around to see if any of the men were within hearing, the -skipper took a step towards the mate, and with a perfectly devilish -glare in his eyes, said: ‘Yew lazy American pig, yew dirty helpless -dog, I’ll teach yew t’ interfere with _my_ business. I’d jes’ soon kill -ye as look at ye, f’r all th’ good y’ are. But I’ll do worse ’n that. -I’ll make yew wish yew was dead, hunderds of times ’fore I’m done with -ye.’ Up flew the mate’s fist as he made a spring towards his skipper, -but as he sprang he was confronted by the muzzles of two revolvers in -the skipper’s hands. He stopped with a groan--the thought of his dear -ones at home in Fairhaven was too much for him; and as he fell back he -heard a chuckle overhead, and there was a Portuguese harpooner on the -top of the house with another revolver pointed at him. ‘Wall,’ drawled -the skipper, ‘y’ see I’m heeled. I’m layin’ fur ye every time. Ef y’ -git t’ windward of me yew’ve only one more t’ git ahead of, an’ thet’s -Satin himself. I tell ye, I’m goin’ t’ make this ship hell f’r all of -ye, but yew an’ th’ secon’ mate specially. But if y’ wa’n’t such curs, -yew’d take y’r chances. I don’t mind dyin’ a little bit, ’n’ ef yew -liked to try it on at a little risk why y’ mout git my gun an’ shoot -me.’ - -For decency’s sake it becomes necessary to draw a veil over the -proceedings of the next few weeks. No one likes to record the -degradation of his fellowmen or dwell upon their unmerited miseries. -And, indeed, every white man on board the _Grampus_ endured for the -rest of the passage such torments and indignities as make the blood -boil only to think of--endured them helplessly, hopelessly. Meanwhile, -every slice of good fortune imaginable seemed to attend upon the -miscreant. The passage round the Cape was made in lovely weather, and -as soon as ever they hauled up for the Mozambique Channel they fell in -with a school of whales extending to the horizon. It was at daybreak, -too, so for the whole of that terrible day they toiled at slaying under -the furious sun. No idea apparently was entertained by the skipper of -the enormous amount of labour being accumulated. When night fell there -were over twenty carcasses encumbering the sea, the ship was unable to -move for the weight already attached to her, and, had she been able, -the wind had fallen to an almost perfect calm. But not until every man, -including his own personal bodyguard, had succumbed to sheer weariness -did the skipper ‘let up,’ and say that a ‘spell-ho’ of an hour or -two might be enjoyed. In strict justice it must be said that he had -taken no rest--in fact, it appeared as if he had laboured harder than -any other man on board. But what of that? What would become of us all -if we were compelled to keep up to the physical standard of the most -sinewy and strenuous among us? Certainly a great thinning out of the -population would immediately ensue. - -Therefore, at 8 P.M. a halt was reluctantly called, and one by one the -boats returned, their crews barely able to drag themselves on deck, -and utterly incapable of hoisting the boats when they had done so. Of -the difficulty of getting alongside, thrusting their frail boats in -between the massy bodies attached to the ship and tumbling gigantically -about upon the sullen swell, I dare not speak: it needs a chapter to -itself. It must be sufficient to say that all hands returned, succeeded -in getting on board, fell down where they alighted, and slept like -the dead--so much like that two happy fellows did not trouble to wake -again: they were found stiff and cold in the morning. But as that was -merely an incident of the campaign (in war it is thought nothing of) -there is no excuse for dwelling upon it--let it pass. - -The matter worth recording is that at midnight, the placid moon looking -down upon the deck of the _Grampus_ as if it were a stricken field--the -corpses lying hideously scattered where they fell--there was a great -outcry. The skipper, ever alert, had seen along the moonbeams’ path the -oncoming of some suspicious-looking craft. His experience fixed them -at once as Arab dhows bent on plunder. Strange how the Arab is a born -thief and murderer, as is the Chinese, and neither of them ever feels -any compunction for his crimes. - -[Illustration: THE DHOWS CREPT CAUTIOUSLY TOWARDS THE IMMOVABLE SHIP. - - _P. 203._] - -The dhows crept cautiously towards the immovable ship, and Captain Da -Silva watched them coming, the fierce light of battle in his eye. But -he wasted no time. He knew that his ship was surrounded by an almost -impregnable defence (at night), and so he devoted his leisure to -loading carefully the half-dozen Sniders possessed by the ship. (Those -old Tower Sniders have gone all over the world.) Then he called up his -chums, sailors and harpooners, and no small task it was to get life -into them. But he succeeded at last, and then posting them all aft -with a Snider and a revolver apiece, and much ammunition, he waited -gleefully the advent of the sea Bedawy. They came, and were astonished -to find that a barrier of something floating, slimy, massive, and -impassable interposed between them and their objective. And while they -groped darkling, the Sniders sang their awful song, red spear-points -of flame clove the darkness, and many an Arab sank down upon the -rough-timbered deck of his buggalow coughing out his foul life. Only an -hour, and the attack was over. It would never have been begun but that -the Arabs forecasted a helpless merchant ship whose crew they could -kill easily as sheep, and with as little compunction, and whose hold -they should find crammed with choicest merchandise only awaiting the -advent of the enterprising sons of the East. - -It seems incredible, but such was the fatigue of the crew that -when morning dawned the majority of them were quite unaware of the -happenings of the night. Perhaps, dimly through their dreams had come -the ping of dropping shots, uneasy shudderings might have accompanied -the dying yells of the Arabs, but taking everything all round they knew -nothing about it. Nor did they greatly care. The dawn but brought them -bone-wrenching toil. Who among them would have given thanks for the -paternal (?) care manifested for them by the skipper during the dead -hours of the night? For their condition was that so amply and aptly -summed up by Moses in his dread warning to the children of Israel: -‘In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were evening, and in the -evening thou shalt say, Would God it were morning.’ - -Long before daylight they were aroused and started upon the tremendous -task, too broken to give more than a passing regretful thought to -the two favoured ones whose trials were over. This will, I know, -strike many as an utterly uncalled-for exaggeration of horror, an -incident that could only have occurred during mediæval times. I beg -to say, however, that in the American whaleships mediæval disregard -of life persisted as nowhere else among civilised peoples down to -well within the latter half of the nineteenth century. Heroic figures -the commanders were, brave beyond praise were the officers, but with -that wonderful quality was, alas, too generally mingled an utter -callousness to suffering--an utter disregard of the elementary rights -of their fellow men which to a humaner age will hardly bear detailed -description. And, of course, this was an exceptionally bad case. The -cruelty of the Latin is inherent--generally speaking, he takes a -greedy pleasure in the suffering of others; while the cruelty of the -Teutonic races is incidental--an abnormality calling forth the fiercest -reprobation from those of the same race to whom it becomes known. - -For the next ten days the _Grampus_ was a horrid shambles. She reeked -in every part with blood and grease, and the blazing sun, pouring down -upon her with never a cloud to temper his fierceness throughout the -long and weary days, made her foul with a fœtor beyond description. -Captain Da Silva and his Portuguese seemed to flourish and wax stronger -among the awful vileness of stench and filth, even as do the Arabs of -African coast-towns. But the American portion of the crew fell ill one -by one. Although haggard and woe-worn, they stuck to their work until -they fell at their posts. In this calamity Priscilla was involved. -Indeed, it would have been a miracle had she escaped. The confinement -alone in that terrible climate was sufficient to make anyone seriously -ill, especially when the miserable food and lack of exercise were -added, without the fearful foulness of that ten days. - -The sickness of his crew gave the skipper no concern. He thought -grimly of the splendid recruits he would by and by obtain, supposing -all the cursed Americans were dead. But the illness of his wife gave -him pause. In some inexplicable way, he--well, I cannot say loved or -had a tenderness for her--I would not desecrate the holy word love by -associating it with such a monster of evil as he was, but he did not -desire to be without her. And so, cursing his ill-luck, he bore up -under all sail for the Cosmoledo group of islands intending to spend -there, amid the pure fresh breezes of the South-East Trade, and free -from the miasmatic vapours of a great port, a sufficient time to rest -his invalids, and by judicious distribution of quinine, fresh cocoanut, -and fresh food to bring them round again. Strangely enough, this -complication in the midst of his success, the dread presence on board -of fever, and the illness of half his crew gave this extraordinary man -no anxiety. He seemed to stand aloof from all merely human emotions -except the viler ones, and as for fear he apparently knew not the -meaning of the word. And his auxiliaries were the same. For them it -was a time of rejoicing. They were the undoubted rulers of the vessel, -and their superiority to the much-vaunted white man was overwhelmingly -manifest. - -Two more poor fellows succumbed to their burden before reaching port. -One of them was the third mate. Their passing excited no comment, nor -did their informal burial (they were just dumped like so much lumber) -more than punctuate the day’s work. Then the vessel arrived, and was -piloted in between the reefs with consummate skill by the skipper. Down -went her anchor, and in the peaceful waters of a coral-locked lagoon -the _Grampus_ lay secure. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -SALVAGE OPERATIONS - - -Thorough in all his undertakings, Captain Da Silva wasted no time after -the vessel was well moored in carrying out the purpose for which he had -visited this outlandish group of islands. Boats were at once lowered -and loaded with all the requisite material for erecting tents ashore. -Then while one party was sent to establish a temporary sanatorium on -a high part of the largest island, a place where the sweet unceasing -breeze should blow through the open doors of the tents, another party -was detailed to catch fish, tortoises (for here are to be found still -some of those most interesting survivals of a long-departed day, the -gigantic tortoise), and to collect unripe cocoanuts, one of the most -healthful of all foods as well as one of the pleasantest of drinks. -The preparations were rapidly completed--when Captain Da Silva was -around no one wasted time--the sick were transferred to the shore, and -in business-like fashion attended to, as far as a change of diet and -such primitive medicines as were available could be brought to bear -upon them. Priscilla, much to the skipper’s concern, apparently took no -interest in the proceedings at all. He was really alarmed to see how -automatically she behaved and how attenuated was her once bonny form. -He did _not_ want to lose her--would rather have lost all hands--though -he could not tell why. And therefore, having done all he could think -of for her, and consequently much more for the other sufferers than -he would otherwise have thought of doing, he turned from sheer need -of occupation to the ship again; and his energy was such that all his -innate power of command was needed to maintain discipline among his -own countrymen. The Portuguese, like the Italian, can and does work -for amazingly long periods at high pressure, always providing that the -incentive is sufficiently powerful. But always these two races would -rather loaf than work--would rather lie round in the sun and let the -world wag as it will than put their shoulders to any wheel whatever. -And they always make the severest task-masters, slave-drivers. There -must be a deep delight for a truly lazy man in the power of compelling -his fellows to stretch their sinews under his eye. Must be, because -one sees so much of it in journeying around the world--the measureless -content evidenced in the boss who lolls and shouts curses and commands -at the toilers below him, with a very real satisfaction in the -knowledge that any one of them would gladly trample his face into the -mud they work in if only the chance came. - -Captain Da Silva, then, having arranged for his invalids -satisfactorily, and left the negro steward and one of his cronies to -guard his wife in her lonely tent, returned on board and entered upon -a furious campaign of scrubbing and disinfecting. His countrymen, -who were practically the whole working gang, seconded his efforts -splendidly, albeit with deep resentment, at first against him, but by -his clever manipulation, afterwards against all the whites on board. -‘Why should these fellows be lyin’ up ashore while better men were -doin’ the work?’ This with but little variation was the burden of -the Portuguese song, and by a skilfully dropped word at well-chosen -intervals Captain Da Silva fanned the incipient flames and made every -Dago understand that the _Grampus_ was a Dago ship from henceforth, and -that, although the American flag flew overhead, her American crew were -of no importance whatever. In spite of this satisfaction, however, the -Dagoes were very sore at being worked so hard, and it needed all the -great influence of the skipper’s master mind to prevent an outbreak. He -kept them at work so steadily, too, that they got little or no chance -to brood over their wrongs. The water in the casks below was started -and run off, fresh, sweet water being brought on board to re-fill; -and the newly emptied casks were all fresh scoured and fired within -before replenishing. An enormous supply of wood was obtained, mostly -drift-timber, for upon this little group of neglected islands the whorl -of many currents centres, bringing flotsam from immense distances. And -when nothing else was a-doing, the sick needed attention, and got it -too, although of a horribly rough and grudging kind. - -At last the discontent ran so high that it may reasonably be doubted -whether even Captain Da Silva could have much longer held it in -check, but then with his usual extraordinary good fortune there came -a diversion that effectually settled all grumbling and put all hands -in high feather. A huge four-masted iron ship, grossly under-manned as -usual, came blundering up through the Mozambique Channel, bound for -Diego Garcia with coal. The parsimony of her owners had provided her -with but one chronometer, and her skipper was not only a poor man who -couldn’t afford one of his own, but he was withal so poorly educated -that he couldn’t have worked a lunar observation to save his life. -Thus it came to pass that one night during a heavy thunderstorm, when -the whole heavens were apparently draped with black velvet, he found -his vessel bumping upon the reefs, not heavily, for there was but -little wind or swell, but sufficiently forceful to make him feel that -his command was doomed. And ships like the _Warrior Queen_ are only -manned for the finest of fine weather--when trouble of any kind comes -they must needs trust to luck. Out of eighteen men in the forecastle, -four were sailors, and they were old, the rest were just unskilled -labourers, loafers, not worth their salt, whose one aim was to do as -little as possible, and take the maximum time over it. There were eight -apprentices, nice lads, each of whom had paid sixty guineas premium -for the privilege of doing men’s work, and were expected to learn how -intuitively, for no one ever showed them anything--no, not even how to -live decently in their den of the halfdeck. These boys were really the -backbone of the ship, for being all decently brought up young fellows -they had not yet learned the vicious root-idea which is sapping the -heart out of our workers--viz., that a man’s duty to himself is to -study how best he can get money without working for it, and that his -highest aim in life should be to give as little as possible in labour -for the wages he receives. - -In consequence of this wretched condition of things on board there -was something very like a collapse of all the energies (not many at -the best of times) of the crew. According to the novelists who write -of the sea from the abyss of utter ignorance of sea conditions, the -crew should now have raided the ‘spirit-room’ (there isn’t such a -place in the great majority of merchant ships), and fearful scenes of -bloodshed and anarchy would have ensued. As a matter of fact, the whole -situation was peculiarly sordid and commonplace. There lay the great -cumbrous tank upon the reef, canted to one side in a shamefaced manner -as if acknowledging how much she owed to the sea for any gainliness -of outline she ever possessed. Listlessly the crew slouched about the -sloping decks, obeying such calls as were made upon them in a half or -quarter hearted fashion and casting wistful eyes upon the sandy shore. -They were a motley gang, and there was no prospect of immediate danger -to life, only to property--and that, they knew, didn’t matter a row of -pins to anybody: they had obtained sufficient smattering of insurance -problems to tell them that. - -So that I think, apart from the disheartened condition of skipper and -officers, it will be seen that the _Warrior Queen_ was in evil case. -How evil may be imagined from the fact that not one of her company had -seen, far off on the other side of the little group, a trio of upright -trees with branches crossing them at right angles with extraordinary -regularity. When seamen neglect the obvious duty of looking around -for another ship things are bad indeed. It was so in this case, and -the first intimation that Captain Smith had of there being any help -at hand was the arrival alongside of a white double-ended boat with -five swarthy-looking men at the oars and a tall devilishly handsome -man erect in the stern. This boat rounded to under the _Warrior -Queen’s_ stern in grand style, and before the dreaming fellows on -board had realised that a visitor was coming Captain Da Silva had -swung himself on board by the mizen chains, and with light elastic -step had gained the side of Captain Smith on his broad quarter-deck. -‘Good morning, sir,’ said the new-comer. ‘G’ mornin’,’ sulkily replied -the merchantman, for even in his dire distress he had the quaint old -notion that he must show himself unapproachable in order to maintain -his dignity. Dignity, forsooth! It’s worth a great deal when a man -has to make a hog of himself to keep it in evidence. ‘Got a bit er -trouble here, Cap’n?’ said Da Silva. ‘Yaas,’ drawled Captain Smith; -‘I’m afraid she isn’t worth more ’n old iron price, if that. It’s a -bad job. Compasses wrong, y’ know.’ ‘Oh don’t say that,’ interjected -the Portuguese; ‘I’ve got a bully crowd o’ boys here all spoilin’ fer -a job. They’d ask nothin’ better than t’ git y’ afloat ag’in.’ ‘You -have--an’ where, may I ask?’ said Captain Smith haughtily. (You see, -his dignity needed conserving.) Captain Da Silva waved his hand airily -to where the _Grampus_ lay just discernible as a three-masted ship far -off to the southward. ‘Thet’s my ship,’ said he, ‘’n’ ef yer like t’ -come t’ terms with me, I’ve a-got a gang aboard thar thet’d snake yew -eout of Purgatory itself. It’s only a matter of terms.’ ‘Come down -below, Cap’n,’ said the now thoroughly aroused Mr. Smith. ‘I want t’ -talk to you.’ And as they descended the polished teak companion, he -laid his hand familiarly upon the swarthy visitor’s shoulder, saying -in a confidential tone: ‘I ’spose yew’re a wrecker of some kind, ain’t -you?’ ‘Me! oh, no, Captain. I’m jest a low-down whaling skipper, but -I got a crew of boys a-spilin’ fur somethin’ t’ do, and ef yew’ll only -say th’ word, an’ give me jes’ a leetle bill on yewr owners, I’ll bet -we’ll snake yewr ship eout o’ this in short order.’ By this time they -had reached the cosy saloon of the big ship, and Captain Smith had -summoned the steward to bring the whisky and cigars. Solemnly they -drank to each other, and then Captain Smith broached his latent idea. -His ship had run ashore through no fault of his. Couldn’t he arrange -for his new-found friend to take on a contract to get her off on the -‘no cure, no pay’ principle? Indeed he couldn’t. In Captain Da Silva -he had met a man as much his superior in business ability as he was -in seamanship, and that scheme did not work for a moment. Well, then, -couldn’t he arrange for a liberal payment to the salvors with an -equally liberal percentage to himself?--‘for,’ said he, ‘my pay is only -twelve pounds (sixty dollars) a month here.’ The Portuguese shook his -head decisively, as befitted a man who held the reins of the team. - -‘Naow looky here, Cap’n Smith,’ drawled he, ‘I’ll tell you what I’ll -do. My best endeavours t’ git yewr ship offn thishyer reef--yew -givin’ me a bill on yewr owners fur 2,500 dollars t’ begin with, and -a note t’ th’ effect that if I git her off the pay’s double. As fur -pussentidges, I don’t know anything about ’em an’ don’t want. Ef yew -mean that I’m to share any of my earnin’s with yew--well, yew’re ’way -off, ’n’ thet’s all there is to it. Ther’ isn’t anythin’ o’ that kind -abaout _me_, young man, be sure o’ thet.’ And the two men sat and -looked hard at each other. Not for long. The odds were too great, and -with a heavy sigh Captain Smith went to his state-room producing paper -and pen, and wrote out the agreement and the bill on his owners. This -instrument, having been duly witnessed by the mate and steward, was -carefully read and signed by Captain Da Silva, who then pocketed it, -and springing to his feet declared himself ready to begin the carrying -out of his contract. The merchant skipper, not at all used to such -energetic proceedings, was taken ‘flat aback,’ as the sea saying has -it, but said nothing, and Captain Da Silva departed with big leaps up -the cuddy stairs. As soon as he reached the deck he shouted in a voice -of thunder: ‘My boat ready? _Grampus_ boat’s crew away!’ Then without -waiting for an answer he rushed to the gangway, and finding his men all -in their places (they had not dared to come on deck) he flung himself -over the side, and in one minute was on his way back to his ship, -standing erect in the stern and urging the toiling rowers with many -figures of profane speech to do better than their very best. - -It was a long pull back to the _Grampus_, but not one of the rowers got -a spell until she was reached. Well was it for them that their training -had been so severe and thorough. And on reaching the side all hands -were summoned to prepare the ship for the most arduous task she had yet -undertaken. Sundry orders were given with reference to mooring-chains, -hawsers, kedges, &c., and while the crew fled about their tasks of -filling those orders, the Captain dived below and knitted his brow -over a calculation of the tides. He found (and it is noteworthy that -he was able to detach his mind from all else while he worked out this -important matter) that the ‘springs’ were due the following day at -noon. This important matter settled, he replaced his books and sprang -up the companion to the deck as if his life depended upon the ensuing -minutes being husbanded with the most jealous care. - -A few short, volcanic orders, and the windlass was manned, the cable -came clattering in, and as soon as the anchor was ready to be broken -out the sails were set, and the _Grampus_, obedient to the master mind, -turned gently to the wind, while the few remaining links of cable were -hove in, and she passed out of the tortuous reef channel seaward. The -skipper stood by the helmsman, conning his vessel as if he had been -acquainted with the navigation of those intricate channels all his -life. It was only the usual whaler’s style, but to the ordinary seaman -it was nothing short of wonderful. The clumsy-looking old ship sidled -out to sea as if she knew what was required of her, and presently the -waiting men on board the _Warrior Queen_ were astonished to see a -short, thick-set, full-rigged ship come around the nearest point and -suddenly bring to with a kedge about two miles away, waiting apparently -for the word of command to do something totally unexpected. But there -was no time wasted. Two boats were lowered from the new-comer, each -double-banked, and under the pressure of foaming oars they ranged -alongside the big helpless hulk, their crews leaped on board headed by -the Captain, who immediately demanded that all hands should be called -and placed under his orders. There was a moment or so of hesitation on -the part of the English ship’s officers, but while they paused the new -comers had the hatches off and had rigged a couple of single whips over -each. Then as the original crew realised what was a-doing, they buckled -to manfully, and soon the coal was flying overboard in an almost -continuous stream. Something of Captain Da Silva’s superhuman energy -communicated itself to the crew of the _Warrior Queen_, for before -many minutes had elapsed they were toiling as fiercely as any of the -whaler’s men, and without in the least understanding why they should -thus do violence to their long-cherished leisureliness. - -Through the thick haze of coal dust might have been seen Captain Da -Silva and a chosen little body of men fiercely engaged in unbending -the cables from the great anchors, getting up hawsers from below, and -overhauling the long-neglected boat gear. The big wire rope, intended -for towing purposes and therefore leading forward, was unwound and -passed aft on the starboard side, while on the port side a length -of cable was shackled on to the stoutest of the ship’s hawsers, and -ranged in readiness to be taken off when needed. Then Captain Da Silva, -getting into his boat, carefully sounded the reef to see whether the -_Warrior Queen_ had, as so often happens, found her way alone along -some special channel. He knew that many wrecks on coral reefs have done -just that, and afterwards, owing to superficial observation of the -surroundings, it has been taken for granted that some awful convulsion -of nature in the shape of an earthquake wave or something of the sort -must be held responsible for the vessel’s reaching so apparently -inaccessible a spot. After an absence of only an hour he returned, -having found the channel by which the ship had entered, and buoyed it -with sundry lengths of lead-line and ‘blackfish’ pokes, or bladders of -the small cetacean known to whalers by that trivial name. Just a few -minutes on board to see that the jettison of the coal was proceeding -with as much vigour as possible under the circumstances, and then off -again on board the _Grampus_. He caused her to be worked right into the -channel he had found, but stern first and as easily as a barge is taken -up a winding canal. Finally, when near enough for his liking, he had -two hawsers attached to his bow anchors, and the latter dropped in the -channel. These were veered away to their utmost length, which brought -the stern of the _Grampus_ near enough to the stern of the _Warrior -Queen_ to allow of the wire hawser and cable-bridled hawser being -secured to the former. When all these preparations were complete he -gave orders that all hands should rest so as to be capable of a supreme -effort next day at noon, it now being about 10 P.M., and some five -hundred tons of coal having been jettisoned. - -After a good meal all round, the worn-out men went to their bunks--all -except Captain Da Silva, who, calling upon his particular boat’s crew, -started at midnight for the long and perilous pull back to the islet -where the sick were encamped. Threading the dangers of that terrible -group of reef-rocks and sandbanks apparently was mere amusement to him, -although at times it must have seemed to a novice as if nothing could -save the frail craft from being overwhelmed by the breaking of one of -those vast swells over the jagged surface of a fringing reef, through -one of whose openings they were passing. But this extraordinary man -seemed to bear a charmed life, and, without shipping a drop of water -even, the boat arrived at the camp in three hours from the time of -leaving the _Warrior Queen_. Noiselessly she grounded on the smooth -sand, light as a fawn the skipper sprang out, and in a few minutes had -peered in at both tents and seen that all was silent as the grave, at -which peaceful termination to his investigations he was apparently -much annoyed. Returning to the boat, he caused an impromptu shelter -to be rigged up by turning her over and spreading the sail over the -upraised gunwale, and, creeping in under with his satellites, all were -soon sound asleep; not, however, before a huge black bottle had been -impartially passed round. - -At daylight the skipper awoke and went to visit his sick, finding, -to his great satisfaction, that several of them were sufficiently -recovered to be brought on board--they could do something, if it was -only holding on the hawsers abaft the windlass. To Priscilla he said -nothing--he stood looking at her doubtfully for a few minutes, while -she endured his gaze as if unconscious of it. Then he turned on his -heel and departed, and in a few minutes the trembling steward reported -to her that ‘de Cappen, he make’n dem boat’s crew pull fur sixty sure, -ma’m; dat boat jes’ a-flyin’.’ - -He was back at the scene of salvage operations by ten o’clock, and -found, as he had expected, that all hands were loafing about, waiting -for him to come and tell them what to do. But he said nothing about -that, only gave orders for all square sail to be loosed on both vessels -and set with as little delay as possible. For there was the usual sea -breeze setting in, at no great rate it is true, but with every promise -of being much stronger by noon. And it blew right fair for the channel, -along which, if in any direction at all, the _Warrior Queen_ must go. -Nearer and nearer drew the critical moment, the tide rising rapidly. -All hands were ordered to their stations, the _Warrior Queen’s_ crew -being, with the exception of just sufficient to trim her yards in case -of necessity, all on board the _Grampus_ at the windlass. The breeze -freshened as the tide rose, and a few minutes before noon Captain Da -Silva gave orders for all his reinforced crew to heave away at the -windlass for dear life. The powerful leverage of that great spread of -canvas on both ships, aided by the strain on the hawsers applied at -just the right time, gradually made itself manifest. The vast bulk of -the _Warrior Queen_ slowly rolled, shuddered, slipped, and with a long -grinding groan she moved. Frantic yells arose from the windlass-men on -board of the _Grampus_. They felt the weight yielding, and forgetting -the danger of breaking the old-fashioned machine they were trying so -hardly, redoubled their efforts. - -Slowly, majestically, the big ship glided seaward, steered by the mate -in response to the desperate signals made from the whaler, where the -skipper was now in an almost insane state of excitement lest some fool -should, at the last minute, spoil all his work. But no; gently the -whaler increased her speed, followed clumsily by her tow, until, at -1.30 the rescued merchantman was able to turn and pursue her way alone. -Before she did so, however, Captain Da Silva, having anchored his ship, -hastened on board the saved vessel, and, shaking hands warmly with -Captain Smith, bade him ‘so long,’ saying to himself as he did so: ‘I -guess yew want somebody to dry-nurse yew mighty bad. Don’t matter to -me, though. Five thousand dollars ain’t half a bad day’s pay, an’ I -guess I’ll snake it in soon ’s ever I git t’ port. He ain’t a bit t’ be -’pended ’pon, thet man.’ - -And, leaving the big ship to pursue her journey, the energetic rascal -returned on board his own vessel, got under weigh and hastened back to -his former anchorage, fully determined to get the rest of his ailing -men on board, fit or not, and leave next day for sea. He reached the -camp at sunset, anchored, and went ashore, finding that his wife was -well on the way to complete recovery, and the rest of the poor fellows -doing very well. So without any further delay, he caused the camp to -be broken up, the invalids brought on board, and everything got in -readiness for departure the following day. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -HUMANITY REWARDED - - -Doubtless many of the superior persons, who, like Matthew Arnold, their -high priest, have led sheltered lives, will, also like him, curl the -lip of scorn at any sorely pressed human creature in his extremity of -need lifting his heart in prayer to God for help. Let them do so, if it -please them, while they may. For many thousands know most gratefully -that prayer is indeed a perfect communication between man and his -Maker, and is answered so fully and so frequently as to put all coldly -logical or brilliantly poetical objectors entirely out of court. Who, -indeed, would accept the evidence of a blind man as to the value of -a certain picture, or of a deaf man upon the merits of an oratorio? -Therefore, _pace_ Matthew Arnold and his ‘Self Help,’ let me gratefully -return to the comforted little company in that sorely bestead -whaleboat. In the midst of that wilderness of kelp, with the awful hand -of the gale pressing them back from the goal they so sorely desired, -they yet felt a security, a peace such as can only accrue to those who, -in a like position, know that underneath them are the Everlasting Arms. - -Almost literally inch by inch they fought their way seaward. Much as -they valued the smooth which the kelp brought them, its hindering -environment was terribly wearisome to the humanly limited strength. -But doggedly they toiled on, often only half consciously, as squalls -of sleet slashed savagely across their cowering faces and every fresh -blast of wind beat at them as if it were the spirit of some malicious -demon determined upon their destruction. Suddenly they emerged from the -slimy smoothness of the kelp into the free dash of the great waves. -And as they did so Mr. Peck, with a great voice, shouted, ‘Now, boys, -for y’r lives; out oars an’ pull jest a leetle bit; perhaps we can -histe a rag of sail and keep her away a bit presently. That’s it--lift -her, lift her; oh, too good, boys, too good, one, two, three; better -’n’ better. I see the ship! She ain’t no distance off. Stick t’ it, -me hearties, give ’r all you got--thet’s y’r style.’ In such wise did -the fine fellow encourage his men, who were taking the last ounce out -of themselves in their desperate fight with the forces of nature. -And the passengers cowering in the bottom of the boat heard and saw -not, endured dimly, dumbly; until just as it seemed impossible that -the overborne sailors could hold out any longer came the glorious cry -of ‘Boat ahoy!’ A yell of thankful reply, and the great bulk of the -ship materialised out of the darkness. A minute or two of breathless -suspense as the boat swung off the wind, and then a blessed sense of -security and calm as she surged up under the lee of the grand old tub, -where all hands, by the light of the flaring try-works, were awaiting -them. Life from the dead, fellow creatures welcomed back from out the -gaping jaws of the grave--how glorious a sensation to true men! And -when the whisper ran round that some of the saved ones were women there -were chokings and dim eyes among these rough-looking but tender-hearted -fellows, although comments were mostly limited to the commonplace -expression, ‘Poor things, poor things.’ - -Safely on board, and the boat hoisted into her place, Captain Hampden -whispered an order to his mate to keep all the southing he could -so as to get well clear of that awful pile of rock, still much too -near for comfort. Then with a courtly old-world grace he led the way -to his cabin, and begged his strangely shipped passengers to make -themselves at home. The three quaint little figures revealed themselves -as ladies--young, but haggard with anxiety and privation. Alone in -the world, too. For the story of the lost ship from which they had -escaped was just this, so bald and simple, yet so full of pathos to the -imaginative mind. She was a huge four-master, with splendid passenger -accommodation, bound for Australia, and specially recommended as -affording a grand opportunity for a perfect sea trip for consumptives. -So thirty poor wrecks of humanity, but possessing money enough to buy -a chance of life, availed themselves of the opportunity, for, after -all, the fare was much lower than in a fast steamer, and the attendance -likely to be much better. But the crew! What agony the Captain endured -as he found that sailing-ships were in such bad odour that men could -not be obtained--that if he would get to sea at all he must needs ship -men who hardly knew a cringle from a scupper-hole. However, this is one -of the penalties a man must pay to-day when working his way up in a -sailing-ship prior to taking charge in steam. And Captain Weston paid -it. Running the easting down, he found his handful of wastrels not -merely incompetent, but afraid--a poor group of fellows whom no threats -or bribes could make do their duty, while he had upon his heart -the helpless passengers. So he ran her, recklessly as it appeared, -really because he could do nothing else, and strained his heartstrings -nightly as he looked up through the blackness at those great sails, and -wondered what _would_ happen should they blow away, for to take them in -he knew was impossible. - -Is it fair to put such a strain upon one man as this? I do not think -so, yet most captains of our big sailing-ships must shoulder such a -burden to-day, and for, at most, £200 a year. No wonder the Mercantile -Marine is unpopular. Captain Weston endured his load almost helplessly -in view of the season and the quality of his crew; and when, while -snatching a few moments’ sleep in his chart-room, he felt his ship -go over, over, over, until on her beam ends, and knew that she had -broached-to in the height of one of the southern gales, he gave a sigh -almost of relief as knowing the worst. Out of the half-dozen boats he -carried one succeeded in getting away with three ladies on board, whose -charges, a consumptive father, uncle, and sweetheart, were practically -killed by the shock. There were also two male passengers, the mate, and -four seamen. And these were all the survivors of that awful mid-sea -catastrophe, when a great ship, through bad steering, was thrown on her -beam ends and, her decks bursting, sank like a broken cup in the midst -of that lonely ocean. - -For two days the surviving boat and her miserable freight managed to -keep ahead of the hungry, following sea, until, in the blackness of -the third night, when hope was well-nigh dead, she entered the kelp -fringing Gough Island, and after a series of hairbreadth escapes the -whole party succeeded in landing upon its frowning shores. There, for -nearly three months, they had maintained life in semi-savage fashion, -wondering whether they were doomed to spend the rest of their days -there, when help came in the shape of the hardly beset _Xiphias_, and -they were once more restored to a little world of living people. - -With a sigh Captain Hampden bore up for Cape Town. It was much out of -his way, and, besides, he was so far to the southward that it would be -difficult to make the port, especially in such a sluggish old craft. -But the idea of carrying those poor ladies on to the Mauritius, which -was the only place that lay anywhere near his track whence they could -be shipped home, was not to be thought of for one moment. And having -decided upon what to do, he did it with all his heart, allowing no one -to see what a struggle it had cost him. All sail was made, therefore, -and the course set for Cape Town, the rescued mate and his four -shipmates taking a vigorous part in the handling of the ship, so that -the _Xiphias’_ crew could finish their heavy task of securing the oil -from their previous catch. - -She was a mighty busy ship, as well as a happy one, for there was -so much to do with the two and a half tons of baleen secured, after -the oil was all stored below, that no one had any time of leisure. -This peculiar substance--‘whalebone,’ as we have agreed to call -it--is really of the nature of dried gristle or soft horn, and when -it is green--_i.e._, newly taken from the whale--it needs constant -care and labour in scraping, drying in the sun, and other trade -treatment. Without this it soon becomes valueless, and, since it is so -high-priced when properly cured, it is obviously the most important -duty on a whaleship to attend to it. But this duty tries the patience -of all hands most sorely. In the present case, however, there were -compensations. For, in the first place, Captain Hampden was not the man -to keep his crew at other work all day and scraping, &c., whalebone all -night; and, secondly, a cheery whisper ran round the ship that he (the -old man) intended landing the stuff at Cape Town for transhipment to -market. - -And then, to the great joy of the crew and the unbounded chagrin of -the passengers, the ship ran one morning at daybreak into the midst -of a vast school of sperm-whales, extending from one horizon to the -other. Their numbers no man could calculate, any more than what -stupendous stores of food must be necessary to feed such an army of -monsters. Captain Hampden’s heart glowed with thankfulness that he -had been by humanity turned thus far out of his intended course, and, -in obedience to his newly born instinct, went away into a corner by -himself and lifted up his heart, not merely in gratitude to God, but -for wisdom, after all these years of experience, to do just the right -thing in the manipulation of this great store so lavishly spread -before him. It only took a minute or two (how simply and quickly can -we prefer our petitions and praises to the King of kings), and he was -back again among his men, the guiding, ruling spirit of all. As if -his plan of campaign had been laid out a week ahead, he apportioned -to each officer his place in the coming struggle, took advantage of -the presence of the passenger mate and four seamen to give them the -handling of the vessel, and then gaily took the field himself with five -boats, skipper leading. - -It was an ideal day, the great sun just rising from the smooth ocean -bed into an absolutely clear sky--clear from clouds, that is, but -splashed with all the splendid colours of a tropical dawn, the glassy -undulating sea-surface broken in all directions by the lolling masses -of the sea monsters, each lazily exhaling his or her bushy tuft of -vapour. Occasionally the heavenly silence was broken by a playful rush -of a dozen or so of these colossal forms in some given direction, -making the placid sea foam and curdle around their massive bodies as -if it had suddenly met some newly risen rocks. Or a few sedate bulls -would gravely invert themselves, and as if by a concerted movement -slowly beat upon the sea with their great flukes, the gigantic strokes -reverberating along the silent surface like the echoes of a distant -cannonade. - -Yes, they were a happy, placid company, recking not of evil, least of -all apparently of the presence of those five small white things that, -a hundred fathoms or so apart, were coming gliding among them, each -with cruel points protruding from its front and glittering fiercely -in the rays of the mounting sun. And before any attempt at flight -could be made by one member of that great company, the five boats were -among them, each boat had singled out the largest victim near (for so -had run the Captain’s orders), and the slaughter had begun. Now while -it is undoubtedly true that the sperm-whale is brave and will under -ordinary circumstances fight for his life with a fury and sagacity not -to be excelled by those of any mammal afloat or ashore, it is also -quite true that occasionally, especially in large companies like the -present one, sperm-whales will become panic-stricken, and, making not -the slightest attempt either to fight or flee, will suffer themselves -to be slain like a flock of silly sheep when the wolf leaps into the -fold among them. The present was one of those occasions. Harpoons -flew and lances flashed, the boats rode easily, hardly moving in any -direction amid closely packed squads of utterly demoralised whales, -and the sea speedily became foul with blood and oil. It needed all the -skipper’s power of command to call his men off, frantic as they were -with the lust of killing, which overtakes the gentlest and most amiable -of mankind once the first shudder of compunction has been overcome. But -Captain Hampden’s cool judgment realised that already--only one hour -from lowering--sufficient work had been provided to last all hands, -work as they would, until the odour of their spoil would become utterly -intolerable, which is the principal drawback in sperm-whaling to taking -full advantage of such an opportunity as the present one. - -Reluctantly the boats drew each to her prey, unwillingly the officers -ceased plying their lances among the aimlessly wandering monsters, and -there amid lanes of coming and going whales they laboured to attach -their tow-lines to dead whale flukes, while the Captain, returning on -board, took charge of his ship again, and aided by a gentle southerly -breeze that had just sprung up, manœuvred her around in order to -secure the spoil. It was a wonderful sight when all the great carcasses -had been secured alongside to see the assembled hundreds--maybe -thousands--of survivors surrounding the ship as if held there by -some dread fascination they were unable to resist. Usually the sight -or scent or presence of blood is sufficient to send them fleeing at -the top of their speed to the four airts; but now was one of the -exceptions, and in the clear sleeky water around the ship their vast -bodies rolled and turned without apparent objective, until one of the -passengers was fain to ask the skipper whether he did not think they -were meditating an attack in force upon her. Captain Hampden laughed -loud and long, for he had several times been privileged to witness a -similar scene, and he knew that no more danger was to be apprehended -from the presence of all those whales than there was from the coming of -the thousands of sharks that in all the fury of their ravenous hunger -were already tearing at the mighty carcasses secured to the ship. - -Again was that ship’s company involved in the most tremendous toil, -but better fitted than before by experience, and unhindered by the -awful prospect of imminent death by their vessel being dashed ashore. -Moreover, the weather was beautifully fine as well as mild, the -barometer stood steadily high, the sea was as smooth as it ever is in -35° S., and there were seven willing additional hands. All the more -willing because the skipper assured them that as soon as ever the -cutting-in was accomplished he would make sail again for Cape Town, and -that this splendid accession to his profits for the voyage would only -hinder their progress for at most a couple of days. A ship’s company -all in the highest spirits, working as if their very lives depended -upon the amount they did, with never a harsh word spoken; every man, -seaman or officer, bubbling over with cheerfulness and good temper, and -seven splendid auxiliaries joining their forces as if the whole affair -was a gigantic piece of fun. It was too. For as the capture of the -whales had been the easiest on record for sperm-whales, the whole seven -taken having been slain in less than one hour, so the weather was as -perfect as the most exacting desire could make it. The little southerly -breeze that had been so valuable in the getting of the spoil alongside -had died completely away, and the only movement of the vessel, hardly -noticeable, was due to an almost imperceptible westerly swell. As Mr. -Pease said, ‘Anybody ’d think we wuz ridin’ snug in some harbour.’ - -As the weather was so propitious, every effort was directed at first -to getting the whales beheaded, and the strange spectacle was to be -witnessed of men hacking away at those great masses below them from -little stages slung all round the ship, wherever a whale’s head could -be got at comprehensively. And all this to such good purpose that by -sunset, although the men were not over-fatigued, the whole of the -seven heads were off and floating astern at the ends of stout ropes, -and one whale had been skinned and his blubber carefully stowed below. -A perfect illumination of the ship by means of cressets was devised, -each of which, slung where it could be of the most service, was kept -supplied with whale ‘scrap,’ or the blubber from preceding whales, -from which as much oil had been boiled as possible. This is the only -fuel used for boiling the oil, and as it blazes almost like a Lucigen -light it makes a splendid illuminant as well. Besides, the glorious -moon, a huge disc of blazing silver, made the night bright, enough to -read quite small print--so bright, indeed, that although there was not -a trace of cloud or mist, the pretty stars were hardly visible. So as -soon as the well-earned supper was eaten a system was devised whereby -ten men and two officers at a time should have two hours’ sleep, there -being then quite sufficient to handle the windlass and rip off the -blubber. - -Then the great night’s work began. The rattling of the windlass pawls -was incessant; there seemed to be no pause in the steady ascent of -the great black-and-white blankets, and the shouting of orders, the -cheerful gabble, and the roaring of the fires made a most pleasant -tumult. In the midst of it all, after midnight, a voice was heard -across the sea shouting, ‘Ship ahoy! Want any assistance?’ Mr. Pease, -in charge at the time, roared back, ‘No; why?’ ‘Thought ye was on fire. -I’ll send a boat on board.’ And sure enough from a trim frigate, which -had stolen up by the aid of the light upper airs, came a boat, full of -sorely puzzled men, who had never witnessed a scene like it in their -lives, and, having witnessed it, would never be likely to forget it. It -was only by the most careful piloting and obedience to the instructions -shouted at them from the deck of the whaler that the boat was able -to pick her way among those floating masses; but, that difficulty -successfully overcome, the officer in charge leaped on to the rail and -stood gazing with wide-eyed wonder upon the deck. For, do what they -would, the hardly pressed toilers had been unable to stow more than the -blubber from two whales in the blubber-room, so that the blankets of -three others were encumbering the deck and making it, to anybody but a -whaleman, almost impassable. - -The visitor clambered aft and introduced himself to Captain Hampden, -newly awakened, as a lieutenant of H.M.S. _Griffon_, and apologised for -intrusion, saying that he, with all the rest of his ship’s company, -could not help but believe that they were coming in the nick of time -to the assistance of a vessel on fire. But he added, while he was -glad to find that not the case, he was delighted to have had the -opportunity of gazing upon such a scene, which his wildest dreams of -sea-happenings had never before pictured. Then the skipper gave him -the news of the rescue, and asked if it would be agreeable to have the -passengers transferred. This, however, they themselves demurred to, -feeling no doubt that such an opportunity as now presented itself for -gaining experience was not to be lightly given up; and, besides, they -found that there would be no saving of time, as the warship was bound -to Ascension. So, after a hearty shake hands all round, the gallant -officer swung himself over the rail and departed, primed with material -for yarns for years to come. - -That night passed with almost the rapidity of a sound sleep, but its -hours had been so well utilised that when the lovely morning broke -and gilded the haggard faces of the toilers, all the carcasses had -been disposed of and the great heads were ranged alongside ready -for dissection. Now these whales, though large, were by no means of -the largest, and therefore it occurred to the skipper to test his -lifting-gear to the utmost. So he had the ‘junk’ or snout point of -the first cut off, hoisted on deck, and secured; then, hooking both -tackles on to the remainder of the head, all hands buckled on to the -windlass, and, although the old vessel listed dangerously, succeeded -in bringing the great mass on deck. Now for activity. A long rip fore -and aft the case; ten willing hands dipping their buckets at once into -the reservoir of spermaceti. Plenty more behind passing it away into -the tanks. Wonderful! In twenty minutes it is empty, and at a word -from the skipper as the ship rolls to starboard, two or three swift -spade blows release the empty head and it slides massively into the -sea. Hurrah! Now for another. Will these men never tire? Apparently -not. But the skipper’s brow is knotted with care. Receptacles for the -bland spermaceti, semi-liquid as it is, are beginning to fail. ‘Cooper, -what shall we do? Tanks are all full. Kain’t ye git us some pipes?’ -‘Gimme three hands, sir, ’n’ I’ll git y’ all yew want.’ ‘Bully fur you, -cooper. Jim, Rube, Manuel, go with the cooper and help him.’ And in -half-an-hour two 336-gallon pipes are ready to receive the rest of the -spermaceti: the difficulty is met. - -Four P.M. sees the _Xiphias_ so utterly blocked from knight-heads to -cabin skylight with blubber that the passenger seamen look solemnly -at one another and wonder what will be the end of it all. They do -not know how recently this crowd have disposed of an almost similar -difficulty, with an awful shore grinning up at them from close a-lee. -A faint westerly breeze springs up, the passengers are asked if they -will make sail, and as they gladly assent, away goes the grand old tub -under every stitch, smoking like two or three steamers rolled into one, -and leaving behind her a wide wake of smoothness from exuding oil--for -she is fast becoming more like an oil-saturated sponge than a ship. -But nothing daunts her crew. They are happy. Visions of a glorious -ending of their voyage, of farms bought, and a position among their -stay-at-home neighbours proudly pre-eminent, fill their minds and make -them call up the last ounce of energy to cut a horse-piece or turn the -mincer-handle when they have felt for the last half-hour that it was -impossible to put in another stroke. - -These visions come to all but Rube. For of him it may truly be said -that he lives in the present. The past has no memories for him, the -future no anticipation. To all the cheery chatter of his shipmates -anent their plans for the future he turns a disinterested ear. When -they say, ‘Wut _you_ goin’ t’ do, Rube ole man, w’en yew gits home?’ -he replies solemnly, ‘Only God knows. I ain’t got no plans. I want Him -to ’range things fur me, then I know they’ll be all right. Anyhow, -I know I kain’t be any happier than I am ’mong yew dear fellers--I -never thought ’t would be possible t’ be so happy ’s I am naow. But, -dear chaps, ef I wuz yew I wouldn’t go buildin’ too many castles. Y’ -see at fust, yew know, they’re only castles in th’ air, but ef yew go -on buildin’ an’ buildin’, bimeby they gets t’ be so real t’ yew thet -w’en yew finds ’at yew kain’t build ’em indeed, th’ disappointment -is awful.’ So he talked, and, good-naturedly, they bantered him. And -meanwhile the great work was being well done; so well done that two -days before they entered Table Bay, and passing close under Robben -Island, anchored well clear of the mail steamers’ track into the -harbour, the last trace of foulness was removed from the old ship--she -looked clean as a ship should look. She did not smell sweet, but that, -alas! could not be helped. In those warm climates it is only possible -to avoid bad smells in a whaler that has no luck, and the _Xiphias_ -certainly had redeemed her apparent bad luck at last; for she had only -been out seven months, and now she had on board 800 barrels of sperm -oil and 550 right-whale oil, besides two and a half tons of baleen, so -that her catch at the market price of that day may be invoiced thus:-- - - 800 barrels of sperm oil = 80 tons, at £100 = - $500 per ton £8,000 = $40,000 - - 550 barrels of black oil = 55 tons, at £20 = - $100 per ton £1,100 = $5,500 - - 2½ tons, bone at £1,500 = - $7,500 per ton £3,750 = $17,750 - ------- ------- - £12,850 = $63,250 - -An ideal trip so far, and yielding even to the poor holder of the 250th -lay, a comfortable sum of £51 8_s._ = $256·50, of course subject to -deduction for slops, tobacco, advance, &c. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -A GREAT BLOW - - -Many and terrible are the temptations which await the striving -Christian, whatever his or her spiritual age may be. It is a moot -point whether they (the temptations) are felt more severely by the -babe in Christ in the first fervour of the new life, or by the mature -Christian who is insensibly led to feel that he or she has attained -unto a firm standing in the Faith. But one thing is, or should be, -beyond controversy, and that is that no fiercer temptations assail any -man than those which await the newly converted sailor, who has begun, -in the solitude of the ocean and its sweet freedom from the allurements -of shore vices, the upward way. He has been born, and has grown up to -a certain Christian stature in a state of peaceful freedom from the -evils of shore life, and has almost come to regard them as belonging to -a previous state of existence to which he can never return. Then, when -he is suddenly plunged headlong into them again he is in great, very -great, danger of a relapse that may give him an agonising season of -remorse. But I must not carry this digression too far. I only wish, in -beginning this chapter, to point out how dire were the perils awaiting -the crew of the _Xiphias_, many of whom were only, in the imitative -way common to the majority of human beings, behaving as they saw the -general sense of their little community would have them behave, and not -at all from any conviction as to the necessity of such behaviour to -their peace or from any inward urging whatever. - -It is, however, safe to say that such considerations troubled no one -on board the ship at all. Every man was in an overflowing state of -happiness at again anchoring in a civilised port after the long and -weary cruise and the many hardships and dangers encountered. Every -man, too, with the exception of Rube, was half-intoxicated with a -quite lawful pride in his achievements during the past two months. All -remembered how helplessly, ignorantly, and painfully they had begun -the voyage, traced easily the educational way they had come, mentally -visualised vividly each heroic detail, and gradually lost sight of the -great central fact of it all, the Fatherly care of God. Therefore, -when, the next day after arrival, the rescued passengers returned on -board with urgent requests to the Captain that he would allow them -the privilege of entertaining the crew ashore as a slight return for -benefits received, all who could be spared on that day, except Rube, -joyfully availed themselves of the permission readily given and went -ashore. - -They were royally welcomed at one of the principal hotels by the -rescued ones, some of whom had wired home and received in reply advices -enabling them to draw upon the local banks for all moneys needed. They -were entertained far too well, for two-thirds of them returned on board -drunk and quarrelsome, and for the first time that voyage the foc’s’le -was the scene of a riotous conflict, in the midst of which Rube moved -like a strong apostle of peace, able, as well as eager, to enforce -quietude upon the most unruly, even though it involved a considerable -amount of what some weak-minded people might call brutality. The lesson -taught by this episode was not without its valuable effect upon those -who had remained on board. With a self-sacrifice entirely laudable, -they refused to go ashore at all. This may not, probably will not, be -assessed by my readers at its proper value; but, oh, if landsfolk could -only realise the intense longing for a run ashore which seizes upon -sailors after being cooped up on board ship for seven or eight months, -it would be understood. Truly, Reuben and the skipper had done their -best to give the ship-keeping crew such amusement as was possible, and -the best shore food, fresh beef, mutton, and vegetables that could be -procured had been provided. - -Table Bay swarms, or did swarm, with a splendid species of crustacean -known as ‘craw-fish,’ many of which grow to a huge size, weighing -several pounds, and have a flavour in no way inferior to that of a -lobster. There was great sport in catching these in impromptu nets made -of rope-yarn meshed upon hoops and baited with bones, and even greater -satisfaction in knowing that they would live for months in tanks of -salt water frequently renewed. Then there was ordinary fishing, or, -perhaps, I should say extraordinary fishing, of the schnapper, the cod, -and other fish which swarm around the southern extremity of Africa -almost unmolested. And sailors love fishing, though scarcely any class -of men living within reach of fishable waters get less of it. - -So quite pleasantly the time passed away--the four days during which -Captain Hampden found it possible to sell his baleen and tranship it, -and to expend a liberal sum in fresh food, vegetables, and live-stock. -On the fifth morning, at daybreak, the cry of ‘Man the windlass!’ -rang along the deck of the _Xiphias_, and all hands responded. But, -unhappily, most of those who had been ashore did so very unwillingly. -The memory of their spree was secretly most alluring; they had tasted -illicit delights again, and were lamenting the deprivation of them. -Thus they were sullen, unwilling, and miserable. Vainly did Rube exert -all his simple arts to rouse them out of themselves, to cheer them. -They would not be cheered; they hugged their misery and almost infected -several of their shipmates. - -But the work was going on, all unconsciously the best cure was being -applied, and by nightfall, with their fine old ship heading northward -for the Mozambique Channel before a fine following breeze, they had -gone much farther than they were aware of on the road to repentance and -recovery. By repentance I do not mean that spurious sentiment which -is really sorrow for one’s inability to go and repeat former sins or -excesses, disgust and annoyance at being compelled to reap what one has -sown, but a comprehensive change of mind with reference to one’s former -behaviour, a distrust of one’s own powers of resistance to the drawings -of evil, and a determination to trust for deliverance from them to -Almighty God. A simple definition, perhaps, but one that I know is far -too often neglected or wilfully misunderstood. - -Day succeeded day in perfect loveliness of weather and peace on board. -The routine of the ship had fallen easily back into its accustomed -grooves, and opportunity had been taken to renew all the wastage that -had been made in the general equipment of the ship and boats by reason -of the recent heavy demands made upon it. But no whales were seen. -Eager eyes scanned the wide sea for every moment of the daylight, but -nothing was seen of any value. Still, the previous sense of irritation -and almost hopelessness was not there, could hardly be, since so great -an accession of profit had been made during the last two months; a haul -that, as Captain Hampden gratefully admitted, might not have been made -on some voyages during the first two years. But as day succeeded day -and week followed week, there came upon all hands a querulous desire to -question the wisdom which had brought the ship into a part of the ocean -where everything desirable was found except the one central object of -the voyage: profit. As watch followed watch under those lovely skies, -the watchers became listless, careless, their attitude at the mastheads -showed how weary they had become of the fruitless gaze across the wide -sea-plain. And the wise skipper, who, as a skipper should, carefully -noted all the symptoms of discontent, gradually tightened the somewhat -relaxed disciplinary fibres, and had many things done which, under -the pressure of whaling, might quite safely have remained undone. The -recently obtained cargo was overhauled and re-stowed, the reeking hold -was thoroughly cleansed, and although nothing was ever undertaken which -could not be dropped at one minute’s notice, had whales appeared, an -enormous amount of valuable work was accomplished, and that, too, -without any friction whatever. In addition to the work of the ship, the -Captain unofficially encouraged the men to undertake in their leisure -moments the making of ‘scrimshaw,’ the name given to _objets-d’art_ -(?), fabricated of ivory and bone, and calling out all the latent -mechanical genius possessed by the men. - -To this end, foreseeing an easy, quiet time, he had caused several -jaw-pans of the sperm-whale to be set aside and towed astern in order -that they might bleach to a dazzling whiteness. All the teeth had -been saved and pickled in barrels of strong brine, and a considerable -number of the shorter blades or laminæ of baleen had been retained when -the bulk of it was transhipped at Cape Town. Word was passed forward -that any man who felt inclined might have for the asking such of -these materials as he chose in order to try his hand at curio-making; -and the carpenter, although, like most good workmen, he would not -lend his tools, never refused to saw off a length of jawbone for a -walking-stick, or cut up into rough pieces the bleached bone, for -any man who asked him. Nor did he make any favour of showing a man -how to make his own tools out of old knives, files, rasps, or even -sail-needles. This amiability had great results, for before long -practically all hands were engaged upon this fascinating hobby, and, -emulating one another, were turning out some really beautiful pieces -of work in carved ivory, bone, and baleen. Some of the sticks were -quite works of art. A length of, say, three feet by one inch square, -sawn from a jaw-pan after it had been subjected to a long tow astern, -would be tightly lashed down to a spar in the sun so that it would dry -perfectly straight. Then, by the aid of a ‘cutter’ or rasp, softened -in the fire and filed into deep ridges with cutting edges, it would -be worked down into a rough roundness of outline. By the aid of other -equally primitive tools the stick would then be gradually fashioned -into the semblance of a rope, with ‘worming,’ or a much smaller rope -twisted into its lays--a form of art which is highly interesting, as -having been practised by sailors from very remote days. Three years -ago, when staying at Repton School, I was shown over the ruins of the -ancient abbey there, and in the recently unearthed crypt, dating back -to Anglo-Saxon times I was told, there were four monolithic pillars -of stone supporting the roof, each of which was carved into the same -semblance of a rope with ‘worming’ in its lays. Also at a great country -house where I stayed last year, whose noble and hospitable owner -made a hobby of collecting books on ancient art, I saw some superb -illustrations in colour of ancient croziers, upon which were carved in -ivory or worked in precious metals the universally used ‘Turk’s-head’ -of the sailor, which has not altered one jot of its details down to the -present day through all those hundreds of years. - -But to return to our stick-maker. At one end of the stick about eight -or ten inches would be cut away until only a slender square rod of -about three-eighths of an inch thickness remained; upon this would be -threaded medallions of ivory, baleen, silver (quarter-dollars), ebony, -and coco-tree wood. An albatross head or some similarly well-known -object would be patiently carved and secured on top, and the whole -stick was then polished, first with fine sand, then with powdered -pumice-stone, and finished with chalk and oil. And really, when -completed, many of these pieces of work would have made no bad show -in an industrial exhibition, especially if the primitive tools could -have been shown with them. Besides this fascinating pursuit, there were -several others tacitly encouraged by the skipper, such as model-making, -gymnastics, swimming (on calm days), and, of course, fishing. And thus -gradually what had threatened to become a painful set-back to all of -them turned out to be a veritable blessing, a halcyon time which many -remembered all their lives after with the most tender regret. - -But still they were not earning anything, and after their experience -on the other side of the Cape they began to feel as if their fortunes -were already made. They did not realise the vastness of the ocean and -the tiny little circle, after all, that their outlook gave them from -the mastheads. And in spite of the noble bounty offered by the skipper -of twenty-five dollars to whoever should ‘raise’ a sperm-whale, it was -very hard, to hang up there for two hours in that blazing sun and keep -one’s attention fixed upon one’s business. At last, however (eleven -weeks having passed since they left Cape Town), it happened to be -Rube’s masthead at daybreak--that is to say, shortly after 5 A.M. With -his usual pleasant alacrity he swallowed his coffee and sprang into the -fore-rigging at the cry from aft, ‘Man mastheads!’ As he went MacManus -said jestingly, ‘Reubin, darlin’, ef yez do be raisin’ sperm-whales -Oi’ll share th’ bounty wid yez.’ ‘Yew shall that,’ replied Rube gaily, -‘an’ everybody else as well ef I know myself.’ As he went springingly -aloft his eye dwelt lovingly upon the marvellous colouring of the sea, -the ever-changing sequence of shades reflected from the glory above; -and his heart filled with loving worship, for there is no education -in appreciative observation of God’s wonderful works like an intimate -acquaintance with Him. When he reached the topgallant-yard he saw the -great glowing arc of the sun’s upper limb just shedding a long line -of blazing gold along the horizon, as if it could not contain all its -store of glory, but must needs let some run freely on every hand. And -as Rube climbed into his perch the awful majesty of the whole orb swung -clear of the sea, and ocean and sky blazed ineffably, blindingly upon -Rube’s sight, making him for a moment veil his face in his hands and -murmur a few disjointed words of praise. - -Never in all his experience had he seen so glorious a sunrise. He could -not help feeling an intense desire for more ability to appreciate its -marvels, for more power to praise, more capacity for gratitude. And -then as his eyes swept the horizon round, remembering his duty, he saw -immediately beneath the sun’s disc a curious peak, black, but edged -with flame, which gave him the impression of its being some gigantic -mountain top upon which the sun had been resting, and now was rising -after it in readiness to receive it if it should fall. So strong was -the impression that it made him shudder in spite of himself and turn -away. As he did so, broad on the port beam about five miles away -rose the well-known figure of a sperm-whale exhaling a great volume -of vapour diagonally from his spiracle and sending before his blunt -head a perfect cascade of diamond spray. One moment’s pause, and from -Rube’s deep chest burst the startling whalers’ call, at which the -previously half-awakened decks below burst suddenly into seeming life. -Not one minute was lost, for the crew were in the highest state of -efficiency and eagerness. Only two boats were lowered, for the whale -had no fellow; he was apparently one of those morose old bulls that had -been ejected from his overlordship of the school he had led so long -and was doomed to wander lonely till the end. One drawback there was -to the chase; it was almost a flat calm, and at such a time approach -to a lone sperm-whale is exceedingly difficult. His senses (whatever -they are, they are not like ours) are so acute that unless there be -a little sea on, something that by its natural sounds may render the -splash of an oar or the rattle of a rowlock inaudible, the whale will -almost certainly be alarmed and make good his escape. But as they were -paddling with the utmost caution in his direction, a puff of wind -darkened the water and at the same time sent a cold shiver through -all hands. The mate recovered from his surprise first, and his hoarse -whisper ran through the crew’s ears: ‘In paddles, step mast, quietly -now.’ He was obeyed in swiftness and silence, and the second mate, -following the example, had his sail up almost as soon. Then, as the -graceful boats glided noiselessly across the just rising ripples, all -hands had leisure to look about them, and to their intense uneasiness -they saw that the whole aspect of the heavens was changed. The colour -of the blessed sun itself had faded from glowing gold to a stale, -sickly, greenish hue, and the morning cheerfulness of the sky was -replaced by a dreary, leaden blue, to which the sea had responded by -turning almost black. And it was so cold. The sun seemed at once to -have been shorn of his beams and his power of distributing warmth. He -still shone, it is true, but as if through a veil of some deadly mist -depriving him of all his beneficent influences. Yet there was no vapour -whatever visible. - -The mate, however, alone of the little company, seemed entirely -unconscious of any change in the weather. With his eyes fixed upon the -supine monster ahead he steered the boat as if he were part of it, -as if, indeed, he were enduing it with some of his own personality. -Occasionally, it is true, he cast furtive glances at the second mate’s -boat, but that was only to see whether he was keeping as far ahead of -that officer as etiquette demanded. And as the breeze freshened the -lively craft began leaping gamesomely over the infant waves, nearing -the whale at a great rate. At last! The harpooner, a lean American from -Nantucket, rose stealthily to his feet, balancing the clumsy-looking -weapon as if it were a feather in his right hand, and methodically -arranging the coils of stray line on the little forward deck or ‘box’ -of the boat. She made one last spring forward; then, with a great -swooping curve, graceful as that of an albatross, she glided alongside -the whale, and two harpoons flew from Walter’s sinewy fingers into the -whale’s body. She passed into a little offing of safety as the sail -was brailed in, but the whale wasted no time or strength in fruitless -struggle to free himself of the irons. He apparently gathered all -his powers together and fled to windward through the rapidly rising -waves, heeding not the weight behind him more than as if it had not -existed. He went so fast, indeed, and so dead end on to the sea that -the accomplishment of the boat’s clearance was a task of uncommon -difficulty, taking nearly thrice the usual time. And when it was -finished neither the companion boat nor the ship was to be seen. More, -the black pinnacle of cloud noted by Rube at sunrise had now overspread -fully one half of the heavens. The other half had a menacing shade, not -of cloud, but the shadow of the great eastern mass, and yet behind the -gloom there was the suggestion of an unearthly glow. No one could say -why or how the ship had disappeared, but not a sign of her was visible. -A strange fear fell upon all, even Rube, who by virtue of his great -strength had the midship thwart (the heaviest oar) in the mate’s boat. -Instinctively the mate came aft and got out the compass; but, except to -tell in which direction the whale was going, which they already knew -was something near east, its indications were of little value--they -had no bearing of the ship. And the whale went steadily on into the -gathering darkness. - -Meanwhile, on board the ship signals of recall were being frantically -made in the hope that the fast boat might see them. Mr. Peck did see, -and in less than half an hour was safe alongside again, his boat -hoisted, and his men putting all their energies into the preparations -to meet the coming cyclone. The ship was now between the Seychelles and -the Saya de Malha Bank, having been gradually working north and east -from the Mozambique Channel upon finding that usually prolific hunting -ground so barren of result. And consequently she was now in one of -the very worst places in the whole ocean for meeting with those awful -circular storms which are variously known as hurricanes, cyclones, or -typhoons, according as they are experienced in the Atlantic Ocean, -the Indian Ocean, or the China Sea, but which are all the same kind -of terrible natural convulsion, beneficent in their after-effects -undoubtedly, but while they last filling most men with the conviction -that the end of all things is at hand. Still, so staunch and seaworthy -was the _Xiphias_, in common with most of her sisters built by those -old-fashioned, methodical descendants of the old Puritans in New -England, that the near approach of such a cataclysm would have given -Captain Hampden very little additional uneasiness but for the fact of -his mate’s boat being away, lost to sight, and of his own inability to -follow it up when once the meteor burst, which it was now evidently -upon the point of doing. Nothing, however, could be left undone that -ought to be done for the safety of those remaining on board, and no -time wasted in vain regrets; so for two or three hours all hands -were kept at full pressure putting extra lashings upon everything -movable--double gaskets, ‘marling’ down the sails, hoisting the boats -as high as they would go to the davit-heads, and there securing them -with all the skill available. Also a quantity of food was hastily -cooked (the _Xiphias_, like most of those old ships, carried little -canned provisions) and stored where it could be got at without opening -hatches or depending upon a lighted fire. Everything, in fact, was done -that skill and forethought could suggest or urge to, and then the men -were called aft. All hands stood facing the gallant old skipper as with -head bare he steadied himself against the skylight. - -‘Men,’ said he, ‘we’ve kem up agenst big trouble, for a boat’s crew -of our shipmates air a-missin’, an’ only God He knows whether we sh’l -ever see ’em agen. I feel a’most heart-broken at lettin’ ’em go; but, -men, I’d no idea ’at thishyer hurrican’--fur hurrican’ it’s a-goin’ -t’be, there’s no possible doubt o’ that--wuz a-comin’ on so sudden. -An’, besides, yew all know how eager all han’s wuz t’ git some whale -after eour long spell athout seein’ one. Thar’s no denyin’ the fact, -eour shipmates air in terrible danger. We’re in danger, too, fur -these hurrican’s is enough t’ make the bravest man ’at ever lived -feel quaky t’ his very soul. But we’ve a grand ship under eour feet, -an’ we’ve a-done all thet man k’n do to make her ready fur the great -fight thet’s a-comin’. Naow we’ve a-got another duty t’ perform. In -thet boat beside Mr. Pease, as good an officer ’s ever trod a deck ’r -hove a lance, an’ Walter his harpooner, also one ov th’ very best, and -MacManus, Joey, and Manuel, all good, sterlin’ men as all th’ crew is, -thar’s Rube Eddy. Thet man’s taught us all lessons we needed worse -than any of us knew. By his example he’s shamed us into bein’ better -men, an’ every one of us is happier then we could ’a’ben if we hadn’t -known him. Already I feel at the thought of losin’ him’s if I don’t -care t’ live myself, an’ I know thet all of you ’r feelin’ with me how -great a blessin’ he’s ben t’ us aboard this ship. So I ask you all t’ -kneel down like men an’ pray each in your own fashion fur Rube an’ -his fellows in th’ boat; thet in this fearful time, God, who kin do -anything, may be with ’em t’ save, and thet He may see fit t’ bring us -all together again. An’ if not, to make us all what Rube Eddy often -prayed we might be--good men, ready t’ live ’r die as it should please -God, but whichever it is, to keep unbroken the image of God in us. -Let’s pray.’ - -All hands fell on their knees, and there, in the gathering darkness, -these wanderers from many lands, uncouth, ignorant, careless seafarers, -each in his own way silently pleaded with an unmistakably present God -for the safety of the boat’s crew, and all added, ‘especially Rube.’ -Occasionally an ejaculation which could not be suppressed burst forth, -but for the space of about a quarter of an hour, except for the voice -of the wind like the growing wailings of a tortured spirit, and the -continual mutter of the thunder, there was no other sound. Then, as -if at a given signal, the skipper lifted up his voice in the sublime -old Apostles’ Prayer, the Amens were fervently murmured, and with -perceptibly strengthened hearts the crew dispersed to their several -duties or resting places, and thick darkness clothed them as with a -garment, shutting out all the view of sea and sky. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THE CYCLONE - - -Although all hands had dispersed and half of them were free to seek -their berths, they could none of them go below. A great awe, not -to say fear, was upon them, for none of them save the skipper and -some of the officers had ever witnessed the upheaval of the sea and -down-pressing of the heavens which were now imminent, and the coming -thereof exercised a fearful fascination upon them. They huddled in -groups, only whispering an occasional word, and waited for they knew -not what. Yet all had a feeling that it must be the Trump of Doom. As -yet the wind had not attained any great force, but the motion of the -ship was exceedingly uneasy, for the ocean is so responsive to the -power of the wind that long before a gale which is somewhere raging has -reached a ship, she will often be most violently tossed by big waves -coming sweeping towards her, and this without any barometrical warning -that can be noticed. Nay, it sometimes happens that after several hours -of anxious waiting for the expected gale, with almost every stitch in -the ship close furled, the restless sea will again quiet down, the -filminess will disappear from the sky, and serene weather will once -more prevail: the gale has either blown itself out or has by a very -well understood meteorological event been diverted from its original -course into a totally new one. - -None of these things, however, was known to or noticed by the crew of -the _Xiphias_. They felt the pall above descending lower and lower -until they could imagine its inky folds resting upon the mastheads; -they heard the wailing and moaning of the wind, rising to an occasional -wild shriek, as if impatient to begin the elemental strife; they -experienced the peculiar sensation inseparable from the environment -of an atmosphere surcharged with electricity; and they were obliged -to hold on to keep themselves from being thrown off their feet by the -unnatural, unexpected lurches of the puzzled ship. But it is fair to -them to say that through all their apprehensions for the next few hours -they felt most for their half-dozen shipmates in that frail boat, far -away in the awful darkness, doomed to face the fiercest conflict of -wind and wave known to seafarers, all unsheltered even by a little -deck. Then came a new terror. The accumulation of electric fluid all -around them, having become greater than the atmosphere could hold, -commenced to discharge itself in blinding streaks of vari-coloured -flame, which quiveringly ran about the blackness overhead and almost -seemed to light up the black heaps of water rising and falling without -order all around them. Every yard-arm, masthead, davit-head--in fact, -every point, even to their own heads--gleamed palely with latent -electricity, and strange sensations as of pricking roughened all the -surfaces of their bodies. Some became numbed with fear, others wished -they could be so. - -And then--it was almost a relief--with a roar as of ten thousand lions -mad with hunger, the full hurricane burst upon them. Where it struck -them none knew, or what the ship did when she felt it; for whether -she was beneath the sea or above no one could tell. The awful blast -ripped off the surface of the sea, and spread it through the air so -that sight, speech, almost breath became impossible. But they all -noticed that, although the ship beneath their feet seemed as if she -was being hurled through space, she was now quite steady; the drunken -uncertain motion she had previously been suffering from had altogether -ceased, for under that pressure of wind no sea could lift its head. I -said there was almost a sense of relief, and this is really true, for -now it did not appear possible that matters could become worse. Men’s -minds refused to entertain the possibility of any increase in the force -of the wind, and all felt dimly that any change now must be for the -better--that the hurricane was doing its worst. - -The skipper, aft by the useless wheel, with the two mates near him, -endured like the rest. Having done all that was humanly possible, and -commended himself and his charge to his Father, he had now but to set -his teeth, bend his head, and bear in patience, awaiting without a -tremor the manifestation of God’s will concerning him. There was a -certain indefinite satisfaction in having his two mates near him--the -same feeling that the other members of the crew had in being huddled -together like sheep on the edge of a cliff when the gale howls -furiously landward and sweeps the downs like the breath of a destroying -angel. In fact, neither Captain Hampden nor his officers took the -trouble to think now. They just let their mental powers lie dormant, -having used them at the right time to the best advantage, and being -quite ready to exercise them again when any good could thereby be done. - -And now, what of those brave men so perilously cut off from their -ship, left to themselves in the midst of such potentialities of -destruction that camping out unsheltered and unarmed in the heart of -an Indian jungle would have been safety itself by comparison? For a -time, while the whale kept his unswerving and unfaltering rush into -the blackness ahead, Mr. Pease’s energies and thought seemed solely -concentrated upon the means of compassing the death of his gigantic -steed--any ideas concerning his own danger or that of his crew did not -seem to find admission to his mind. After satisfying himself that the -whale was holding a straight course he called upon all hands to put -forth a supreme effort to get up near enough to the monster, and make -some feasible attempt at fatally wounding him. And they, seizing the -tow-line and straining every sinew to the work, found that they could -actually gain upon him a little, although the sprays coming over the -bows threatened every now and then to swamp them. But gradually they -found their task becoming easier, and although the thickening gloom -chilled their hearts they encouraged one another with shouts of ‘There -she feels it,’ ‘Hand over hand, hearties,’ ‘Walk her up to him!’ ‘He’s -our whale,’ &c. And suddenly the mate yelled at the utmost strain of -his lungs, ‘Lay off--lay her off, Walter; lay off, fur God’s sake!’ -Nobly Walter responded; the light craft sprang off sideways under the -pressure of the great steer oar and Walter’s straining muscles, and -the whale’s huge flukes, brandished high in air, came down with a -crash like thunder, and smote the water just a yard or two abaft the -after oar. But that blow cost the whale his life. For the boat shot -up alongside of him, and in towards his side withal, and at the same -moment Mr. Pease, taking deliberate aim, sent a bomb-lance point blank -into the great body. Almost before the muffled report from within told -that the destructive weapon had exploded, a hand-lance had followed it, -and slid up to its pole within the vast black mass. - -Either of those terrible wounds had been sufficient to kill, and -the two combined had the effect of bringing the whale to a sudden -stop, when, with a long expiration, like the escaping steam from a -water-loaded syren, he gasped out his life and was still, save for -the easy motion communicated to his huge carcass by the waves. So -sudden was his death that the usual tremendous convulsion which takes -place when these leviathans die was totally absent. As soon as it was -evident that he _was_ dead, Mr. Pease, rising to the height of his -responsibilities, and realising how short a time was left during which -anything might be done, caused two more harpoons to be driven into the -whale’s side near the first two, but bridled to the main line. Then -allowing about fifty fathoms drift he cut the tow-line, and veering -away to the tail succeeded with very great difficulty in getting a hole -cut through its thickest part, and the end of the towline rove through -it. That accomplished, the boat was hauled back again to a position -midway between the whale’s tail and its head, the lines made well fast, -and the men told to make themselves as comfortable as circumstances -permitted by crouching low in the bottom of the boat, and arranging the -sail so as to keep off just a little of the spindrift that was already -beginning to fill the air. - -It was now quite dark, although but little after noon; the sea was in -that curiously undecided state before-mentioned, and the mate knew very -well that at any moment the full power of the hurricane might burst -upon them. Yet, strange as it may seem to landsmen or even ordinary -sailors, he had by no means lost hope, neither had Walter. Both of -them knew from long experience, and not theoretically, how splendid -a breakwater is made by a dead whale. Both of them had time and time -again owed their lives to the shelter afforded by one in the midst of -such stupendous seas as are encountered in the Southern Ocean, where -unhindered the lone sea sweeps round the globe, and consequently both -felt that even in the present apparently hopeless circumstances they -might yet be found living when the hurricane had passed and left the -ocean bestrewn with the wreckage of many a score of noble ships. I -think it is not generally known on land how magical (there is really no -other word to describe it) is the power exercised by oil upon the sea. -A little oil spilt upon the water during the prevalence of the roughest -gale makes a tiny oasis of smoothness, around which the most gigantic -waves rear their furious crests in vain in the endeavour to encroach -upon it. ‘Oil upon the troubled waters’ has long been a paraphrase for -the gentle work of the peacemaker, but it is much more than that--it -is a scientific expression of fact; and since shipmasters (being, as -I am never weary of pointing out, the most conservative of men) have -taken to using oil, as it should be used, for the purpose of stilling -the angry waves, the number of shipping disasters that have been -averted is past all counting. It is safe to say that if, wherever any -breakwater, pier, or similar structure is exposed to the fury of stormy -seas, a large perforated pipe were to be laid on the sea-bed a few -yards seaward of the foundations and surrounding them, through which -in time of storm oil might be pumped at high pressure, we should never -have any of those costly works destroyed by the impact of the waves at -all; for they (the structures) would be surrounded by a ring fence of -smoothness beyond which, no matter how fierce their anger, the great -waves could never pass. - -Now, a whale is a natural reservoir of oil, and, whether alive or dead, -he always has around him an area of calm induced by the exudations from -his skin. Therefore, when we read of ‘whales taking refuge in sheltered -bays from the fury of gales,’ we may be held blameless for curling -the lip of derision, and wondering what manner of fools they are who -perpetrate such twaddle for the deluding of their readers. Also a whale -when it is dead does by some mysterious volition point its head, not -in the wind’s eye, or directly to the quarter from whence the wind -comes, but about eight points, or forty-five degrees, therefrom, and, -stranger still, does invariably drift _towards_ the wind, and not, -like a ship, away from it. Various explanations have been proffered to -account for this really wonderful movement of the whale’s great carcass -after death, but none of them, I think, is feasible save this: that -the whale’s tail, being a huge limber piece of gristle of exquisite -propulsive shape, is so actuated by the wash of the waves past the -great body that its motions, like those of an oar turned in a groove -at the stern of a boat, are sufficient to keep the body to which it -is attached working to windward. Not, be it noted, against a current, -which moves the whole mass of water, but against the wind through the -water and incidentally against the sea, which is quite a different -matter. - -Perhaps an apology is necessary for so long a digression, when the fate -of Mr. Pease and his brave men is trembling in the balance, but there -are so many utterly impossible and unexplainable things to be read in -stories now, written to account for the escape of the hero, that I -have felt compelled to take up a little more space than usual in which -to explain the entire reasonableness and possibility of escape from -their dire peril which actuated and hardened Mr. Pease and his crew. -A whisper had run from end to end of the boat full of hope, and Rube -in the middle had accepted it with heartfelt joy, not for his own sake -(for this extraordinary man never thought about himself at all), but -for the sake of his shipmates. And then all settled down to wait and -watch. High over them, with a most terrific noise, a blaze of unearthly -light, and a peculiarly chilling sensation, burst the hurricane. -Really, terrible though it was, they were immensely surprised that it -was not worse. They did not, could not realise how that great bank of -flesh, already floating much higher than ever it did with life in it, -was protecting them, not merely from the impact of the sea, but from -the swamping effect of the spindrift, the sea face carried airwards by -the wind. As this came flying along it met the body of the whale, and -shot upwards, just passing over the frail cockleshell riding in the -little smooth to leeward. All heaven’s artillery opened out, the roar -of the wind, the rumble of the thunder, the hiss of the lightning; but -cowering low down in their tiny craft rocking easily in the quiet water -under the lee of the whale, those six men lived. And as the hours wore -on they forgot to be afraid; nay, they even slept, or hazily speculated -upon what they should do when, the storm having passed, they might, and -probably would, find themselves alone on that wide, wide sea, foodless -and waterless. And so the hours succeeded each other, day insensibly -passed into night, leathery tongues vainly roamed round parched mouths -seeking moisture and finding none, and still hope lived. - -How long they had thus patiently borne the burden of a peril of -which no landsman can have aught but the feeblest adumbration of an -idea, none of them knew, for none of them had a watch, and even had -there been one there was no light. The darkness was of that Egyptian -character that one experiences in a coal mine, and the blazing rivers -of lightning which occasionally coursed over their heads only added to -their blindness. But presently, as at some celestial word of command, -the elemental tumult ceased, the wind fell to a dead calm, and a -strange motion, totally unlike the steady heave and roll of the former -hours, took its place. Overhead the cloud-pall thinned and a star or -two appeared. Their eyes, grown accustomed to the velvety blackness, -saw that they were the centre of a charmed circle, all around which, -at so short a distance that they seemed to be at the bottom of a -whirlpool, enormous masses of water rose and fell in disorderly heaps. -It was an appalling sight, and the mate, with thoughtful wisdom, -distracted their attention from it by advising them to take advantage -of the temporary lull to get a drink and eat a biscuit. Each whaleboat -carries a wooden vessel like a large bucket, holding about four gallons -of fresh water. It is headed up like a cask, but has a wooden spigot -attached by a short lanyard, and this, withdrawn, suffers the water to -escape in a thin stream into a piggin which is held beneath it. There -is also a long narrow keg kept under the little deck over the stern of -the boat, also headed up tightly but easy to open by those who know -how, in which are a number of biscuits, a lantern, and some candles and -matches. This was now produced, and a biscuit each handed round, which, -with a drink of water, had a wonderful effect in raising everybody’s -spirits. - -Mr. Pease then said, ‘M’ lads, I don’ s’pose ’at ever in the history -of seafarin’ a boat’s crew has bin known t’ hang out a hurrican in the -open sea same ’s we’ve done, fur which we’ve gut t’ thank ole Johnny -Squarehead here as th’ means sent by Almighty God fur our safety. -B’lieve me, boys, we’re through th’ wust of it. We sh’ll hev almost -as much wind as before, but not fur near as long, an’ yew know how -safe a harbour the whale gives us. I needn’t ask ye t’ thank God: I -know yew’ve all done that, ’specially Rube thar. Say, Rube, sonny, -haow’re ye hittin’ it, eh?’ ‘Glorious, Mr. Pease, glorious. I wuz jest -thinkin’ as ye spoke, “though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow -of Death, I will fear no evil, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.”’ -‘Bully fer yew, Rube,’ said Mr. Pease. ‘They wuz a time when I sh’d -have miscalled yew ’r anybody else ’at talked like that fur a darned -hypocrite; but, thank God, I know better now. I’ve a-learnt how good a -_man_ a Christian kin be.’ - -He had hardly uttered the last words than with an awful howling sound -the wind burst out upon them from the opposite direction, bringing with -it such a cloud of spray that for a few minutes they fought gaspingly -for breath, and groped blindly to bale the boat. They hardly knew while -those few fateful minutes lasted whether they were sinking or not, but -their faithful defender, in death returning good for evil, gradually -took up his relative position to the wind as before, and although they -could not see they could feel that they were again on the sheltered -side of the great carcass. And, besides, it seemed to them as if it -afforded more protection than it had done before. They could not think -the wind had lessened--indeed, they believed it to blow harder than -ever--but certainly their boat rode easier; and with a relief not to -be expressed in words they saw that light was coming. Only one thing -gave them additional uneasiness: the increasing glare beneath them. -The lightning had almost entirely ceased, but, as if to compensate for -that cessation of the unearthly fires above, the waters beneath them -fairly glowed with green illumination in broad bands, which came and -went incessantly. They all knew that this meant the gathering of the -ravening deep-sea hosts, attracted thereto by the mighty banquet, and -entirely oblivious of the war of the winds above. - -How, throughout those hours of terror, had it fared with the crew of -the _Xiphias_ remaining on board that staunch old ship? Peacefully -enough until the passing of the storm-centre. Then indeed they were -in evil case. For _they_ had no charmed circle, beyond which the waves -could not pass, to protect them. It was an omission only too frequently -made, and almost unpardonable in these ships. Had they but hung canvas -bags of oil from both bows and both quarters, through which the calming -liquid might have drained, they would have been spared much of the -labour, danger, and anxiety. But nothing of the kind had been arranged -for, and consequently when that fearful vortex sea broke upon them, -not only did their vessel’s decks fill with water in masses weighing -hundreds of tons, and smashing everything that was smashable, but the -working of the ship opened her seams so much that, in spite of the -risk of being exposed in the waist, it was absolutely necessary for -all hands to muster at the pumps. There, secured by ropes around their -bodies, and occasionally entirely overwhelmed by the towering masses -of water breaking on board, they toiled unmurmuringly. Again and again -they were hurled like a scattered bundle of chips in all directions; -the ropes with which they were secured threatened to cut them in -halves, making deep discoloured grooves in their flesh, and floating -wreckage beat and bruised them savagely in its dashing to and fro. -But they still stuck to their posts unflinchingly, officers and men -together putting forth all their powers, and hoping, ever hoping, even -when all hope seemed dead. - -For the _Xiphias_ was, to all outward seeming, a wreck. Her bulwarks -were gone fore and aft; the massive brick erection of the try-works -had been swept so cleanly away that no trace of it remained; three -of the fine boats were gone, and only the ringbolts with which they -had been hoisted still dangled at the davit-heads. Several sails, in -spite of the care exercised in their securing, had wriggled adrift, -and the tigerish wind had snatched them from the yards as dry leaves -are stripped from the trees in autumn. But it is in times like these -that the Divine in man shines out, and Captain Hampden stood erect, -not counting his burden of years, nor his present load of care for his -crew, nor the heartache for the brave fellows long ago, he thought, -gone to their well-earned rest in the silence of the sea. His eyes -shone bright, his heart beat temperately, his voice rang steady, and -when, the short calm gone, the hurricane burst again upon them from -its opposite segment, all hands felt his noble influence, and braced -themselves to endure to the end. - -Forty miles away Mr. Pease and his brave little crew still lived. Once -settled into their old position to leeward of the dead whale they felt, -such was the effect upon their minds of their recent experience, almost -safe from the tempest above and the assault of the sea. They noticed, -indeed, that the latter gradually became more furious, as if, enraged -beyond measure by its previous restraint, it was now determined to make -up for loss of opportunity, and destroy everything in its path alien to -its domain. But even that carried some comfort, for while feeling well -protected to leeward of the whale they cared little for waves however -high: the very fact of those waves rearing their heads so savagely told -them that the force of the hurricane must be waning; and, besides, -the thinning of the cloud-pall above, the absence of the lightning, -and an indescribable elevation of spirits, all had their part in the -growth of hope. Only, there remained the increasing menace beneath. -Occasionally a slight tap, smartly given, under the boat sent a shudder -through them as it reminded them how slight was the barrier which -intervened between them and the hungry jaws of that host of sharks. -Men, however, who had ridden out such a day and night of terror were -hardly likely now to become panic-stricken: they had come to regard -themselves as under the special protection of God. So, terrible as -their position undoubtedly was, it had not the same effect upon them as -it would have had if it had come upon them suddenly. - -The hurricane passed away, going as usual through its various fining -phases as better weather came. By noon the sky was clear, the sea -deeply azure, the sun sending down new vigour into that hardly used -group of men. A great exaltation of spirit possessed them all, for it -is noticeable how, whenever the hurricane, cyclone, or typhoon has -passed, everything in nature seems bound to rejoice, not because it -has been allowed to live, but because of the cleansing, sweetening, -freshening up of the world. - -The sharks swarmed in incredible numbers, the birds came in myriads, -the dead mass to windward began to emit a charnel-house fœtor, but all -the men were cheerful, and munched their half-biscuit determinedly, as -if to show that they meant to live up to the hopefulness engendered -by their atmospheric environment. Only the mate, in moments when -not engaged in cheering up his crew, looked grave. He felt the -responsibility for those trustful souls. And he could not help feeling -how remote was the possibility of their ship (or, indeed, any ship) -picking them up. He knew, too, how short a time would elapse before -they would be compelled to abandon their shelter--how few the hours -before it would become so foul that not a human being could live near -it. But he said nothing of this. Instead, he maintained his part, -with that strange mixture of gravity and cheerfulness puckering his -brow. He often caught Rube’s earnest eyes fixed upon him as if in deep -questioning, but he evaded them. ‘Time enough,’ he thought, ‘for the -revelation that must surely come.’ - -The night passed in perfect peace. The burning stars mirrored -themselves in the glassy bosom of the deep, the new moon peeped shyly -forth, a glittering silver sickle with a clearly seen though dull -disc filling up the round. Gently as an infant on its mother’s breast -the boat rose and fell to the softly undulating swell. All except Mr. -Pease seemed asleep, but continually sleepers half-raised themselves -with indistinct expressions of disgust as the foulness of the air half -awakened them. ‘To-morrow,’ thought the mate, ‘we must cut adrift flesh -and blood can stand this no longer.’ So with the dawn (and what a -lovely dawn it was!--like the first in its brightness), the lines were -cut, and with a few strokes of the oars the boat was propelled beyond -that area of stench, the whale having now swollen to the semblance of a -ship bottom up or some huge oblong bladder floating high upon the sea -surface. When all hands had eaten the few crumbs of food remaining, and -had moistened their aching throats with a little swallow of water, Mr. -Pease said, ‘Boys, we’ve been through a lot, but perhaps we’ve got th’ -worst ahead. Never mind. We’re all men here, we know that, an’ whatever -happens we’ll remain men. We’ll die if we must die, or live if we’re -let live, like men made in the image of God.’ - -And the six of them solemnly said, ‘Amen.’ - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -A STRANGE RESCUE - - -Reluctantly, but of necessity, we return to the _Grampus_ getting under -weigh from her snug anchorage among the Cosmoledo reefs, and as smart -as cleanliness and a complete equipment can make her, emerging once -more upon her proper domain, the sea. Her ruler sat in awful state -upon the top of the little house aft, Priscilla by his side in a deck -chair made for her by the carpenter. She gazed with listless eyes upon -the wonderful panorama spread out before her, not daring to appear -interested lest her terrible husband should see in that some excuse for -ordering her below again. Full well she knew that it was only because -he feared that she would have another serious attack of illness that he -allowed her this sweet privilege of breathing the fresh air of heaven; -a privilege she had enjoyed all her stay ashore, and the deprivation -of which while on board had certainly led up to her illness. But in -pursuance of her resolve to endure unto the uttermost, she would have -died rather than ask any consideration at his hands, while taking with -calm thankfulness such crumbs as he chose to fling her contemptuously. - -The late invalids, still pale from their recent close struggle -with death, were doing their best to ‘keep their ends up’ with the -Portuguese portion of the crew, who--trained fine, hard as nails, and -with that elevating sense of superiority which counts for so much in -human conflict--were, while working harmoniously side by side with the -white men, continually letting the latter see in what estimation they -were held. And no sooner was the ship clear of the reefs, and watches -set, than the white men were confronted with another degradation. All -sailors know that there are certain berths in the worst of forecastles -which are considered better than any others for who can explain what -sea-reasons. These berths are usually occupied by the best men in the -ship obviously, and especially on a whaling voyage. Now, when the -watch that was released went below, its members, who were of the now -despised race, were confronted with a state of things which had never -before occurred to them. They were ordered to shift and give up their -bunks to better men. For a few moments it looked as if there would be a -great fight. All the fighting blood of the Anglo-Saxon surged up, but -the odds were far too heavy: no anger could blind men to that, nor any -courage persuade them to hurl themselves headlong upon the knives and -pistols borne by the black Dagoes and ostentatiously displayed by them. -Therefore the white men accepted the inevitable and shifted, amid the -chuckling jeers of their triumphant watchmates, and another step in -Captain Da Silva’s carefully calculated revenge had been attained. - -It may perhaps be thought from the way in which I have insisted upon -this sad tyranny of black over white that I have a serious bias against -the black man. That is not true. I love him generally as a man, and -because I do I am not blind to his limitations, and I say emphatically -that he is not so constituted that it is safe to trust him with the -rule over white men. He may retaliate with the opposite proposition, -which I do not care to defend for one moment. By all means let Black -rule Black, but do not ever let Black rule White, or you will see -Hayti reproduced wherever the shameful law is put in operation, and -what it means let my friend Hesketh Pritchard tell you. Moreover, -these rulers of the _Grampus_ were not negroes. I should no more wish -to be ruled by negroes than by a laughing bevy of children out of the -nursery, ready at any moment to become cruel apes tearing in pieces -their toys. But I might be able to keep my masters amused, should such -be my sad fate, and so escape disintegration. If, however, my negro -masters had been bred in and in with Portuguese or Spaniards, I ought -to seek death at once. When to the cold cruelty of the Latin is added -the irresponsibility of the negro, the blend should never be allowed to -exercise its power over men of Teutonic breed. Wherever it has done so, -the records of such rule are not for general reading lest readers go -mad with horror. - -Aft the conditions were altered also. In every whaleship there is a -space (on the port side generally) abaft the main hatch, and of course -below deck, where the harpooners and petty officers are berthed. The -first, second, and third mates have their berths allotted to them in -the main cabin, offshoots from it of a grim and fearful stuffiness, -but possessing a peculiar desirability because of their contiguity to -the dwelling-place of the lord of all. Now Captain Da Silva calmly -intimated to his officers that he contemplated considerable changes in -the housing accommodation aft. He told them that he had ordered the -carpenter to knock up three extra berths in the ‘half-deck,’ as the -harpooners’ berth is called, and as soon as that was done, why, they -(the officers) would have to clear out, as he needed all the space aft -for his own accommodation. The insult was gross, palpable. Indeed, -it was hardly veiled, especially remembering the expression of face -and the tone of voice accompanying it. But Mr. Court and his brother -officer did not forget what they owed to themselves. They were under -no misapprehension as to why this line of conduct was being pursued -by the skipper, and although both of them felt that the time might -arrive when further endurance would be impossible, even at the cost of -death for rebellion, that time was not yet. So apparently not noticing -the triumphant glitter in the skipper’s eyes, or the exultant ring -in his voice, they acquiesced, serenely to all outward seeming, but -with hearts on fire, and by so doing riveted another link in the heavy -chains they were wearing. When does it become a sacred duty to rebel? -Who shall say? But one thing seems clear: that there does come a time -when, for the sake of others, it is imperative that one man (or it may -be woman) stand up and face the tyrant. He may, probably will, die, but -how can man die better? And no such death is in vain. However, this -high strain may seem unsuited to the present sordid recital--only a -little ship’s company being tyrannised over by one devil, and enduring -doggedly all that he chooses to load them with. - -Once clear of the islands the ship’s course was made N.E., and under -easy sail the _Grampus_ bore away across the smiling Indian Ocean. -All went well. Apparently it could not do otherwise where Captain Da -Silva was. He never seemed to make a mistake. And when he suddenly -came on deck one beautiful afternoon and interrupted the busy tide of -work that never slacked off night or day by calling all hands to make -all possible sail, and altered the ship’s course to due east, no one -wondered. They obeyed briskly enough to a casual observer, but in the -heart of every white man what weariness of life! For two whole days the -_Grampus_ fled to the east as fast as her braced-up condition would -allow, the look-outs never once relaxing their careful watch around. -No one discussed the movement--the time for that had gone. Every white -man in the foc’s’le knew that should he speak one word capable of -being construed into something the skipper might be interested in, it -would, before many minutes had elapsed, be repeated with such fantastic -additions as the carrier of it was capable of making, into the -Captain’s greedy ear, with results the most unpleasant to the original -utterer of the remark. - -As suddenly as the course had been altered and all sails set so was -another change made. Everything was furled but the fore and main lower -topsails, the ship was brought to the wind on the starboard tack, and -lay lazily wallowing in the gentle swell coming up from the south-east. -And then, to the surprise of no one on board (for by this time all -hands, including his own particular friends, if friends they could be -called, believed him to be in league with the devil), there appeared as -if from the bosom of the deep an enormous multitude of small whales. -Like sperm-whales arrested in their growth, and only about twice the -size of ‘black-fish.’ That is to say, each of them would not be more -than three to five tons in weight. It was early morning when they -were sighted, and immediately the whole ship was the scene of most -violent activity. All sorts of alterations were made, notably the -passing out of the boats of the big line-tubs, and only leaving the -small hundred-fathom ones behind. Extra harpoons, too, were placed in -each boat, and before they left the ship all hands were called aft and -thus harangued by the skipper: ‘Looky here,’ said he, ‘these ain’t -sperm-whales, an’ I doan’ want no foolin’ with ’em. Get fast t’ one or -two, an’ then as th’ others come roun’ lance ’em, an’ leave ’em. T’ -the fust man ’at kills over ten, I’ll give fifty dollars in gold. Naow -mind, I’m tellin’ ye. Don’t waste line ’n’ irons on these fish: ef y’ -du thar’ll be big trouble with me ’fore the day’s over.’ There was no -response but a sort of guttural murmur, succeeded by the quick splashes -as the boats took the water and sped away under the utmost pressure of -the oars to where the sea was all a foam by reason of the gambollings -of that great and joyous company of ‘kogia.’ - -Just as the skipper had forecasted, no sooner had a boat got fast to -one of these quaint, short-headed creatures than she became the centre -of a curious crowd of his unfortunate fellows, apparently bent upon -sharing his fate, and for that purpose thrusting one another aside in -their efforts to get as near as possible to the boat. Every man was -armed with a lance, and directed to use it with all his might upon -the whale nearest him. What an awful scene of slaying ensued, to be -sure! The sea became literally encumbered with dead. The men who had -felt that life was not worth living took new hold upon life in their -fierce desire of killing, and forgot for the time all their woes. It -seemed as if this great slaughter must be prolonged indefinitely, but -suddenly, like a trumpet blast, the voice of the skipper rang out: -‘’Vast killin’! All but th’ mate and second mate’s boats, pull for th’ -ship’s quick ’s th’ devil ’ll let ye. Hurry, naow.’ And they did hurry. -The ship, having been kept close at hand, required no great amount of -manipulation to bring her into the midst of the stricken field, and -presently the amazing sight was to be seen of the great carcasses one -after another, as she (the ship) came alongside them, rising into the -air, a chain sling having been whipped round their tails and a tackle -hooked to it by means of which the whole body was hoisted on deck. By -five in the afternoon thirty of those huge masses encumbered the deck -of the _Grampus_, and she presented an even more gruesome sight than -she did when her decks were full of the spoils of the last great catch -of sperm-whales. - -Now the skipper was in his element. No anxiety about the overside -business, everything on deck and snug, although the ship did tumble -about most dangerously from the great top weight. All hands were armed -with spades, and driven like slaves to use them. But N.B.: no two white -men were allowed to work together, lest they might, in desperation, -consider the time opportune for making a dash for freedom. No; Captain -Da Silva saw to that. He had such a head for detail! All that night and -all the next day, without a minute for rest, except just sufficient to -swallow the indispensable food, the fuel to keep these human engines -performing their allotted motions, the men laboured in silence for -the most part, save when the stern commands of the skipper broke the -stillness. Doggedly, desperately all hands toiled on, every plunge of -a great carcass denuded of spoil over the starboard covering-board -punctuating, as it were, the progress being made. And if the decks had -been foul before when the last great catch of sperm-whales was made, it -was trebly so now. Then, there was little besides the all-prevailing -grease, except an occasional block of flesh still left adhering to the -blubber: now, all the nameless foulnesses inseparable from cutting up -such huge bodies in tropical heat on deck were present in full volume, -and---- But this is not a subject to be pursued. - -Wonderful to relate, the health of the recent invalids held out against -this tremendous strain upon it, and as soon as the last carcass plunged -overboard blubber watches were set, and it looked as though relief -had come. But not yet. Some attempt must be made to remove a portion -at least of the accumulated filth from the deck, and so for nearly -half of their first watch below the almost fainting men toiled with -water-buckets and brooms to that end. And as they did so they noticed, -in half-dazed, unappreciative fashion, how frequently the skipper -mounted his little deck aft and gazed earnestly at the lee quadrant of -the horizon. This happened so often that at last long dormant curiosity -was aroused also, and they looked earnestly in that direction too. -‘Thank God,’ all thought, ‘it isn’t whales he’s looking at.’ No, it -was not: it was an awful-looking Himalaya of blackest cloud, violet -edged, that reared its mighty head persistently in that quarter, but -did not seem to rise any higher than half-way to the zenith. No one on -board knew with what consummate skill and attention, in spite of the -many matters claiming his oversight, this wonderful man was manœuvring -his ship out of the path of what he knew to be a devastating cyclone. -He needed no sympathy, no help in his calculations; in fact, he took a -secret but colossal pride in standing alone. And reckoning to a nicety, -but with a dangerously narrow margin, he kept his crew going to clear -away their last great catch, at the same time making all preparations -to meet what he knew would soon be there--the frightful swell raised by -the hurricane and extending for thousands of miles on either side of -its track. - -When it came all was ready for it. Double lashings on everything, the -tiers of casks below all carefully chocked and tom’d off to beams -above, preventer backstays on masts, &c. And as the great green hills -of water reaching from horizon to horizon came sweeping onward, tossing -the noble ship from summit to valley and back again as if she were just -a ball in the hands of gleeful children, the crew cast wistful glances -at their saturnine tyrant, wondering, ‘How did he know this was coming? -What kinder man _is_ he, anyhow?’ Well, had the answer been forthcoming -it would have been just this: That Captain Da Silva was one of those -men of native genius who first of all absorb knowledge as a sponge does -water, whose capacity for courage is as great as their capacity for -mercy or consideration is small, whose frames are more like automata -constructed of steel wire and rubber than sinews and flesh, and who, -given the opportunity, could juggle the globe in their hands as a -conjurer does his properties, and would do so, but for the wisdom of -God, who has ordained that such men shall never go too far. If this -sounds like fantastic eulogy as applied to the obscure master of a -whaleship, I do not feel at all inclined to argue the point: it is for -each one to study out for him or herself and see whether the theory be -reasonable or no. - -The decks were quite clear, three-fourths of the blubber had been -boiled out and the resultant oil run below, when a very strange thing -happened. The weather was beautifully fine, the air serene, and a -little breeze wafted the _Grampus_ at a gentle rate over the sunlit -sea. Captain Da Silva, fully contented with himself, was lolling in -his wife’s chair abaft the wheel smoking a peculiarly rank, oily, and -foul-smelling cigar, one of a large quantity which, just suiting his -taste, he had bought at Brava. I think it may safely be said that -he was just then in the full enjoyment of _dolce far niente_, that -peculiarly delightful frame of mind and body conjoined of which ‘sweet -doing nothing’ seems so poor a description--when into the midst of it -came Priscilla. Lest it should be thought that I have neglected her of -late, I feel bound to say that she had been leading a sort of comatose -existence, in this busy little cosmos but not of it, alive but hardly -conscious of her surroundings. What could I have said of her but that -she awoke, ate a little, lived alone through the day, and slept again? -If perfect life be, as Herbert Spencer says, perfect correspondence -with a perfect environment, then was Priscilla only just dwelling on -the fringes of life, and might truly be said to be nine-tenths dead. -Her placid demeanour and speechless endurance of all things as they -came had become so regular an experience with her husband that it -was with something very like alarm that he saw her standing before -him on deck and heard her sweet, low voice saying distinctly, ‘May I -speak to you, Ramon?’ With a gasp of surprise he rose to his feet and, -stepping to the wheel, said to the shrinking helmsman: ‘Git t’ ’ell -forrard outa this,’ and the man was gone. Then, turning his lowering -eye upon Priscilla, yet not without a certain noticeable twitching of -his facial muscles, he muttered, ‘Wall, what is it naow? Spit it eout.’ -She answered timidly, but as if she must speak: ‘Ramon, please forgive -me, but I know there’s a boat with some dying men in it over there.’ -And she pointed to the north. ‘It’s a whaleboat, and there’s six men, -all alive, but going fast. Will you try and save them?’ He burst into a -very storm of curses upon her for daring to interfere with the working -of his ship and for her unmentionable folly in supposing that he, of -all men in the world, would be likely to take any notice of such a -baby-tale as that. But even as he raved and hissed his foul language -at his wife, she could see that in his fierce eyes there was a latent -look of awe--that he was only trying by noise and bluster to persuade -himself that he was asserting his power in the surest way. Priscilla -appeared to be entirely deaf to his awful words. And when, breathless, -he paused, she resumed quietly, ‘You will find the boat before evening -if you alter the course now, but I am afraid some of the men are -already dying.’ And with that she turned and went away, leaving her -husband like a man just about to have an epileptic fit. However, he -managed to restrain himself, and presently his voice was heard roaring -for the man whom he had sent from the wheel. Having given up the wheel, -he took a few short, undecided turns about the quarter-deck, and then, -like one acting upon some entirely irresistible impulse, he growled to -the helmsman, ‘Keep her away!’ ‘Keep her away, sir,’ replied the man, -immediately putting the helm up. As she swung off the wind the skipper -shouted, ‘Square the mainyard!’ and as the watch flew to the braces and -trimmed sail he steadied the course at north, which brought the wind a -little on the starboard quarter and made the speed about four knots. - -This being done he went below as if, disgusted beyond measure at -having to do such a thing, he must needs use more opprobrious language -to his wife for thus in some mysterious way imposing her will upon -his. But when he saw her sitting in their little cabin looking with -preternaturally bright eyes into vacancy as if she were seeing -something with other than mortal vision, he could say nothing to her -at all, but with a muttered curse upon himself for this unheard-of -folly he fled on deck, not daring to look behind him. As if he must -do something, he slung his binoculars about his neck and mounted to -the fore crow’s-nest, from which the occupant had to depart suddenly -upon the skipper’s appearance. He searched the horizon with most -jealous care, but nothing could be seen, nothing but sea and sky and -an occasional bird. So after half an hour up there he descended again -and solaced his excited feelings by harrying the men, who, as usual, -were kept at work upon perfectly needless jobs as if their very lives -depended upon getting the work done in record time. And so congenial -did he find this occupation that he had almost forgotten why, contrary -to his own plans, he was running his ship almost dead before the wind -up the middle of the Indian Ocean instead of getting away across to -the Straits of Sunda as he had intended, when ‘What’s that?’ shouted -the mate. ‘Somethin’ right ahead, sir; looks like dead whale ’r a boat -’r a big log.’ Ah! Trembling in every limb, Captain Da Silva snatched -his glasses and sprang aloft. Panting with his speed he reached the -crow’s-nest. He did not need to ask where the object was. It stood up -with remarkable distinctness against that wide, clear blue, a little -ungainly black patch. He focussed his glasses upon it and stared -through the double tubes so earnestly that his eyeballs burnt in their -sockets. A cold shudder, in that tropical day, possessed him, ran -through him, and made the hair of his flesh stand up. It was a boat and -nothing else. What manner of woman could his wife be, and was it safe -for him to treat her as he had been doing? Superstitious fears seized -upon him, for ever it will be found that gross cruelty and superstition -go hand in hand, and at that moment he registered a mental vow that in -future there should be a great change in his treatment of Priscilla. -Indeed, he blamed himself bitterly for having allowed himself to behave -to her as he had done. But he took refuge in the mental coward’s lying -plea by muttering, ‘How was I to know?’ - -Go down from aloft he dared not. Slow, exasperatingly slow, as his -ship’s progress was, he felt that he must remain at his lofty perch -until the last moment, when he would go himself and see what this -strange business meant. It was a weary business, for under such -circumstances a ship’s progress seems to be so deliberate, one’s -impatience is so futile and yet so impossible to avoid showing, that -it tries men more than any words can say. It was nearly sunset when at -last the waif was near enough for a boat to be lowered for the purpose -of bringing her alongside. Long before that time arrived Captain Da -Silva had devoured every detail of her--had seen that to all appearance -the six men in her were dead, that she was a whaleboat, but, of course, -could not read her name, since it was not the practice for whaleboats -to carry the name of their ship painted on them, as is done in the -merchant service. The same haughty disregard of any other person’s -curiosity is usually shown in the Navy, where scarcely any of the -smaller boats give the ship’s name--you can read it on the men’s caps -if you want to know it. - -Leaping into the boat he had ordered to be lowered, the skipper gave -the order to ‘give way’ in such a tone that the men fairly lifted the -boat through the water. None of them dared to steal a glance at him; -if they had they would have marvelled. He was in a piteous state of -nervous excitement. He felt as if his wife’s eyes were penetrating -through the massive sides of the ship, that she was cognisant of his -very thoughts; and the idea made great beads of cold sweat stand out -upon his swarthy skin. He fought with his fears as a man fights with -death, now devising strange punishments for Priscilla for having thus -obtained a strange power of frightening him, and now vowing to himself -that he would devote the rest of his time with her to making amends for -his previous treatment of her. Not that he was conscious of having done -anything he should not do--men of that class seldom are--but because -she did not seem to be happy under the discipline which he felt was his -prerogative to mete out to all under his command. And then they reached -the boat. - -Are those bundles of rags and bones men? By night the dews and by day -the pitiless sun have alternately soaked and scorched them. They have -endured such agonies as men do not care to think of. The boat herself -is so bleached with sun and dew and wind that it seems wonderful she -still holds together. And there is a faint smell as of death. Round to -windward, quick. Look closely. Is there any life at all? Yes, there is -a slight movement. A bight of tow-line is flung on board and secured -to the bow thwart, a curt order is given, and the waif is being towed -to the ship. Arriving alongside, she is hoisted level with the rail -so that the hapless ones may be lifted out, as they are, so gently, -so tenderly, by those rude, much-persecuted men, while the skipper -looks on loweringly. One is dead. He is a little Italian apparently so -reduced by his sufferings that he looks more like an Egyptian mummy -uncased than anything else. But in all the rest there is some spark of -life, notably in one big-framed--alas, every bone is awfully visible, -and his eyes are away in the back of his head somewhere at the bottom -of two long tunnels--fair-haired man, whose broken lips part and whose -blackened tongue tries pitifully to frame a word. - -The skipper goes away and leaves willing, eager hands to attend -mercifully upon these castaways. He has said no word forbidding -anything to be done, and so the group around the bodies give such aid -as they know how, while the rest of the crew trim yards again for -Anjer. And by the time she is settled upon her old course and the -Captain has carelessly strolled forward again, he is humbly informed -that five of the men he has rescued are not only still alive, but -likely to go on living. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -THE MEETING - - -Now, owing to the way in which Priscilla kept her cabin when not -absolutely driven on deck by the foulness of the air below, she was, -strange as it must appear, quite ignorant of what was going on above -her. Had the steward not been exceedingly busy upon some domestic task, -he would, poor little man, have gladly carried her the news. But so it -was, the boat’s crew had been rescued, the boat hoisted inboard, and -things had all resumed their normal course without her being any the -wiser. And yet somehow she felt a lightening of the heart. She felt -sure, in spite of the coarse and brutal way in which her husband had -received her vision, that he had done, or would do, what she had asked -him--she had no anxiety upon that head at all. But then she was never -anxious now. She had cultivated unintentionally the serene detachment -of mind of those Indian devotees who, by dint of long meditation and -abstinence from all but the barest necessities in the way of food and -sleep, have attained unto a condition of mind that is favourable to -the detachment of body from soul without the catastrophe of death. Of -its psychology I know nothing, but I do feel that, given sufficient -will power, the human brain may be capable of some wonderful power of -sending thought waves out into the unseen. It does not matter, anyhow, -since I only wish to record the trance condition in which Priscilla -seemed now to spend most of her time. - -But in some mysterious way she was subconsciously easier in her mind, -and that although she knew absolutely nothing about what was going on. -Also her husband seemed, for some reason or another, to be anxious -that she should not know. Perhaps he was ashamed, or whatever kindred -feeling to shame he might be capable of, to let her know that he had, -after all, obeyed her words and found that she had been absolutely -correct. Truth to tell, he was immensely impressed, and something very -like fear of his wife was slowly getting the mastery over him. Thus -days went by as the _Grampus_ drew steadily towards the great East -Indian Archipelago, and the rescued ones grew steadily well by dint of -careful letting alone and the help of their previous clean lives. Then -there came a day when Captain Da Silva took it upon him to have the -apparent head man of the boat’s crew he had saved brought aft to him, -and the following colloquy ensued. (It must be borne in mind that the -rescued men’s voices had only just returned to them.) - -The Captain: ‘Wall, wut ship d’ ye b’long to?’ The Officer: ‘_Xiphias_, -sir, of New Bedford.’ A grunt from the skipper and a short interval -of silence. Then the skipper spoke again, after carefully rolling his -cigar between his lips, as if to extract the last grain of nicotine -out of it. ‘’N’ wut wuz ye doin’ t’ git lost? Sounds funny, grown -men like you air gittin’ lost.’ The scorn and contempt and utter -brutality of his manner passed all description. ‘Wall, sir,’ replied -the mate faintly, ‘the circumstances wuz peculiar. We left the ship -in chase of a whale just before a hurricane kem on, an’ I hung on t’ -the whale mebbe a bit too long, so ’t we got outer sight o’ the ship. -’N’ then we’d all we knew t’ keep in shelter ov th’ carcass till thet -awful weather wuz over. ’N’ by thet time th’ whale wuz so blown up we -couldn’t stand his stink any longer, an’ we cut away from him an’ put -fur th’ Seychelles as near as I could judge. But there wuz only th’ -lantern keg of bread an’ th’ ushal water, an’ thet’s all we’ve a-had -fur twelve days. If th’ boys hadn’t been th’ very best we sh’d all -a-ben mad long ago.’ Another spell of silence, broken at last by the -skipper saying: ‘S’pose you don’ reckon on ever seeing yewr ship agen, -hey? Le’s see, old man Hampden got her, er had her, I think. Ef so, -they ain’t ’nough of her left by this time t’ repair a whaleboat with. -He was a soft-hearted old greenie, anyhow, kinder pious, I seem to -remember, ’n’ didn’t know his nose fr’m the jibboom end.’ ‘Excuse me, -sir,’ said the mate suddenly, with some energy, ’thet kain’t be eour -Capt’n Hampden. I ben fishin’ fur two-an’-twenty year, and he wuz the -smartest skipper at anything a skipper ought to do ’at ever I gammed.’ -‘Oh, shet yer big mouth, yew wouldn’t know a smart man w’en yew see -him. It’s the same man right enough. I knew him very well, an’ wouldn’t -ha’ carried him fur ballast in my ship. But I ain’t got no time t’ be -yarnin’ with yew, ner inclination either if yer come to thet. I’m jest -figgerin’ eout wut t’ dew with ye. I want a few han’s, an’ although -yew ain’t th’ kind I’d have if I c’d choose, y’r better than none, I -s’pose, an’ so I’ll ship th’ five of yew ’n’ give ye th’ 250th lay, -same’s th’ rest of th’ men ’r gettin’.’ ‘But, Captain,’ replied the now -thoroughly alarmed man, ‘I wuz mate of the _Xiphias_--I ben mate fur -th’ las’ ten years, ’n’ yew kain’t mean t’ take such a slice of my life -as to ship me here fur a three years’ cruise on a seaman’s lay. In th’ -name ov common humanity, sir, yew kain’t mean it.’ And the big drops of -sweat started out of the poor fellow’s face. ‘Kain’t I!’ sneered the -skipper. ‘Jest yew say yew don’ know, and yew’ll be more ’n half right. -I k’n an’ dew mean just that thing. Yew’ll take my offer, yew an’ the -rest ov th’ great babies ’at come with ye, ’r if ye don’t yew’ll wish -yew’d been left to rot in thet boat. ’N’ mine yew, not a word outa yewr -heads, ’r ye’ll fine me t’ deal with, ’n I’ll try an’ teach ye wut a -smart cap’n is.’ - -Poor Mr. Pease! No braver man ever stepped, but he was weak and -trembling from exhaustion. A strong desire to live had returned to -him, and, moreover, he was overborne by the fierceness of the terrible -man with whom he was confronted, and he dimly remembered some of the -terrible stories current about him--of the dark deeds done by him in -the secret places of the sea, and up till now with impunity, because of -his phenomenal success as a whale-fisher. When will people in business -learn that it is a crime against man and God to condone, yes, connive -at abominable wickedness in those they have set over their employees, -because, forsooth, they are ‘smart men’? When will people learn to -brand a man as a demon, whatever his place in society or the Church or -in business, who, in his villainous methods of getting rich, brings woe -and death unto thousands of homes? When will ministers of the Gospel -dare to say to such men bringing their vilely acquired wealth and -pouring it into the coffers of the Church, ‘Thy money perish with thee!’ - -So with this terror upon him, Mr. Pease signed the articles, and his -crew followed suit, becoming by that act the slaves of the skipper -for the next three years unless some heaven-sent happening should -release them. And immediately, though they were yet so exhausted, -they were set to such work as they could do--making sinnet, scraping, -and mat-weaving. Well was it for them that no whales were sighted, or -assuredly they would have been called upon to take their places in the -various boats, under which severe treatment they would probably have -died. - -It may perhaps be thought strange that as yet no allusion has been -made to the strange fact of Reuben and Priscilla being on board the -same ship at last. But really, as far as these two principal actors -in our story are concerned, it did not seem possible that anything -should come of it, the circumstances being so peculiar. As repeatedly -observed, Priscilla came on deck but little, for she could not bear -the jealous watchfulness with which her husband followed her every -movement. And in the fo’c’sle, or, indeed, out of it, such was the -terror under which all hands lived, not merely of the skipper, but of -his Portuguese allies, that any conversation concerning the skipper was -tacitly banned. No word ever passed between the white men about him or -his affairs. The Portuguese may have discussed him freely, but as it -was in their own tongue, no one but themselves was any the wiser. Thus -it came to pass that Reuben was on board the ship a month before he so -much as knew that the Captain had his wife with him, which is all the -more noteworthy from the fact that in small vessels like the _Grampus_ -it is the rule that the Captain cannot sneeze in the solitude of his -state-room without it being known and commented upon all over the -ship in an hour. Poor fellows, they have so little to talk about. But -whalers generally needed to be exempt from this law. Their discipline -was much too strict for it to run even in the best of them, while in -the _Grampus_, as we have seen, it was in the highest degree dangerous -to mention the Captain’s name at all. - -The ship had passed through the Straits of Sunda into the Java Sea, -and was one night, under the skilful pilotage of the skipper, working -her darkling way westward along the south coast of Borneo. There was -but little wind, except occasionally when a passing squall gave a -heavier puff than usual, causing the staunch and well-balanced ship to -heel like a yacht. Terrific peals of thunder and blazing flashes of -lightning followed one another in quick succession, for the heat of -the day was being healthfully dispersed over the sea from the land, -although in a somewhat terrifying manner. Rube was at the wheel, -his great figure erect and head slightly turned aside to listen for -the skipper’s slightest word, while keeping one eye fixed upon the -faithful little face of the compass suspended inside the skylight. -Suddenly there was an awful crash of thunder as if a Himalayan Range -were tumbling to pieces, a short breathless hush, and with a hiss as -of escaping steam, sky and sea were flooded with violet flame. As Rube -raised his arm instinctively to shield his face he saw by that brief -blaze a woman facing him within a few feet. For that vivid instant -the two faces were revealed, then utter blackness succeeded. Through -Priscilla rushed a spasm of fear. Who was this huge bearded stranger, -and whence had he come? More, why did the sight of him put her poor -deadened mind into such a ferment as the optic nerves experience when -after long darkness the eyes are suddenly exposed to the glare of day? -As she groped her way below these things flitted across her brain, but -never for one moment did she imagine why or how, and soon, very soon, -she resumed her listless introspective attitude again. She had only -crept up with some message to her husband of trivial import, and soon -the whole incident receded to the background of her mind. - -As for Reuben, for one moment he thought he had been struck by -lightning, and with the stroke had come a vision of an angel, a -sorrowful angel outlined in living light. But the shock, great though -it was, did not suffice to unlock that closed door of memory, only to -let a few broken gleams of illumination through, tantalising, almost -maddening in their incompleteness. He soon recovered, and when relieved -from the wheel at eight bells, sought one of the American portion of -the old crew and whispered, ‘Is they a woman aboard this ship?’ ‘Hush, -for Heaven’s sake. If the skipper gits to know you’ve asked such a -question, or I’ve answered it, he’ll trice us up an’ flog us, sure’s -death. An’ ye kain’t breathe here without somebody listening. Yes.’ -‘Thanks,’ replied Rube; and straightway going to his bunk he lifted up -his heart in fervent though silent prayer for the owner of that sweet -pale face. In doing this he but obeyed an irresistible impulse, since -he knew not at all of Priscilla’s suffering, and, indeed, even before -the accident which shut him off from the past, had always thought of -her as being full of happiness with her husband. Now, however, knowing -no more of who Priscilla was than of a person he had never seen or -heard of, he was full of a mysterious compassion for her, and felt that -he would gladly have laid down his life to serve her. - -The crew of the _Grampus_ never ate any idle bread, but now they were -indeed having a time of travail. For Captain Da Silva was making -a passage to the Japan grounds, being mightily wroth because of -the ill-success which had attended him lately. The wonderful good -fortune enjoyed by him previously had been relegated to the limbo of -forgotten things. He felt no joy in it now, looked upon it as only -a bare reward for his phenomenal ability and smartness, of which no -man was more fully conscious than himself. So he harassed his crew by -night and by day, making, trimming, furling, sail; so that no breath -of wind should be wasted, and when, as occasionally happened, a dead -calm befell, getting all the boats out and setting their crews to tow -the vessel along with their oars. It was a fearful ordeal in that -climate, and some of the crew were only kept at it by sheer dread of -the skipper. They feared him more than sunstroke or death by sheer -exhaustion. It was this state of things which brought about a collision -between him and Reuben. The latter stalwart recruit being always so -willing and apparently eager to work, had hitherto escaped even the -usual opprobrious epithets with which most of the crew, except the -Portuguese, were favoured. But because no occasion of fault could be -found in him he was jealously watched by the skipper’s cronies, and, as -it was bound to do sooner or later, the longed-for opportunity came. -The boats had just returned to the ship, after a four hours’ tow in -the afternoon sun, because a little breeze had sprung up and relieved -them. The boat in which Reuben pulled midship oar had just come -alongside, and Mr. Pease, who had been pulling tub-oar (next to Rube) -had fainted, overcome by heat and exhaustion. Unfortunately, just then -the skipper looked over the side, and taking in the position of things -with one glance of his flashing eyes, shouted with an awful Portuguese -oath, ‘Start that lazy Yankee brute there, Pedro! Hit him, hit him -with anything!’ Pedro, not at all unwillingly, seized a bight of the -towline, and was just about to deal the unconscious man a tremendous -blow, when Rube, calmly turning round, seized the descending arm, and -with his other hand quietly wrenched the rope from the harpooner’s -fingers. The maddened Portuguese snatched his knife from his belt at -the moment of his release, and with his skipper’s yell of ‘Kill him, -kill him!’ piercing his ears, made one frantic stab at Rube. But as -calmly as he had caught the rope-wielding wrist, so now he caught the -murderous one, and with a quick twist made Pedro drop his knife into -the sea. A yell of pain escaped the Portuguese as his wrist cracked, -and Rube, releasing him, said quietly, ‘Sorry t’ hurt ye, shipmate, -but ye mustn’t kill, y’ know.’ By this time the skipper had recovered -from the speechlessness of rage into which he had been thrown by Rube’s -action, and shouted, ‘On deck with ye, on deck!’ All obeyed but the -man who had fainted: he was beyond obedience. As Rube stepped over the -rail the skipper met him with a blow of a heavy bludgeon of oak that -might have felled an ox. Right across the head and face it came, and -the splendid fellow dropped senseless and bleeding at his master’s -feet. Stooping, the latter dragged the unconscious body to the middle -of the deck, and sang out, ‘Up waist boat.’ But the white men stood -irresolute for one moment as if inclined to resent the vileness of this -last assault. That moment was fatal. For without a sign made every -Portuguese in the ship had ranged himself by the skipper, and in their -hands gleamed revolver barrels. Howling out the order again, the unled -whites seized the falls and ran the boat up on to her cranes. One of -the Portuguese asked if the man was to be lifted out of the boat, but -the skipper turned upon him with an oath so fierce that he shrank back, -regretting that he had spoken. - -No one dared suggest aid to Rube, and so, with the knowledge that again -he had fully asserted his superiority over the white man, Captain Da -Silva went quite happy to his supper. And sitting there with his wife, -he could not forbear saying exultantly: ‘Nice crowd o’ hogs these -countrymen o’ yours are. I d’ ’no’ wut I wuz fool ’nough t’ take any -of ’em aboard here for at all. Some of ’em kem aboard through yew, -anyhow--one ’specially I remember just now. I’m goin’ t’ give myself -th’ pleasure of floggin’ him to-morrow, if he ain’t dead, and yew shall -be a witness to see it’s all done legally, y’ know.’ And he winked -hideously at her. She, poor thing, sat as usual silent and white, -hardly realising the horror of the whole thing. And her misery of mind -and body was only slightly increased when, as a sort of praise-meeting -to whatever devil they felt protected by, the skipper invited the -Portuguese harpooners below to a drinking bout, first locking -Priscilla into her room. The baffled Pedro was there with his arm in -a sling, looking a veritable fiend. ‘Never mind,’ said the skipper in -Portuguese, ‘yew shall have the flogging of that big Yankee beast if -he lives. What do you think of that?’ Pedro muttered some inarticulate -profanity and took another drink. He did not mind much what was done as -long as he ‘got even,’ as he termed it. And now it is time to draw a -veil over that bestial scene, worthy of the worst days of the pirates, -and especially those Portuguese pirates who sailed the China Seas -commanding gangs composed of all the scum of the Far East and outdoing -them all in cruelty. - -On deck a stealthy figure had crept forward to where Rube lay, with a -mat to put under his head and a little water to moisten his parched -lips. It was the poor darky steward, who had been shut out of the -cabin while the drinking was going on, and who thus, for pity’s sake, -risked undergoing the same treatment. Not that it would have been much -novelty, for there was scarcely an inch of the poor wretch’s body which -had not its scar. And at last men get used to such treatment (some men, -that is) and take it as a matter of course. It is pleasant to record -that this poor samaritan was enabled to carry out his beneficent little -ministration unseen, save by Mr. Court, who still kept his watch, -although in a dogged sullen way that was intensely painful to see, but -which, strange to say, did not seem to detract from his efficiency. -But, as he said to himself very often in the solitudes wherein his -soul roamed during the night watches, was there ever an officer so -treated? He did not know, from his favourable position heretofore in -American ships, that many hundred British mercantile officers have -had to endure treatment even worse than his, because they have been, -as well as kept at arm’s length by the skipper and made to feel that -they were of less account than anybody on board, openly and constantly -reviled before all the crew, and then expected to maintain discipline. -Happily, with the morning came, instead of the shameful exhibition -purposed by the skipper, a diversion welcomed by all hands, except -Rube, who, but for his stertorous breathing, appeared to be dead. It -was the raising of a ‘pod’ of cow whales at daylight, with a brisk -breeze and everything in favour of a splendid day’s hunting. Rube was -dragged aft out of the way. Pedro, whose wrist was so badly strained -that he could not lift a harpoon with it, grumblingly took up his -station aloft for signalling purposes, and in ten minutes from the time -of sighting the whales five boats were away, the skipper leading as -usual. This, however, was to be an exception to the usual celerity of -capture shown by the _Grampus’s_ crew. In the first place, the whales -were going so fast that it seemed for a long while as if the chase -must be fruitless; and then, when at last the boats did rush in among -them, their movements were so marvellously agile that the danger was -very great. The skipper as usual seemed ubiquitous, compelling the -admiration of all by the way he manipulated his boat. He had already -killed his whale when he saw that Mr. Court was exceedingly hampered -by the movements of a loose cow, which behaved as if she understood -exactly how best to frustrate all the deadly intentions of the enemy of -her companion. Without a moment’s hesitation the skipper cut loose from -his whale, shouted to his men, and tore off to help the mate, leaping -like a flying fish from one boat to the other as they flew swiftly in -opposite directions. Snatching the lance from the hand of the amazed -officer, he had just dealt a tremendous blow at the fast whale with it, -when, as the boat lay off, the loose whale rose spectrally between, -on her back, with her jaws agape. Swiftly turning, those great jaws -closed, catching the skipper’s arm, with which he was poising his newly -straightened lance again, and dragging him headlong out of the boat. -Paralysed with horror, the mate stood for a moment, then stooped and -caught the skipper as he came bounding to the surface almost at the -spot where he went overboard. But in doing so Mr. Court overbalanced -himself, and he and the skipper, interlocked in each other’s arms, -went down again. The harpooner, a wonderfully smart black Portuguese, -immediately cut the line, allowing the whale to run, and after a minute -or two’s manœuvring, succeeded in bringing the mate and skipper to the -surface and into the boat, the latter almost dead. - -[Illustration: THE LOOSE WHALE ROSE SPECTRALLY BETWEEN, ON HER BACK, -WITH HER JAWS AGAPE. - -_P. 295._] - -The best haste possible was made to the ship, and the skipper was -carefully lifted on board, laid on the deck aft, and his clothes cut -off as the only way of uncovering his wounded arm and side. All the -time the examination took place he was unconscious, so the mate was -able to dress the extensive lacerations, set two broken ribs and the -mangled arm, and make him fairly comfortable before he came to. Then -with very great care he was lowered through the cabin skylight and laid -upon the settee in his berth. Here he was left to the care of his wife, -while the mate returned to his arduous duties on deck. It is pleasant -to record that his first care was to see some adequate attention given -to the case of Rube, who was moaning and tossing ceaselessly in the -throes of brain fever. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -FAREWELL TO THE _XIPHIAS_ - - -We left the _Xiphias_ in evil case as far as appearance went, but with -her brave crew still undaunted by the long series of misfortunes which -had now, as they thought, almost reached the culminating point in the -loss of their vessel and all of their lives. Perhaps a bitter pang did -stab some of their hearts as they realised that if the hurricane now -raging should succeed in its efforts to destroy them all, their fate -would never be known. That adds a new terror to death, for man loves -to think that his going hence is no mystery, and that its incidents -will be remembered to his credit by someone, if only for a little time. -But gradually hope grew stronger (they had never quite lost it) that -they might be saved, for the weather was, as always in the following -segment of a cyclone, growing perceptibly better, although the force of -the wind showed as yet no sign of lessening. Unfortunately, herein lay -their present danger; for the _Xiphias_ was leaking so badly, she had -evidently been strained to such an extent, that the sea, now rising and -tossing her about like a ball, bade fair to complete her destruction -after all. Therefore, encouraged by the skipper and Mr. Peck, who had -now of course assumed the position of chief officer, they all toiled -unremittingly at the pumps, even though the face of the carpenter as he -sounded the well every hour never lightened. - -The struggle for life had been so fierce that when at last the awful -meteor had passed quite away, the sea had resumed its placid calm, and -all nature seemed through that tremendous convulsion to have renewed -its vigorous youth, the poor tired old ship was hardly able to rise -to the long, long swell that still came rolling majestically towards -her, extending from one horizon to the other. She just slowly wallowed -like a top that is ‘going to sleep’ and will presently lie dead. So -alarming was the outlook that Captain Hampden and a few of the more -weary of the men commenced to provision the boats in readiness to leave -the ship in case she foundered. One thing puzzled the fine old skipper, -though, and that was how, with nearly twelve feet of water in her, the -_Xiphias_ floated at all. And then suddenly, calling himself a fool, he -remembered all that oil below tightly bunged in stout casks, which in -their turn were well stowed and secured from floating adrift by ‘toms’ -from the beams above them. Due to his own forethought, and yet he had -forgotten--could not realise why his ship had not, long ere this, -‘turned turtle’ and sunk. - -Having realised it, he called all hands aft and explained the -circumstances to them; told them that they were only about three -hundred miles south of Mahé, in the Seychelles, which was the nearest -port where they could hope to find their needs supplied and whence -they could send news home that would arrive there within reasonable -time. Finally, he concluded his speech by saying: ‘Men, God hasn’t -forgotten us. We shall live, I feel sure. And I don’t believe He’s -forgotten our poor shipmates either. I feel almost certain that they -are still alive, and that in His own good time we shall see them -again. Carpenter, sound that well again.’ The order was obeyed amidst -breathless attention, and the cheer that went up when Chips announced, -‘Eleven-three, sir, just what it was an hour ago,’ could not have been -improved upon by the healthiest and most vigorous crew. Now every man -went on with his work soberly and in good heart, as if persuaded of -his perfect security, and the ship crawled daily nearer port, while, -although regular pumping continued, there was none of the energy of -despair in the work because it certainly was not needed. But at the -mastheads every eye while daylight lasted roamed around the great blank -circle unceasingly as untiringly, hoping against hope to see, not -whales, but some sign of the lost ones. In the foc’s’le the fellows -could talk of nothing else but Rube; and MacManus, who had been one -of those left on board, refused to be comforted. In fact, with the -emphasis of his warm-hearted, illogical race, he went so far as to say -that if Rube was lost he wouldn’t survive him, and that if even his -own father confessor dared to suggest to him that Rube was a heretic -instead of a blessed saint and martyr he would peril all his chances of -eternal salvation by committing a fierce, premeditated assault upon the -unworthy man. - -All the patience possessed by this crew of good fellows was needed by -them now. For while their hope was strong again, it was sickeningly -deferred day after day by the lightness of the airs and the -sluggishness of the vessel. Besides, as often happens in such cases, -the leak, having unaccountably ceased to gain upon them, now began to -increase again, although very slowly. There is something appalling in -being on board ship under such conditions. Knowing the possibilities, -one cannot help expecting that presently the opening through which the -hungry water is forcing itself may widen out so extensively as to make -the sinking of the ship a matter of minutes. This feeling of dreadful -anticipation is, I am bound to say, not nearly so much warranted on -board a wooden ship as it is in an iron or steel vessel, where the -springing of a leak may mean the starting of one rivet in a row, which, -resenting the extra strain put upon them, promptly give up their hold, -and the great plate, gaping, admits the sea so fast that the hull sinks -like a bottle with the bottom knocked out. - -However, all hands stuck manfully by their task, and on the twelfth day -from the ceasing of the hurricane they were rewarded by hearing from -the masthead the joyful shout of ‘Land-ho!’ It was early morning, but -so slow was the pace at which their vessel crawled towards this haven -of refuge that it was nightfall before they anchored in the beautiful -little bay of Mahé. And as the anchor rattled joyfully down, its -clangour reverberating among the hills, all hands felt deeply grateful, -and then very sad, as they thought of the brave fellows who had not -been permitted to reach port with them. Then the sails were quickly -furled and the decks cleared up, and a spell at the pumps was decided -upon by the skipper before allowing everybody to have a long night’s -rest. So after a good meal and smoke, the pumps were manned by three -gangs, who relieved one another at ten minutes’ intervals until nine -o’clock, by which time the water in the hold had been so much reduced -that, after consultation with the carpenter, the skipper decided -that except for an anchor watch of one seaman and a harpooner, all -hands might go below and remain until eight bells (eight o’clock) the -following morning. - -When aroused, not only did they find a splendid assortment of fruit -alongside, but the anchor watch had been busy fishing, and the -appetising odour of fresh fish being cooked greeted their nostrils as -they came on deck. It was a happy breakfast party held forward that -morning. Sweet potatoes, fried fish, coffee, and soft bread, with -oranges and bananas to follow, made up a meal which, after their late -terrible experiences, seemed to them the richest banquet imaginable. -As soon as breakfast was over, their heavy task began. First of all, -they got under weigh, and worked the vessel in as near the shore as -possible. Then, having moored her head and stern, they commenced -operations by discharging her cargo, lowering the casks of oil into -the water and towing them to the beach, where they were laboriously -rolled up above high-water mark. Then, some lighters being hired, all -the provisions, movable furniture, clothing, &c., were also discharged, -the sails were unbent and sent ashore also, while the upper yards -were sent down and floated alongside. A great raft was made ready to -work upon, and then the vessel was hauled in as closely as she would -go in her now empty condition to the beach, the cutting falls secured -to the fore and main lower mastheads, and the two bower anchors laid -out shoreward. This heavy toil occupied four days. Then came Sunday, -when, comfortably housed in tents of their own rigging ashore, the -weary crew enjoyed a long luxurious day’s rest, helped by a very homely -service of thanksgiving conducted by the skipper. - -On Monday the great work of repairing the ship’s bottom began by -attaching the cutting falls to the bower anchors, leading the -hauling parts ashore, and heaving the ship down upon her side until -her keel was exposed. It was then found that the leak was in the -garboard-strake, or the next plank to the keel, and manfully did the -carpenter, the cooper, and as many of the crew as could handle a tool, -attack the work of repair. Four days from sunrise to sunset were spent -in this labour, then, satisfied that all was right on the starboard -side, the skipper ordered the vessel to be turned round and the other -side hove out for the same treatment. - -It is very wonderful to consider in how few words--in a sentence, for -instance, like the preceding one--can be described an enormous amount -of work. A whole chapter might easily be devoted to the elucidation -of the various processes necessary for the performance of this work -spoken of so baldly, but I am afraid it would be far from interesting. -Sufficient, perhaps, to say that these duties, involving so much -painful labour, and for so long a time, are now performed in dry docks -or on patent slips with a celerity and ease that, considering the bulk -and weight of modern ships, would be nothing short of miraculous to a -casual observer unversed in engineering feats. - -Fortunately the men were all contented with as well as interested in -their work. They had grown to love the ship as they had the captain -and officers, and so each duty, however hard or unpleasant, was gaily -performed, and apparently without half the labour expended on similar -tasks by discontented men. At the expiration of a month from the time -of entering Mahé the ship was again ready for sea. ‘Tight as a bottle,’ -said the proud carpenter, who had worked like any three men, and, -besides, had managed to teach much of his art to sailors (farmers most -of them a year ago), so that they were able to assist him, not merely -in sawing, hauling, or chopping, but in much more important detail -work. No man had given any trouble. Loafing natives or beachcomers of -doubtful nationality, skulking around for an opportunity to do mischief -by purveying a peculiarly vile brand of fire-water, were sternly warned -off the premises of the sailors--told to keep outside a certain area -set apart as the special grounds of the men of the _Xiphias_. - -When the work was all done, the cargo reshipped, and the _Xiphias_ -quite ready for sea, Captain Hampden called all hands aft, and said: -‘Men, I’m dredful proud of ye. Ye’ve take the last ounce out of -yourselves, you’ve never given me a minute’s uneasiness, and I don’t -know how to thank ye enough. But I got it in my head that as we are -all ready to sail to-morrow if need be, maybe yew’d some of yew like -a little run loose with some money of your own, and if so I feel that -yew’re all so worthy of trust that I ought to give yew the opportunity, -and I will--if yew want it. Ef not, I’ll gladly go with yew to a -regular picnic down to one of these beautiful outlying beaches. We’ll -take all our own provisions, we’ll cook them ourselves, every man -shall amuse himself just as he likes, fishing, rambling, swimming, or -what not, and we shall come aboard tired out with real enjoyment, but -happy and not a cent poorer in pocket or health. Now, all those in -favour of my scheme step forward--those that want to go by themselves -and spend their own money remain behind.’ - -All hands stepped forward but two harpooners. The prospect of such a -‘Sunday School outing,’ as one of them termed it, did not appeal to -them--they were men, not babies. So they went both of them together -in search of what they considered to be enjoyment, while Captain -Hampden and all hands, except the mate (Mr. Peck), the carpenter, and -steward, left the ship on their excursion, and spent a day of unalloyed -pleasure, happy as a lot of children let loose from school. And if -any old sailor turns up his nose at this I would like to ask him, as -an honest fellow, to tell me how much enjoyment he ever got prowling -about the purlieus of a great seaport from one dirty public-house -to another, always meeting the same kind of furtive-eyed loafer and -blatant female, and always pounced upon by these harpies with shouts of -welcome, changing into derisive curses as soon as they found he had no -more money to spend on them or to give them? I have no doubt but that -his answer would be that it was all sickening and exasperating in the -last degree, but as long as he knew of no other way in which to spend -his money and leisure, it was not his fault that he behaved as an utter -idiot. - -But enough of this. The two malcontents returned in the morning sadly, -having had their enjoyment and looking fearfully the worse for it. No -one said anything to them about their experiences, and they did not -volunteer any information, but it was at least a fortnight before they -had regained their healthy appearance, and a much longer time before -they had lost a certain hanging of the head. This last was novel, and -would not have been the case, but that they had been practically alone -in their folly. And, perhaps, there was just a little of the Pharisee’s -attitude in their shipmates, who, having chosen to keep out of harm’s -way, were inclined to be inordinately proud of their virtue. It is this -which makes so many Christians offensive, makes them shunned by those -who are really penitent. They do not understand the Divine pity nor the -Divine humility, much less endeavour to practise them, and so repel -those whom they are professing to try and attract. - -At noon that day the _Xiphias_ sailed short-handed by the loss of those -six fine men (for recruits were not to be obtained in Mahé), but well -equipped again for the voyage. She now carried seven boats--five in the -davits and two on the skids aft, and all repairs had been substantially -carried out. As soon as she was clear of the land and heading across -east for the archipelago, Captain Hampden called all hands aft, and in -their presence complimented the carpenter for his noble efforts and his -great skill. The Captain said that what he had done was truly above -all reward, but as a mark of his appreciation he had much pleasure in -handing Chips an order on the owners for $250 = £50. Chips turned brick -red, fidgeted, shuffled, and finally said, ‘Thankee, sir.’ More than -that he could not say--he was one of those doers who cannot talk. But -the men cheered him to the echo, and another kindly link in the chain -which bound all hands was forged. - -That evening Captain Hampden communicated to his officers his plans. He -intended making a passage with all possible speed to the Bonins, hoping -there to pick up half-a-dozen good men, and then go on the Japan ground -for a season--it being then at the height of its fame. But, he said, he -was not without hope that on the way thither they might meet with some -whales, and be fortunate enough to obtain such an addition to their -stock as would repay them for their recent losses. All the officers -were in the best possible spirits. They felt that, depleted as the crew -was, if only favoured with opportunity they would all give the best -possible account of themselves, and each reiterated his firm belief -that this would yet be a most successful voyage. Then they separated -for the night. - -At daylight in the morning the gladsome cry was again heard from the -crow’s-nest notifying the nearness of sperm-whales. And for the next -week they had a real, old-fashioned busy time. They killed four fine -large bulls, one of which was apparently very sick, and, besides, -so fat that each lance-thrust was almost like piercing a bladder -of lard. So peculiar was his lethargy that, in the absence of any -apparent reason for it in the shape of recent encounters with whalers, -the Captain decided upon an unusual examination of the body, which, -favoured by wonderfully fine weather and a smooth sea, Mr. Peck was -able to accomplish successfully. The search revealed an enormous mass -of ambergris, packed tightly in the lower bowel, and weighing over two -hundredweight. This alone at the lowest possible quotation of $5 an -ounce represented nearly $18,000, or about £3,500, more than the value -of the whole four whales put together, although in those days sperm oil -and spermaceti were easily worth $500 per ton to the ship. - -All hands rejoiced exceedingly, feeling that the monetary loss of -their late disaster was well wiped out, and anticipating again a -most prosperous voyage. Heartened and encouraged thus, they worked -so splendidly that by the time they reached the Sunda Straits the -vessel was in her normal state of cleanliness and fitness for further -adventure. But none came along. They just glided quietly through -the straits, buying up with great delight the stores of fruit and -vegetables brought by the islanders, who could hardly believe their -good fortune. For most of the sailing ships that loiter through there -do not yield the canoe-men much profit--the trade is mostly barter, -an old shirt for a punnet of sweet potatoes, a pair of shoes for a -section bunch of bananas, &c. And the demand for monkeys, parrots, -musk-deer,&c., has greatly fallen off even in homeward bound ships. -The _Xiphias_’ crew, however, took all the fresh food that came along, -and got it a bargain, because they paid for it in silver dollars or -five-franc pieces, money current all over the islands of the Indian -Ocean from Madagascar to Singapore. - -All the way along from Anjer to Luzon they coasted peacefully, keeping -wide-eyed watch for possible thieves--it would be using too big a word -to call them pirates--who, even to this day, are ever ready to pounce -upon a helpless craft and rifle her, incidentally killing her crew. -Our splendid sea-patrol, ever engaged in keeping the peace all round -the world, is specially busy in Eastern waters protecting the world’s -commerce from these polyglot marauders, and on the East Coast of Africa -in suppressing slavery. Yet for this truly beneficent work one never -hears a word of praise. All our sins, or even our supposed sins, are -remembered--not merely, I regret to say, on the Continent of Europe, -where we expect it to be so, but in the United States of America, and -all our good deeds are studiously ignored, or, worse still, distorted -into deep-dyed hypocritical designs upon some innocent people’s -independence. But I often wonder what would become of Eastern commerce -if the British Fleet in those seas were to be suddenly withdrawn. - -One more piece of good fortune awaited the _Xiphias_ and her good -crew before getting clear of those mazy waters. It was just after -they had cleared the Molucca Passage, and were hauling up north for -the Bonins. About half an hour before sunset the fore crow’s-nest -reported something, he didn’t know what, but it was making a tremendous -commotion in the water away ahead about four or five miles. The vessel -being under full sail, and with a moderate breeze, nothing more could -be done but keep her as she was going, except that Captain Hampden -mounted up to the fore-topgallant yard with his glasses and succeeded -in noting a black object in the sea. No more disturbance was visible. -The sun went down, the quick tropical twilight faded into night, and -still the skipper kept his eyes fixed upon the spot. Then to his great -joy the moon rose--in that clear atmosphere shedding a flood of light -along the sea. Suddenly the skipper’s voice rang out of the darkness -above: ‘Lower away y’r boat, Mr. Peck, an’ keep her jest ez we’re -goin’. I think yew’ll find somethin’ worth havin’ jest ahead there. The -res’ of th’ hands shorten sail an’ heave ship to.’ ‘Aye, aye, sir,’ -responded the cheery voice of the mate. And in about three minutes the -vessel was lying-to, the rattle of boat’s falls was heard, and the -faint glimmer of a lantern was seen as Mr. Peck sped away along the -lane of silver sheen spread by the moon on the surface of the quiet -waters. He was no sooner gone than the skipper reached the deck, and -immediately kept the ship away again after the boat. In half an hour -all hands were straining to get alongside the biggest whale any of -them had ever seen, slain apparently by one of his fellows, since his -jaw and part of his throat were completely torn away. Thus, without -any effort on their part, beyond realising the spoil, they had gained -a prize worth about $6,000; a sort of crumb flung to them out of the -boundless wealth of the sea. - -And now, much to my sorrow, we must part company with Captain Hampden -and his crew. The further matters treated of in this history do not -concern him: he did not even hear of them till two years later. It -would be a pleasant task to tell of how he reached the Bonins in peace, -and found there the recruits he needed, also an indefinite rumour, -which gave him many anxious hours, of some men having been there in -the _Grampus_, who said they had been lost from his ship. For his own -peace of mind he was bound to put it down to one of those loosely -invented tales that ship-frequenters in foreign ports concoct in order -to get on fairly intimate speaking terms with shipmen; terms which, -skilfully manipulated, should result in profit to the tale-tellers. -Also of how, through the usual thrilling series of adventures -which always fell to the lot of a whaleship in those days out for -a three-years’ cruise to the uttermost parts of the sea, Captain -Hampden and his men passed unscathed bodily and exceedingly prosperous -financially, since the _Xiphias_ returned, having been absent three -years to the week, with almost the largest cargo ever brought from the -depths of the sea to New Bedford, or, indeed, any other port in New -England. - -But that must not be. Our business now is with the _Grampus_, and to -her, however unwillingly, we must return, bidding the _Xiphias_ a long -farewell. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -CHECK TO THE KING, AND A NEW MOVE - - -As on a previous and never-to-be-forgotten occasion, in the midst of -the multifarious activities prevailing on the deck of the _Grampus_ -there was a sense of profound peace. And now there was also a feeling -of fierce delight that their tyrant was tasting in his own body some -of the pains he had so joyously inflicted upon others. All the white -men’s faces wore a pleasant expression, not at all mitigated by the -presence of the Portuguese jealously noting the satisfaction and fully -aware of its cause. And, human nature being what it is, there is no -doubt whatever that had Captain Da Silva died, his Portuguese henchmen -would have been compelled to eat the humblest of humble-pie, or commit -themselves to a fearful mutiny with all its consequences. - -Mr. Court moved majestically among the toilers with the air of a man -from whom an awful incubus has been removed, and to whom has come a -veritable inspiration. He did not shout; all his orders were issued -quietly, but how wise and far-seeing were all his arrangements! And, -first of all, he told off Mr. Pease to watch Rube, who was fighting -with all the splendid reserve of force in his clean, healthy body -against the encroaching Angel of Death. Mr. Court’s reasons for this -were two-fold. First, he needed badly to show his detestation of the -malice which had placed this fine officer in the position of a seaman, -and next he had noticed that in Rube’s delirium one name continually -fell from his lips like a peal of dactyls, ‘Priscilla, Priscilla, -Priscilla.’ And Mr. Court knew that Priscilla was the name of his -skipper’s wife. Therefore, although he fully believed poor Rube’s -chanting of that name to be a mere coincidence, he knew how essential -it was that the skipper should not hear of it. For he was sure that in -that case Rube’s days would be few and evil, supposing the skipper to -live. So calling Mr. Pease to him, after being exceedingly careful to -see that none of the Dagoes was within earshot, he explained the matter -to him carefully, winding up by saying that at least until the devil -was unchained again, he (Mr. Court) would see that a brother officer -was, as far as possible, saved from the degradation deliberately -prepared for him. - -All this, of course, was seen, noted, and commented upon by the -Portuguese, secure in the general utter ignorance of their language by -the white men, and consequently not needing to get away in private for -consultation. But all they could do under present circumstances was to -‘bide their time, doing their duty meanwhile as before, for they knew -quite enough of their skipper to be sure that no amount of favouritism -would be held to excuse slackness of work when money-making was to the -fore. And as the Americans worked now with a hearty good will because -of the absence of the skipper, it was truly marvellous to see how the -tremendous task of cutting-in and trying-out was tackled. A spirit of -emulation was abroad, manifesting itself in extraordinary ways. For -instance, a lean American from Connecticut, who had somehow learned -to swim splendidly, was down on the back of a whale for the purpose -of hooking a mighty iron hook into what is called the ‘rising,’ or -eye-piece. He sprang there at the word, alighting in the foul pool -of grease and blood and salt water at the same moment as a gigantic -Portuguese, but just as they both reached out for the hook a big swell -came along, the ship gave a heave, and a vast volume of water swept -over the carcass, washing both the men into the sea alongside, which -as usual was alive with sharks. They disappeared for a moment among -the shovel heads and dorsal fins crowding round; then, springing to -the surface, Nat, the American, snatched at a strip of blubber, and by -sheer agility flung himself back to his former position, grabbing at -the dangling hook as he reached it, and yelling in a half-strangled -voice, ‘Heave away!’ Then, with a contemptuous look at the Dago -struggling to climb back, he seized the already rising parts of the -tackle and swung himself on deck. The Dago’s friends had flung him -a rope, and he mounted easily enough by its aid, but their remarks -to him, aided by the satisfied chuckles of the white men, seemed to -depress him very much. He was about to slouch off to the foc’s’le to -change, when Mr. Court’s voice rang out clearly: - -‘Whar you goin’?’ - -‘Changea me close,’ was the sullen answer. - -‘You git right on with the work,’ said Mr. Court, and, taken by -surprise, the man obeyed. He and his countrymen felt that it was -only another item in the account to be paid off presently when their -champion returned to his command. - -Below, however, that champion was in evil case. In his previous -mishap, although his bruises were many and severe, there had been no -bones broken, but now his injuries were of so extensive a character -that he could hardly find energy enough to curse his wife and the -steward, his only attendants. In fact, the conditions of things were -entirely altered. Mr. Court, in full vigour, was in charge, and came -in to report to him twice a day in the most formal manner how matters -were progressing on deck. The mate never asked him how he was, never -attempted any conversation, and, after the report had been made, -only answered questions, and that in the curtest manner possible. At -certain intervals, being responsible for his commanders welfare, he -made careful examination of the injuries, and saw that they were doing -as well as possible under the circumstances. Also he gave the steward -secret orders that all the ventilation possible should be secured in -the cabin for the Captain’s wife’s sake, who throughout this trying -time, as before, scarcely ever left her husband’s side. - -On deck Rube progressed most favourably. His splendid constitution won -in the great fight, and when at last he opened his eyes sanely on his -devoted nurse, that much-tried man made up his mind at once that Rube -would live. No matter that he was worn to a shadow, that he looked even -worse than when rescued from the boat, he had evidently got a grip -on life which he had no idea of relinquishing just yet. He wanted to -live, and, as all doctors know, that is the great factor in the problem -of recovery from any illness. But Mr. Pease was mightily puzzled as -Rube grew stronger to find him so constantly referring to the early -incidents occurring during the cruise of the _Xiphias_. He seemed to -have no knowledge whatever of the stirring events which had happened -since. Also Mr. Pease noticed that his eyes had an anxious careworn -look in them as of a man who feels that the threads of his life are all -entangled, and that he has no ability to clear them. He had, besides, a -habit of muttering to himself and of mentioning names all unfamiliar to -Mr. Pease, as if by some freak of memory a certain portion of his life, -utterly forgotten until now, had just been recalled, while another -portion, much more recent in its incidence upon his brain, had become -completely obliterated. There was as well an utter absence of that -cheery, wide-eyed outlook which he used to wear, the true expression of -the Biblical injunction to take no thought for the morrow. Moreover, he -was so anxious to get well. He did not know where he was, except that -he was at sea and ill, and his helplessness worried him much. It took -all Mr. Pease’s power of persuasion to convince him that by worrying he -was retarding his own recovery, and that, as matters were, it really -did not matter a pin whether he was fit again in a week or a month. But -it was a difficult job to explain things to a man who knew absolutely -nothing about the necessary details, who remembered nothing at all of -the happenings of the last eleven months. At last Mr. Pease sought an -audience of the mate, taking care that there should be a white man at -the wheel, and that all the rest of the hands should be busy forward. - -To him Mr. Pease told all that he knew about Rube, of his joining the -ship, of his terrible accident and recovery therefrom, how since then -he had always behaved more like an angel than a man, and how every man -on board had grown from deriding him to loving him--in fact, the story -which the reader knows. During the recital Mr. Court glanced from time -to time most curiously at Mr. Pease, as if wondering whether the latter -were crazed or not. Nor could this be wondered at, remembering the life -Mr. Court had been leading in the _Grampus_. What wonder that he had -come to disbelieve in the existence of a God at all?--having always -been indifferent in his acceptance of the existence of a Supreme Being -as a matter of course, and since he had been mate of the _Grampus_ -having grown certain that whether there was a God or not there must -be a devil, and that this devil was apparently permitted to have -everything his own way for the present. Now he was interested in spite -of himself at the idea of one greenie having been permitted to alter -the character of everybody on board his ship. Also he told Mr. Pease -how Rube’s present condition was entirely due to his interference on -behalf of his former officer. At this news, now first made known to -him, Mr. Pease bowed his head, saying: - -‘Wall, I alwuz thought he wuz a sure-’nough angel, but I never -calculated on him so nearly coming to his death for me. Anyway, my -life’s his frum this eout, ef he wants it--there’s no question ’bout -that.’ - -Now, whether it was the intensity of devotion manifested towards Rube -thenceforward by Mr. Pease, or his own innate vigour asserting itself, -is no doubt a moot point, but certainly from that day Rube’s recovery -was exceedingly rapid. But he was puzzled beyond expression at his -former mate’s dog-like affection for him, also at the want of deference -shown to Mr. Pease by all hands. And as it was entirely useless trying -to remember anything about recent events or to understand what he -was told about them, he resigned himself to the mystery. Long before -the skipper was able to move sufficiently to come on deck he had -resumed his place among the crew, and was doing his work, but with a -hesitation, awkwardness, and want of spring that made Mr. Pease tremble -for his welfare when once the skipper had again taken command of the -ship. - -With that consummate ability for navigating difficult seas that seems -inherent in American whaling officers, Mr. Court had, despite his -limitation of access to the means of navigation, due to the Captain’s -behaviour, brought the _Grampus_ through the intricacies of those -waters south of Celebes, and had steered her safely past the western -end of New Guinea out to the southward of the Pelew Islands before -Captain Da Silva came on deck. I have purposely avoided all mention of -his behaviour while thus laid helpless a second time, for the subject -is such a painful one that it is difficult to do more than hint at it. -A wounded tiger would certainly have been far more docile, and have -repaid his nurses with much more gratitude than this man, from whom -every one of the Divine qualities of our nature seemed to have been -withheld. Doubtless this vile temper did much to delay his recovery, -but that he could not see; and hard as his language was to bear, the -mate felt that it was infinitely better to listen to it occasionally -below than to have his presence on deck again. And as the news of his -approaching recovery crept about the ship, every white man, except -Rube, kept repeating to himself most fervently, ‘Oh, if he would only -die!’--‘he,’ of course, being the common enemy. As for Priscilla, the -long confinement and constant strain of nursing this terrible man had -worn her to a shadow. He did not abuse her so much now, but she had -to listen constantly to his abuse of others, listen to his furious -conversations with his Portuguese harpooners, who were daily summoned -below to his bedside to report to him their observations of how the -Yankee unmentionables were handling the ship. But this latter affected -her as little as the former, which she could understand. The abominable -phrases in her own language fell upon utterly unheeding ears, and left -no more impression than did the imprecations in an unknown tongue. -What she was suffering from was purely physical, as it had been before -reaching the Cosmoledos. - -At last one lovely morning, with the ship’s head pointed towards the -Bonins under his instructions, the skipper gave orders that Pedro and -Manuel should attend him and assist him on deck. He needed help. He -was worn to a shadow, his face was like a hatchet for sharpness of -outline, and many threads of white appeared in his hair and whiskers. -But from out the caverns whither his eyes had retreated gleamed the -same infernal fires: the indomitable will had not been subdued in the -slightest degree. Upon reaching the deck, he cast a comprehensive -glance around the vessel. She was like a new pin for cleanliness, not a -rope yarn was awry, and most of the watch were busy scraping the spare -spars, always a favourite device with him when nothing else could be -found for them to do. - -From forward came the clink, clink of iron where the remainder of the -men were beating iron-rust off the anchors and cables. Everything was -going, in fact, as goes a good watch after it has been wound by the -master’s hand. There was absolutely nothing to find fault with, yet the -mate surely knew that fault would be found. So he stood near, offering -no salutation nor expecting any, but awaiting the contemptuous burning -words he knew would soon be flung at him. Suddenly the skipper said, -without looking at the mate: - -‘Wall, seems yew’ve mistook th’ ship fur a pleasure boat. Wut in -thunder yew ben doin’ all the way up hyar from Borneo?’ - -‘Doin’ wut hed t’ be done, ’n’ doin’ it well too,’ growled Mr. Court. -‘Wat d’ye expect I’d be doin’, ef I mout be askin’?’ - -‘Ha, _thet’s_ wut ye ben doin’, is it--gittin’ things ripe fur a -mut’ny a’gin’ me. All right. I’m layin’ fur ye. Y’ mout hev made sure -while I ben lyin’ thar he’pless ef yew hed th’ grit ov a purp, but -yew haint, yew ----’ There is no need to suggest the remainder of -the vile sentence. But Mr. Court had found time not only to recover -his self-control and respect, but to gauge the capacity of Captain -Da Silva’s supporters to overcome the white portion of the crew. -Moreover he had, with commendable forethought, drawn the stings of the -harpooners and as many of the foremost Portuguese hands as he could -convict of possessing them--that is, he had taken away their revolvers -and ammunition, and by perfect equality of treatment had re-established -a proper order of things in the foc’s’le. All of these things Captain -Da Silva, with his almost superhuman grasp of matters only faintly -shadowed forth to his senses, had already seen except the disarming of -his gang. He was not likely to mistake the import of the change in Mr. -Court’s tone and bearing towards him. It was a heavy blow, but he was -wily as a snake, and immediately changing his tone slightly, he resumed: - -‘Thar, I s’pose it’s no use makin’ more trouble than thar’s any need -fur. P’r’aps I’m a bit frazzled eout with lyin’ below like a gutted -herrin’. Anyhaow, I guess I’ll be all right time we git on the Jappan -groun’, an’ then we’ll hev some fun. Hyar! Manuel, Pedro, come an’ git -me b’low ’gen. I ain’t feelin’ good a bit.’ - -As the two scowling dark men passed him and placed each an arm -carefully behind the skipper’s back to assist him down into the cuddy, -Mr. Court viewed them with clear eyes, saying nothing, but pondering -a great deal. He was not in the least deceived by the change in his -skipper’s tone. He knew full well that no stone would be left unturned -to do him a mischief, and he determined to treble his vigilance and -that of his compatriot officers in order to guard against any sudden -surprise, and, satisfied that he was doing all that in him lay both -for duty and self-preservation, he turned away and resumed his daily -business of supervision. - -What he did not, could not, know was that by his resolute bearing -and brave words he had saved one of his countrymen from being put to -the torture. It had been the skipper’s determination when he came on -deck to see his cruel intention towards Rube carried out, and, as -we know, he was not easily turned away from his purpose. Ever since -he had regained consciousness the idea of wreaking his will upon -Rube--first as being one of the rescued boat’s crew he had been, as -it were, driven to save; and, secondly, as the successful opponent of -that will--had been fermenting in his busy brain, and at the earliest -possible opportunity he had appeared on deck for the purpose of putting -it into practice. But for the first time that voyage he had found -himself successfully thwarted by one of the hated Americans, and he -needed all his marvellous powers of self-control and dissimulation not -to indulge in some frantic outburst that would certainly have resulted -in his being disabled from doing any more harm that cruise. His cup -of humiliation was not yet full either. As they went slowly down the -companion-way, Manuel whispered to him in Portuguese: - -‘Do you know that the mate has taken away our weapons?’ - -‘What!’ he hissed, and wrenching himself free from Pedro on the other -side, he struck at Manuel with all his might, and missed him, falling -down four stairs upon his injured side, and lying there foaming with -pain and fury. Manuel, his face green with rage, turned upon his heel -and remounted the cabin stairs. What black thoughts filled his heart -we cannot tell, but certainly the cost of that injudicious outburst to -Captain Da Silva was an exceedingly heavy one. He reckoned too much -upon the perfect subjugation of his countrymen to his will, forgetting -the obvious fact that if you give your subordinates too much power over -you they are apt to use it at inconvenient times, to the complete -upheaval and reversal of some of your most cherished plans. - -Pedro, alarmed at the Captain’s condition, for the latter was quite -beside himself with agony, called in that subdued voice common to -sailors when they are in the cabin, ‘Madem, senhora, Missis, Capena -very too mucha bad; pleasea come!’ But there was no answer. Nor could -be, for Priscilla, completely worn out, was lying in a dead faint -upon the settee in their little state-room. The mate was away forward -conducting the work, the steward was busy washing clothes on deck, -and poor Pedro, looking upon his skipper’s horribly distorted face, -listening to the gnashing of his teeth and watching the writhings -of his body, forgot everything but the need for instant aid, and -shouted, ‘On deck, dere, somebody, anybody, comea down here quick!’ -At that moment Rube was on his way to relieve the wheel, being now -fully recovered as far as physical strength went. With one glance at -the sphinx-like face of the helmsman, Rube sprang down the companion, -finding the skipper in convulsions, and Pedro at his wits’ end to know -what to do. Together they raised the twisting body and carried it into -the state-room, where the first object which met Rube’s eyes was the -apparently lifeless form of his loved and lost Priscilla. - -[Illustration: THE APPARENTLY LIFELESS FORM OF HIS LOVED AND LOST -PRISCILLA. - -_P. 322._] - -For a moment all things reeled with him, and then, quietly laying the -skipper on the deck, and controlling himself by a Titanic effort, he -said, ‘Pedro, some water--quick!’ Even as he did so and Pedro started -off, Priscilla gave a deep, deep sigh, opened her eyes, and seeing a -strange man before her, made an effort to rise, while a faint tinge -of pink came into her face. But with a mingled pang of regret and -thankfulness Rube saw that there was no recognition in the look--he was -just one of the crew to her, and nothing more. And then, to his intense -relief, came hurrying the steward and the mate, called frantically by -Pedro. Rube stole away, leaving the new-comers to render such aid as -was possible, and wearily crept to the wheel, taking absolutely no heed -of the bitter words with which he was greeted by the waiting helmsman. - -A trick at the wheel by a good steersman is a splendid place for -meditation. For while the mechanical section of the brain is busy -with the primal duty of keeping the particular point of the course -given as near the ‘lubber’s point,’ or line drawn on the inner rim of -the compass-bowl, corresponding to the midship line of the ship, as -circumstances will allow, the lobes devoted to thought may be fully -occupied with the most recondite speculations. May be, but are not -often, for your ordinary sailor is a most unimaginative human animal. -Reuben, however, for the first half-hour of the present ‘trick’ found -the meditative side of his brain one seething whirlpool surging -around its vortex. ‘Priscilla is aboard this ship.’ True, she had -not recognised him, and that was, so far, a gain; but how could he -control himself? His speech, his looks? Moreover, she was unhappy. How -much so he did not, could not, know, for the reasons that have before -been fully given; but that wan face, those thin hands, those deeply -shadowed eyes, what a tale of misery they had to tell to a loving -heart like Rube’s! Yet even had he not been powerless to do anything, -loyalty, honour, truth demanded that he should be silent, cost what -it might, unless he saw danger to that dear life. Then the problem -of her being here at all suddenly came back with awful force. And -utterly confounded, he lifted his heart again to God, not blithely or -hopefully, but in a sort of mechanical way, or instinctively, if it be -better put so. Instantly a great peace fell upon him. A merciful veil -stole down between him and his mental troubles, and the utter blankness -of want of thought enwrapped his mind. - -In the cabin the mate and the steward had laboured manfully at their -task, although much hampered by the want of knowledge of how this -condition of things had been brought about. Priscilla had fully -recovered consciousness, but was still too weak to help. Still she was -no hindrance. She was just watching, and claiming no attention. Mr. -Court found several of his bandages displaced, much of the laceration -re-opened, and altogether the patient in a bad way. With native skill -and judgment he did his best to make his tyrant comfortable, and then -having instructed the steward to devote his whole time to the Captain -and his wife, returned on deck and sent for the two Portuguese. - -‘Now,’ said Mr. Court sternly, when they appeared, ‘I got to know wut -yew two ben a-doin’ t’ th’ Captain. Yew wuzn’t thar, Manuel, when I -kem an’ Pedro wuz. Wut d’ ye go ’way fur?’ Volubly Pedro began, but -the mate in a roar bade him ‘shet erp,’ and turning to Manuel, said -quietly, ‘Heave ahead.’ - -‘Well, sah,’ said Manuel savagely, ‘we’s a-he’pin’ ole man daown -companyon, an’ ole man le’s go my arm an’ hits me. Then he fall daown -steps. I don’ care if he break his neck, so I don’ go daown ’n’ look. I -kem on deck. Dat’s all, sah.’ And this lucid explanation he followed up -with asseverations unprintable--indeed, untranslatable. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -THE EDUCATION OF THE SKIPPER - - -In spite of the gravity of his position, a smile broke over Mr. -Court’s rugged face as he realised the situation. All unversed in any -Machiavellian arts of diplomacy, he had unwittingly, by straightforward -conduct, driven a wedge into the base of the vile edifice so -laboriously reared by his commander. For it was impossible for him to -help seeing how deep was Manuel’s resentment at the treatment meted -out to him by the Captain, although the reason for the outburst was -entirely hidden from the mate. He was seriously troubled in his mind, -though, about Priscilla. How to proceed in order to save her from -another painful illness he did not know. For he felt that, though he -could and would dare a good deal now to keep the ship from becoming -a den of wild beasts as far as the crew was concerned, interference -between the skipper and his wife was quite another matter. - -Yet, could he see her die? For that sad event seemed to him entirely -probable within the next few days. She looked so frail, almost -transparent, wax-like, in her perfect colourlessness of skin from her -long seclusion, and, which alarmed him most,--there was a vacant, -far-away look in her eyes that was most uncanny to him. He discussed -the situation at great length with the second mate, who was fast -recovering from the morbid condition of mind into which he had been -thrown by the continued success of the skipper. But discuss as they -might there seemed no solution of this difficult problem--indeed, as -they vividly remembered, the chief difficulty was Priscilla herself, -who, loyal to the core, would not, whatever her sufferings, do or say -anything which might in her estimation weaken her husband’s authority. - -So, with a heavy sigh, the two good fellows would close their -conference and part, the one to his dreamless bunk, the other to -his four hours’ tramp up and down the small area of the _Grampus’s_ -quarter-deck, revolving, almost maddeningly, all sorts of schemes for a -further amelioration of the present conditions. - -I fear that many ship officers, whether of merchant ships, whaleships, -or men-of-war, deliberately cultivate a kind of stultification of the -mental faculties while on watch. The mechanical side of the brain -previously spoken of will go on doing its part no matter how dense have -become the thinking processes. But that any intelligent man should -set himself to become a Peter Bell, who ‘whistled as he went for want -of thought,’ is akin to the idea of a man who should hermetically -seal up his nostrils so that he should not smell, or render himself -colour-blind so that pictures should not appeal to him, or cultivate -stone-deafness in order not to enjoy harmony. It is true that to a -highly sensitive, overstrung organisation such an ordeal as a cruise in -a whaler must be a terrible one. For there are no inducements to ‘get -there.’ - - ‘Day after day, day after day, - We stuck, nor breath nor motion; - As idle as a painted ship - Upon a painted ocean.’ - -This condition of things, so wonderfully portrayed by Coleridge, is -well-nigh intolerable to a merchantman, whose employment probably -depends upon the smartness of his passage: to the whaler it matters -no more than it does to the steamship, for exactly the opposite -reason. The one doesn’t care because his engines are doing the work -and his ship’s swift passage through the stagnant air makes a pleasant -breeze; the other doesn’t care because he isn’t going anywhere, and -consequently the longer he loiters where he is the more chances there -are of his seeing what he wishes to see--whales. - -In the foc’s’le there was a marked improvement in the mental and -moral atmosphere. Released from the awful nightmare of the skipper’s -presence, and quite conscious of the fact that the officers were in -sympathy with them, the white men grew cheerful and spoke boldly. -Moreover, the disarmament of the Portuguese had a splendid effect. -It enabled men, hitherto silent under gross provocation because they -wanted to live a little longer, to lift up their heads and speak with -the enemy in the gate. This feeling of freedom culminated one day in -a huge Portuguese ordering a smart little Yankee from Edgar town to -‘git away wiv that face while I sit-a down comf’ble.’ The invited -party, being at the time sitting on a stool he had made himself, felt -naturally aggrieved, and with a considerable amount of spirit retorted -in terms that need not be clearly set down, at the same time retaining -his seat. The Portuguese stared stupidly for a breathing space or two, -then seizing the little Yankee, flung him in a clucking heap across -the foc’s’le. But Rube was sitting next to Hiram, and immediately rose, -seized the wrists of the black man, and forcing him backwards on to the -deck, sat on his chest, saying: ‘Looky here, my friend, we’ve done with -this fun. They’s goin’ to be no more of it onless yew’re prepared to -take on the job of killing every white man aboard. I doan’t kyar much -which way ’tis, but _this_ hez t’ be stopped anyhow.’ As soon as he had -finished speaking every white man sprang to his feet cheering lustily. -The Portuguese looked at each other, Reuben’s understudy was allowed -to rise, looking foolish and--nothing happened. There was a sense of -relief all round, for all felt that the power of the tyrant was broken. -And in half an hour all the watch was as chummy as possible, even the -bruised Hiram feeling quite satisfied--at least he expressed himself so -to be. - -Naturally there was a perceptible falling-off in the smartness with -which the ship was worked. That was inevitable. In a small unlimited -monarchy, such as a ship must be, you cannot have divided rule without -a certain loss of power. Mr. Court fought against this tendency with -all his might, but do what he would he could not quite overcome it. -Still, the only visible effect of the ferment that was going on below -was that no whales were sighted, and that of course might be due to -natural causes. Four times every day Mr. Court went below and attended -on his skipper, always looking stealthily at Mrs. Da Silva as he did -so, whenever he could look unobserved, and endeavouring to note any -change that should make it imperative for him to interfere actively -on her behalf. There was none, however. She seemed to exist and do -her duty to her husband automatically, but to grow no worse even in -the close confinement of that tiny cabin. But anything more absolutely -hopeless than her whole pose was surely never seen. - -There was a great change in the skipper, though. Since his mad outburst -of rage at Manuel and its result he had to all outward seeming been -a different man. His injuries, so rudely handled, resented fiercely -their treatment, and for long he had lain in high fever, alternating -with periods of utter exhaustion. Only his splendid physique and iron -constitution, aiding the careful nursing he received, pulled him -through. And as he slowly progressed towards convalescence, he looked -strangely at Priscilla, not gratefully, but with some such expression -as the West African savage regards his ‘ju-ju,’ believing it all -powerful to harm or help him as the case might present itself to the -reasoning powers of the dreadful thing. A resolution slowly shaped -itself in his brain that come what would he must be very careful of -this white, frail woman, who seemed to have passed completely beyond -the reach of all the emotions. And he determined to get better in order -to carry out this resolve, although had he been capable of entertaining -the feeling it would surely have forced its way into his dark heart -that the best way in which he could treat his wife would be to die, and -set her free from the hourly horror of his companionship, which for -obvious reasons has not been insisted upon definitely here. - -So he mended rapidly--so rapidly, in fact, that one week after he had -come to the conclusion above noted he was seated on the top of the -little deck aft with Priscilla by his side, both luxuriously inhaling -the sweet air as the homely old ship wallowed along northward. It was -a heavenly afternoon. The sky had the appearance of a great green -field--the first tender, unsullied green of spring, upon which lay -billowy masses of fleecy cloud, motionless as masses of whitest wool -and arranged in regular rows converging to a point in the south-east. -An unaccountable longing for the peace of those heavenly solitudes, -a desire to leave behind her the weighing down of her earthy part -possessed Priscilla’s soul, and quite unnoted by her the heavy tears -rose to her eyes, coursed down her thin cheeks and dropped upon the -deck. He, stealthily watching as usual while he was awake, became -alarmed, because he had not seen a tear for so long. ‘Wut ails ye, -Pris?’ he inquired anxiously. ‘Ain’t sick, air ye? C’n I order y’ -anythin’--c’n I do anythin’?’ - -Immediately the gracious fountain ceased to flow, and, turning, she -looked steadily at him, saying, ‘No, thank you, Ramon; I want nothing.’ - -‘Wall, wut ye cryin’ fur, then?’ he demanded irritably. - -‘I don’t know, Ramon, and, what is more, I didn’t know that I was -crying until you spoke.’ - -Then, to her great relief--for her dread was a long and acrid -cross-examination by her husband upon any subject whatever--the skipper -half rose from his chair and hissed out, ‘Whar’s the watch? Wut ye all -doin’? Look thar!’ Involuntarily Priscilla looked where he pointed, -and was filled with admiration and wonder. A mighty sperm whale had -risen from unknown depths and roamings within a cable’s length of the -ship and lay there, clearly visible in the beautifully transparent -blue of the sea, almost motionless. All his majestic outlines defined -themselves to the eye, the great down-hanging shaft of the jaw, the -huge rotundity of the belly, and the vast fans of the flukes that, -apparently motionless, were in reality quivering with receptivity -like the diaphragm of a telephone. She had never before seen a whale -at close quarters, never had an opportunity of admiring this, the -mightiest of all God’s creations in the plenitude of his powers and in -his own proper element, and the sight filled her with awe. - -The reason of the whale’s nearness to the ship, not merely without -alarm--for that can readily be understood, since whales, like other -animals, long unmolested become perfectly tame--but without having -been previously seen, is not to be very clearly stated. When such an -occurrence does take place on board a whaleship there is usually much -unpleasantness, because the captain is bound to believe that it proves -that the watchers aloft are neglecting their duty, or they would have -reported the proximity of the whale before. The supposition is only -reasonable because really from the masthead of a ship on a fine day, -such as this was, the whole vast circle spread out beneath one looks -so small, and objects upon it are so clearly defined, that it seems -impossible for four pairs of eyes to miss the spout of a whale. And -as the distance from that height to the visible horizon is not less -than fifteen miles, within which in such weather a sperm-whale’s spout -should be clearly discernible, the whale should have risen twice -within the visible range to spout. His utmost speed when going for all -he is worth is only about fourteen miles an hour, his usual cruising -speed when underneath only about three or four. He can stay down an -hour, but rarely exceeds forty-five minutes, and he does not care, -unless driven by necessity, to travel fast under water. When he does -come to the surface, too, after a stay beneath of that length, he must -stay up until he has finished a certain number of inspirations and -expirations or ‘spoutings out’--fifty, sixty, or seventy, as the case -may be. And no matter how hardly he may be pressed by enemies, this -always holds good. Yet I have seen a sperm whale rise in ghost-like -fashion almost alongside the ship during a stark calm on a day when sea -and sky were one flawless expanse of blue, blending into each other -at the horizon so perfectly that no one could tell exactly where sea -ended and sky began. All hands were most eager to ‘raise whale,’ for -the bounty offered was five pounds--equal to twenty-five dollars--and -we had fine men at the mastheads. Yet our first intimation of his -appearance was given by himself spouting almost alongside. As silently -as shadows we prepared to go after him, but as the boats were about -to be lowered he disappeared, nor did we ever catch a glimpse of him -again, although all hands clustered aloft straining their eyes in -every direction. He vanished so unaccountably that there was an uneasy -feeling on board that what we had all seen was no whale at all, but a -sportive spook sent to befool us by some sarcastic sea-demon. There is -no doubt that both coming and going were exceptions to all the ordinary -laws governing the actions of the whale-folk. - -All this explanatory matter, taking so long to set down, was as -familiar as breathing to Captain Da Silva, yet his only emotion upon -‘raising’ the whale so closely alongside was black, murderous rage. He -dared not shout for fear of scaring or ‘galleying’ the whale. But his -enforced quiet made his hissed-out orders sound all the more furious. -The men flew to their stations silently. The boats were lowered by -inches at a time, and with the utmost deliberation, lest the rattle of -the patent sheaves should alarm the as yet unconscious monster. Only -two boats went--the mate’s and the second mate’s--and the skipper sat -on his high perch and watched them depart with bitter muttered comments -upon all they did. Every movement was criticised as if the makers of it -were ‘greenies’ just commencing the great business. And the worst of -the matter was that the men in the boats knew this. It made them less -confident than they would otherwise have been, and therefore they felt -as if they were going into a fight whereof the issue was already half -decided against them. - -Still, they paddled steadily towards the foe without him betraying by -the slightest sign a knowledge of any danger likely to be threatening -him. By common consent the boats parted company as they neared him, and -came on at the great head sheering slightly to either side. Suddenly -he saw them or felt them--no one knows which it is--and with one great -sweep of his flukes he leapt forward. Too late. Both boats closed in -on him like sentient destroyers, and as if at one signal the harpoons -flew from either harpooner’s nervous hands and sank quivering into -the flank of the whale. Instead of turning to fight, as usual, he -settled at once, quite quietly, and immediately the attackers felt an -impetus forward, steady and increasing. Away he went, well below, only -momentarily breaking the surface to spout, and getting up speed in such -a fashion that in a very few minutes, despite the smoothness of the -sea, it was evident that all the boatmen could do was to hold on and -wait until their gigantic steed tired. - -On board the skipper watched with eyes aflame, blaming them all -impartially for what he was pleased to call their idiotic behaviour, -only his expressions were not so mild as that, and cursing his -inability, owing to the absence of wind, to follow them up. Priscilla -watched too, fascinated, and all unconscious of the danger the brave -fellows were in. And then, with a suddenness seen only in tropical -latitudes, - - The sun’s rim dips; the stars rush out; - At one stride comes the dark; - -and the fleeing boats fade from view. Only then does it dawn upon -her what awful danger these men are in, and even then, such is the -deadness of her mind, she cannot bring herself to realise as she thinks -she ought to do the peril of her shipmates. There is a great silence -on board. No one can do anything but wait, except the Captain, who -can, and does, keep up a muttered succession of evil words in his own -language. The leaden-footed minutes creep along, the heavy dews fall, a -solemn silence, only accentuated by the creak of a spar or the slight -rattle of a block, reigns supreme, for the Captain has gone below, and -she is up there quite alone. And suddenly relief comes. Into her dry -heart there steals the blessed consciousness of God’s loving presence, -her almost deadened mental perceptions revive on the memory of ‘I -will never leave thee nor forsake thee,’ and immediately she is able -to pray. Not for herself--that has not yet come--but for the safety -of those whom she has seen go out into the night. Most fervently she -implores the Father that they may be preserved through the perils -around them, and that when they return (as she at once feels assured -they will) her terrible husband may be merciful to them. As she forms -the petitions in her heart there is a great cry from many throats, a -rushing, roaring sound, a crash, and the babel of many voices. All -hands spring into violent activity, and high over all the other sounds -rises the voice of the Captain. Another boat is lowered into the -darkness, which is presently illuminated in ghastly fashion by a blue -light which is fired and spreads its glare all around the ship. - -We must leave Priscilla for a few minutes suffering all the tortures of -uncertainty, and avail ourselves of our privilege of knowing at once -all that is happening. Dragged away at such speed in the darkness, -and dependent entirely upon the phosphorescent glare in the water for -their knowledge of the whale’s whereabouts, the two boats’ crews were -in no enviable case. But the officers did their manful best, whenever a -slackening in the whale’s speed gave them opportunity to get near him, -to hurl lances and fire bombs into his shadowy-looking mass. But all -had apparently been of little or no avail in staying his forward rush, -and as for its direction they knew absolutely nothing. In the midst of -this confusion there suddenly towered up before them the great bulk of -the ship, menacing like the shadow of death. Both officers drew knives -and touched the tow lines, yelling at the same moment, ‘Lay off--lay -on!’ So as the impetus brought them alongside, instead of coming end -on at that great speed and being dashed in pieces, one sheered to port -and the other to starboard, both intact and safe. They heard the crash, -though, in the midst of that strange evolution, and feared the worst. -It was not, however, as bad as they feared, although bad enough. The -whale, nearing his end, and collecting all his powers to meet it, had -suddenly become instinctively aware of the ship confronting him, and, -swerving to the left almost cleared her. But his great head struck the -rudder such a tremendous blow that it was wrenched from the sternpost, -without, however, doing that essential portion of the ship any damage. -The rudder was simply gone clean, and none of them ever saw it again. - -Then were heard the strange noises made by a whale in its dying agonies -close alongside the ship. She rolled and heaved in the swell he made, -but he was not near enough to give her another blow. Presently the -silence closed in upon them again. It was broken by the skipper, -who, excited beyond endurance, yet compelled to inaction, almost -screamed, ‘’Longside thar! See anythin’ of th’ whale? Hez he stove in -th’ counter, or wut? ’R ye all dead? ’n’ ef y’ ain’t, why’nt ye do -somethin’ or say somethin’ ’r make a sign?’ Then compliments after his -foul fashion. - -Presently up out of the darkness came a voice, Mr. Court’s: - -‘All right, sir, we’ve got hold of him; just passin’ tow-line.’ - -There was a growl like that of a wild beast in response, and an order -to light up all the suspended cressets. All hands girded up their loins -for the long night’s work pending, and as the tow-line was passed -on board bent their backs to the task of hauling the great whale -alongside, thinking meanwhile of the possibility of his having started -a butt when he collided with the stern fittings. Priscilla, her heart -full of gratitude for answered prayer, went below, lay down, and in a -few minutes slept the blessed sleep of a relieved mind. - -All through the night, goaded on by the rasping voice of the skipper, -who, perched aloft upon the after platform, suffered terribly from -his inability to make himself felt as well as heard, the weary men -toiled on. And to such good purpose that when the pageant of morning -blazed forth upon the welcoming sky they had actually consummated the -cutting-in, and were all ready for the trying-out. The skipper having -hobbled below, Mr. Court proceeded to set blubber watches of six hours -each, but also gave word to go easy, for he knew, judging by his own -feelings, how spent all hands were, and he would not be so foolish as -to lay them up. The relieved ones had just cast themselves down as -they were and passed into the depths of utterly exhausted nature’s -refreshment when, as Mr. Court was diving below to his well-earned -rest, the skipper reappeared shouting, ‘Lay aft here, yew lazy hogs, -’n’ rig a stage over the stern. I want ter git a jury rudder rigged.’ -Returning to the deck, Mr. Court said gravely, ‘Captain, that kind o’ -thing wunt work no more. Yew’ve gut t’ be reasonable. I wunt let ye -play the fool with men’s lives any more, and ef yew’re goin’t’ shoot, -shoot quick, ’r ye’ll be too late.’ And Captain Da Silva saw, to his -intense amazement, a revolver-barrel gleaming in the fingers of the -officer whom in his blind passion and prejudice he had abused as a -coward. - -His sufferings were terrible to witness. His keen intelligence showed -him clearly that at present, at any rate, the mate had the key of the -situation, and that again he must stoop to dissimulation where he had -been used to enforce his will with the utmost disregard of what anyone -thought or felt. At last, when the first few agonising spasms had -passed, he mastered himself by a supreme effort and said huskily, ‘All -right, Mr. Court. It’s yewr call. It’ll be mine some day. Meanwhile -we’ll keep eour trouble indoors.’ - -Raising his voice a little for the benefit of the few haggard-looking, -anxious men who were clustered about the mainmast awaiting the word to -come aft and recommence work, he said, ‘Oh, all right, Mr. Court; I -guess we’ll leave it a bit. Don’ look ’s if we sh’d hev enny change in -th’ weather fur a while, anyhow. We’ll git on with th’ tryin’-out, ’n’ -leave th’ repairs until she’s cleaned erp agen. Thet’ll do th’ watch -below,’ he snarled in conclusion. And the worn-out men shuffled away. - -Without another word Mr. Court descended to his bunk, not, to be sure, -without many misgivings as to whether, in the absence of any defence -to his sleeping-place, any door to bar, he should, in the quaint -sailor phrase, ‘wake up and find himself dead.’ But he reasoned, and -correctly, that under present conditions the skipper would hardly -proceed to open murder, for open it must be since four men would be -in full view of the crime if it were done while he slept. And with a -final, ‘Well, I kain’t he’p it, anyhaow; mout so well die this way -’s any other, fur all I k’n see,’ the mate turned in, put his loaded -revolver under his pillow, and in two minutes was fast asleep. - -The Captain, in spite of his weakened body, of his still aching limbs, -paced the narrow limits of the cabin like a caged leopard, his mind -seething with deadly thoughts about the mate and, in a lesser degree, -all the members of his crew. For this was the first voyage of his -career as captain that any of his ship’s company had been able to -oppose his will successfully. Also it was the first voyage of his -life that he had suffered so much in his own body, and he was gravely -in doubt as to what the change meant. He was inclined to lay all his -disasters at the door of his wife; but of her he was now quite afraid, -and, moreover, satisfied that if he were not very careful in his -treatment of her worse misfortunes would befall him. These thoughts -worried him so much that he had recourse to the bottle, the great -store of fiery liquor he had brought on board at Brava having been -only slightly encroached upon. And after a few glasses and a couple of -cigars he was reassured as to his own importance and power, feeling, -indeed, that his recent fears were quite unwarranted. And yet he could -not help casting a curiously furtive glance at the pale, mask-like -face of his wife. - -The next day, his physical improvement having been well maintained, -he took full charge at eight bells in the morning, and all hands fell -obediently into line at his word. Work on the blubber proceeded apace, -but there was a much more important duty to perform, and that was the -rigging of a contrivance by means of which the ship might be steered. -Here Captain Da Silva shone as a perfect seaman. He ordered a spar -about the size of a medium scaffold-pole to be made into a huge oar, -the blade being formed of stout planks bolted together athwart, and the -interstices on each side of the spar filled with old chain for weight -to keep the machine down. A solid crutch, lined with leather and well -greased, was fixed on the taffrail for the upper part of the spar to -work in, with plenty of play allowed, but strong lashings to prevent -its jumping out of its bed. Also a severe holdfast was made just above -the blade of the ‘oar,’ into which a stout tackle was hooked on either -side; the upper blocks of these tackles were led to outriggers over -each quarter, and the falls passed into the barrel of the steering -wheel. And--of course recognising that a vast amount of uninteresting -but essential detail has been left out--that is how Captain Da Silva -rigged his jury-rudder. It was so successful, too, that three days -afterwards he navigated his ship into the difficult harbour of Port -Lloyd with it, none of the captains of whaling ships anchored there -noticing any difference, except that there were one or two remarks -about the _Grampus’s_ wild steering and a little wonder as to what she -was towing astern. - -Before going into the harbour Captain Da Silva called all hands aft and -made them a speech. He said: ‘Men we’re a-goin’ in here fur repairs, -wood, an’ water. Any of ye ’at wants t’ run away ’ud better make erp -yewr mines before yew go fur the wust floggin’ y’ ever had w’en yew’re -brought back. ’N’ yew will be, fur I’m goin’ t’ offer one hundred -dollars reward fur any deserter brought back to the ship dead er alive. -’N’ thar’s lots er folks here as’d kill a man fur one dollar, let alone -a hundred. No gammin’ allowed. This ship’s ben runnin’ slack. I’m -goin’t’ tighten things up a bit. Naow git.’ And as all hands slunk away -the skipper cast a triumphant glance at the officers as who should say, -‘What are you going to do now?’ There was no answering look. Who could -reply to a challenge like that without putting himself irrevocably in -the wrong? - -Now it would be useless to recapitulate the proceedings at Port Lloyd, -so tame and commonplace were they. The men were kept at work not merely -from daylight till dark, but before daylight till after dark, doing all -the thousand-and-one things needed when a whaleship comes into harbour -after a long cruise. No boats other than her own were allowed near the -ship, so the men got no fresh fruit, while no fresh beef or vegetables -were sent on board by the skipper, so that all the fresh food obtained -by the hungry men was fish, which, fortunately for them, bit at night -and were caught in fairly large numbers. The skipper went ashore but -very little; when he did, he now took Priscilla with him, closely -muffled up so that no one should see her but himself. He saw none of -his fellow-skippers, and cared nothing that he was the talk of the -harbour. At the end of four days he ordered the windlass to be manned, -and took the _Grampus_ out to sea again, no man but himself knowing -whither he was bound. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -THE LOSS OF THE _GRAMPUS_ - - -It could not possibly have escaped the memory of Mr. Court that he had -been told by the skipper that their next cruising-place would be the -‘Japan-ground.’ Not that he was foolish enough to place any serious -reliance upon anything said by Captain Da Silva, only he knew, as every -whaling officer did in those days--I write of half a century ago--that -the Japan grounds were the most prolific of all known haunts of the -sperm whale. He was just a little startled, then, on getting clear of -the Bonins, to find a course set S.W., which looked very much like -getting down on to the Line grounds, and in any case could not mean -that the _Grampus_ was bound for the carrying out of the previously -arranged programme. But he had such an implicit faith in the astounding -ability of his skipper, and he felt so sure that even revenge would be -made to wait until the money-making was over, that he did not trouble -his head much about the rather startling change in the course. He could -not know, of course, what Captain Da Silva did, that the common talk of -Port Lloyd had been the inexplicable absence of sperm whales from the -Japan grounds that season, neither could he tell by what curious chain -of reasoning, amounting almost to instinct, the skipper had decided -upon going south among the islands and gradually working his way down -to the Line whaling grounds. - -For two days they steered S.E., and then, as if in justification of -the skipper’s foresight, they ran into a vast school of whales. Now, -without going over previously well-trodden ground, I may remark that -it will have been noticed how on board a whaleship, as in an army, -things may be done by officers with impunity in time of war that would -certainly cause a mutiny in time of peace. And the skipper’s eyes -glistened as the boats took the water at the thought of how, during the -coming campaign, he would take the last ounce out of his officers and -men, making them pay most dearly for any little ‘let-up’ they might -have enjoyed during his enforced retirement. One other step he had -taken which I have omitted to mention, the separation of Rube and Mr. -Pease, taking the former to pull his own midship oar, and putting the -latter under his third mate, a Portuguese very much after his own heart. - -Now for the next three months Reuben led the life of a daily martyr, -a galley slave. The ship seemed never to be out of sight of whales, -and exercising the greatest possible skill in the manipulation of his -forces, the skipper managed to keep the war going continually, favoured -as the ship was by the finest of weather. But he never in the midst of -all his multifarious energies forgot for one hour the exercise of his -awful animosity towards Reuben. The other Americans suffered also, but -in a much lesser degree. It was Reuben who for any fault committed by -anyone in the boat was smitten with the heavy oak tiller over head or -shoulders or face, Reuben who was selected for every dangerous, filthy, -and heavy piece of work; Reuben, in fact, saved the rest of his white -shipmates much pain and trouble by being the lightning conductor, -attracting nearly all the skipper’s cruelty. And strangely enough, it -seemed to make little difference to him. He did not smile so sweetly as -he used to do, and his rather worn face wore a puzzled look that was -very pathetic. But he never resented any of his ill-treatment, never -seemed to notice it, in fact, after the first week or two. - -What the condition of the ship became during those three strenuous -months I do not propose attempting to describe. Only the pen of a Zola -could do it justice, and the result would be almost, if not quite, -unreadable to any cleanly living person. She was an offence to the -clean, wide sea--much worse, indeed, than she was in the Mozambique -Channel in respect of foulness, but not so bad with regard to health, -because of the sweet breeze that steadily blew, and kept clearing off -some of the miasma she exhaled. The skipper, however, alarmed for the -health of Priscilla, for the reasons before noted, caused a little -bower to be built on the top of the tiny deck aft, and did away with -the spanker boom so that it (the bower) should not be disturbed. Here -Priscilla sat all day long carefully screened from the smell as far as -could be, and exposed to the fresh air. And, although she naturally -suffered very much, as she always had done, since first she came on -board, from lack of exercise, she became better in her general health, -and more ready to take a little interest in life than she had been for -a long time. Nevertheless, little as her ship surroundings had ever -power to impress her, she got very weary of the incessant inflow of -greasy masses from overside, heartily sick of the aroma of slaughter. -Also it seemed to her as if, instead of her husband growing more and -more satisfied at the way in which he was accumulating wealth without -any other ship near to share his good fortune, he became ever more -morose and scowling. Nor was she wrong. The check to his cruelty which -he had received worried him like a green wound, and all his prosperity -was not nearly sufficient to compensate him for the loss of prestige -he felt he had endured. If only, without destroying the efficiency of -his ship’s company, he could have set his foot upon the neck of those -pale-faced men of an alien race, who, despite his masterfulness, had -succeeded in great measure in setting themselves free from his tyranny, -and who now strode before him with erect heads and clear eyes! The -story of Haman is no myth. It is being repeated all around us every -day, and I do not know of any more cogent proof of the existence of the -devil than this. - -At last the whales seemed to have learned their lesson, and began to -fight shy of this lonely ship which had transferred so many of them -to her own interior. No longer did they crowd around like a flock of -frightened sheep awaiting the butcher and unable to see whither to -flee in all that wide expanse of ocean. There came a time when the -thoroughly wearied men were able to, not rest, but find an intensely -welcome relief from the all-pervading filth in strenuously endeavouring -to cleanse it away. And although they worked just as hard as ever, they -went about their altered occupation with something like enthusiasm. - -Meanwhile the skipper had by frequent secret conferences, by sundry -quietly bestowed tots of grog, and such grim pleasantries as he could -give utterance to, been endeavouring quite successfully to regain his -former status among his countrymen. Mr. Court saw, in common with -every other white man on board, the trend of matters, and passed, -therefore, many uneasy hours, unable to formulate any plans, since he -knew not what was brewing except that it meant mischief for him and -his compatriots. But in the absence of any overt act of offence on the -part of the skipper he could take no step, he could only whisper Mr. -Winslow to keep a bright look-out for whatever devilry might be afloat. -What troubled him principally was his utter want of knowledge of the -ship’s whereabouts. This is always a hardship at sea even under the -best conditions, and if sailors were only to allow their minds to dwell -upon the fact that they are not allowed by the skipper to know even the -approximate position of the ship there would be far more discontent -than there is now. I have been in a ship on a passage of nearly seven -months between Liverpool and an Indian port, and during the whole of -that time not one foremast hand ever knew the ship’s position within a -thousand miles, so carefully was the secret guarded. And I have been -in ships where the skipper refused to allow his mate to know, would -not let him take an observation, seeming to take some insane pleasure -in knowing that he alone of the ship’s company had any idea where upon -that vast blank space of sea the tiny dot of a ship was poised. - -Thus it was in the _Grampus_, when at the last clearing up certain -sail was set, and a definite course to the eastward was steered. -Indications of land were many, for they were now in that part of the -Pacific where Nature would appear to have her busiest workshops; -where islands rise in a few hours from unknown depths and isolated -patches of land are suddenly met with, summits of submerged mountains -rivalling the Himalayas in their tremendous altitudes. So, although no -more whales were seen, the watchers at the masthead scarcely passed -an hour without reporting some new appearance, some discolouration -of the bright sea that upon nearer approach resolved itself into a -floating island of weed about which played an innumerable company of -bright-hued fish making the water foam again with their blithe gambols. -Or a derelict cocoa-palm torn from its reef-edge moorings, and long -since denuded of its feathery crown, floated by, recognisable only to a -whaleman’s eye as anything belonging to earth at all from the wealth of -parasitic life which had accumulated upon it, making it look more like -the head of some vast sea-serpent with a snowy mane than anything else -the mind can depict. An occasional canoe, waterlogged or bottom-up, -floated along, making the watcher wonder where the recent occupant -had gone, and what manner of struggle he or she made for life ere the -fateful moment came when the sea claimed its toll as of right. - -All through this pleasant time Priscilla kept her vigil during the -daylight hours in her breezy house aloft, above the working people’s -heads. There was a sort of placid wonder why the Captain should -have so radically altered in his behaviour towards her. Benumbed as -her faculties had undoubtedly become, since she had lived up on the -after-deck she had begun to regain a certain interest in life which -had not been possible to her while confined to the cabin. And she -certainly found herself speculating upon the change in her husband. -She noticed that he was less brutal in his behaviour to the crew, -too, as far as physical ill-treatment went, but, of course, she did -not know the cause. There was no easement of the hardships of their -lives, nor any relenting in those fierce black eyes when looking upon -a subordinate. But when his gaze fell upon her it changed into the -puzzled, frightened glance of the savage face to face with the unknown, -and dominated by an illogical fear, a state of mind which culminates in -a sudden plunge into nameless cruelties. - -She and her husband never held any conversation, their intercourse -being limited to monosyllables almost. Discussion was out of the -question, since she was docile as a well-trained dog, and besides -did not seem to care about anything sufficiently to discuss it. Yet -all unknown to her, a change was taking place in her mind. A renewed -interest in life was springing up there. It may have been her long -contemplation of the ever-wonderful and changeful life of the sea, -but I am inclined to think that it was the intensity of that unknown -love burning in one loyal breast near her, the outpouring of those -fervent supplications for her well-being that Reuben was continually -offering communicating something of their own force in some mysterious -way, not understandable as yet, but some day surely to be explained -to us. At last, after about a fortnight of this pleasant sailing, she -came up to her little haven of refuge to witness a scene of almost -fairy-like loveliness. Stretching away to the northward like a -cluster of jewels set upon the shining bosom of the sea was a group of -islands. Some rose sheer from the waves that rolled creamily against -their jet-black bases, just failing to reach the tender festoons of -every shade of green that clothed them from high-water mark to summit. -Others glittered in dazzling white against the intense blue of the -quiet lagoon, shielded from all ruffling by a barrier of living rock -encircling them, and crested with a mighty feather of purest white -as the great swell surged up against it, and found its onward sweep -effectually stayed. Others from serene palm-fringed heights sloped -sweetly seaward to inviting beaches of all colours sheltered from any -onslaught of waves and apparently inviting the weary seafarer to come -and rest himself after all his ocean wanderings. - -Quite close to the ship was a long, formidable barrier of black rocks, -outliers of the main group, whose jagged, saw-like teeth snarled -threateningly up from the fret and foam of the sea around. But even -they were robbed of half their terrors by the beautiful play of light -and colour around them, gift of the golden sun which hung in the limpid -sky, shedding his fervent fires upon sea and land, and investing the -most commonplace objects with supreme beauty. As Priscilla gazed upon -the lovely scene she felt the tears steal down her cheeks: the whole -panorama appealed to her innate sense of loveliness so strongly that -the happy tears would come, and her heart was lifted by the adoring -creature’s joy in the Creator’s lovely handiwork. She forgot all -else in the glories of the present scene, took no heed of the swift -changing of the view as the homely old ship glided past that long, -long barrier through the smoothest and brightest of seas. She took -no heed of the skilful handling of the ship, all her mind being bent -upon the wonders overside. It seemed to her as if now for the first -time she understood what voyaging really meant, as if only now was she -realising some of the impressions given her long ago in reading records -of wonderful voyages. A faint flush mounted into her pale cheeks, her -breath came and went quickly through her parted lips, and she was -nearer happiness than she had been since the first week out from home. - -Suddenly she became conscious of an apparent increase in the wind, -caused by an alteration in the vessel’s course, bringing her -close-hauled, and like magic the whole scene changed. The ship was -now running in between a wide opening in the great barrier before -mentioned, where on either side of her the frowning rocks with their -white crests of foam stopped abruptly in a sea of deepest blue. Ahead -this lovely colour took a dozen different shades from inequality in the -depth, and here and there, where a patch of coral neared the surface -and the sun’s rays touched its summit through the intervening water, -there was a blending of hues that would make an artist despair. - -Thus, piloted with the utmost skill by the skipper, the _Grampus_ drew -near the main group of islands, sheltered as they were by all this -intricate network of reefs from any roughness of water, and, finally, -turning sharply to starboard, she came up into the wind behind a low -bluff, and by her own impetus forged ahead into a little bay, sheltered -from every wind of heaven, bordered by a snow-white beach, which, -in its turn, was fringed by tropical growth of trees and shrubs of -many kinds, and looking an ideal haven of rest. Midway of the bay’s -semicircle, and at less than half a mile from the beach, at a hoarse -shout from the skipper the anchor rattled down, its crash and roar -awakening echoes that long resounded like peals of distant thunder. -Then the shouts of the officers succeeded as they gave the necessary -orders for furling sails and clearing up the ship generally. And in -half-an-hour, when the word ‘supper’ was given, an intense hush as of -the first Sabbath succeeded--a calm and peace over sea and land that -fell upon Priscilla’s heart like the touch of a mother’s cool hand upon -the hot brow of her ailing child. - -Captain Da Silva’s officers, however, were far from enjoying a like -serenity of mind. That very peace which was so grateful to an unknowing -one was to them like the calm preceding the outburst of a hurricane. -They looked anxiously around, precluded from consulting each other by -their absurd relations, yet fearing the worst. Then the skipper, going -below and summoning his unfortunate steward, had the ‘trade,’ always -carried by these ships in that day for the purpose of barter among the -islands, brought out and placed in readiness for conveyance on deck. -His (the skipper’s) plans had long been made, but only his Portuguese -accomplices on board knew anything of them. As far back as the visit to -Brava he had been preparing for this event, when that load of cases of -most potent liquor was brought on board. And now it was not so much the -possibility of treachery on the part of the natives as the ruin of his -plan of pleasure (?) which made him anxiously scan beach and bay for -any sign of human life. - -The sun neared the horizon, the busy fishing birds began to fly -shoreward to their nests laden with the fruits of their labours, and -the fresh sweetness of the coming night began to make itself felt. -Then, as if at a given signal, a whole fleet of canoes came rushing -round the headland into the bay, the water foaming around them under -the strokes of multitudinous paddles. As they neared the ship it was to -be seen that each canoe carried a green branch with streamers of white -‘tapa’ or native cloth, betokening peace, also that the still green -coverts ashore had suddenly burst into life and scores of dusky female -forms were hurling themselves into the water, and almost like denizens -of the deep sea were rushing towards the ship. A few sharp orders from -the skipper, and the Portuguese members of the crew hurried aft to -assist him in the handing and distribution of his presents. They had -barely got the things on deck when with yells of delight the natives -reached the vessel, climbing on board everywhere like an invasion of -happy children without one thought save the joyful indulgence of idle -infantile curiosity. Priscilla had previously retired, being sternly -ordered below by her husband as soon as the natives were seen, and in -the little state-room she sat listening with mingled feelings to the -hubbub prevailing on deck, not knowing what it meant. - -It was well that she did not, for there was now commencing on board -the _Grampus_ one of those orgies which have done so much to hinder -the spread of Christianity among these savage isles. There is no -danger that I should attempt to particularise; that, I am sorry to -say, has been done _ad nauseam_, and to what good end I am unable to -see. Even the bald official records of such scenes strike a chill of -horror into any decent mind, but they also leave a sense of profound -gratitude that in spite of all these dire hindrances to the spread of -the Gospel it does spread, it is embraced by these simple children of -Nature, so apt to be influenced by the latest impression, especially -if that impression be evil. Every careful reader of South Sea Island -records must have noticed the frequency with which the good work of the -missionaries--and, let it be said, in all justice, the good work of -the honest, sober, truthful, and decent trader--has been undone by the -infernal exploits of a crew of black-guards coming soon after. Also, it -must have been seen how frequently the ill-usage (in the worst sense) -of the confiding but undiscriminating natives by some bad ship’s crew -has led to the awful massacre of the next ship’s company calling there, -and the subsequent laying waste of the village of these dispensers -of wild justice. In Stevenson’s ‘Wrecker’ one of the most appalling -facts is stated quite dispassionately concerning the murder of Bishop -Patteson, and it makes the flesh creep. Here it is:-- - -‘He was tried for his life in Fiji in Sir Arthur Gordon’s time, and -if ever he prayed at all, the name of Sir Arthur was certainly not -forgotten. He was speared in seven places in New Ireland--the same -time his mate was killed--the famous outrage on board the brig _Jolly -Roger_, but _the treacherous savages made little by their wickedness_’ -(the italics are mine) ‘and Bostock, in spite of their teeth, got -seventy-five head of volunteer (?) labour on board, of whom not more -than a dozen died of injuries. He had a hand besides in the amiable -pleasantry which cost the life of Patteson; and when the sham bishop -landed, prayed, and gave his benediction to the natives, Bostock, -arrayed in a female chemise out of the trade-room, had stood at his -right hand and boomed Amens. This, when he was sure he was among good -fellows, was his favourite yarn. “Two hundred head of labour for a -hatful of Amens,” he used to name the tale; and its sequel, the death -of the real bishop, struck him as a circumstance of extraordinary -humour.’ - -It was evident to Mr. Court at once what his commander had come into -this bay for, and he was in a greater difficulty than ever. The ship -was practically in possession of the natives, all uproariously good -humoured, but all, liable to pass at once from riotous pleasantry to -mad fury of slaughter. The only comfort he had was that no natives were -allowed to invade the cabin. The foc’s’le, the half-deck, was overrun -by them, and nearly all the crew had been induced to join them in their -curious gambols--all the more curious that the skipper had liberally -distributed his fire-water among them. Reuben, at the first descent of -native men and women into the foc’s’le, had made his way on deck and -into the fore-top, then along the topgallant stay he had climbed to the -main-crosstrees, and in similar fashion had reached the mizen-top. Here -he determined to camp until morning with some vague idea of watching -over the safety of Priscilla, and at the least, descending among the -natives if they should prove treacherous (?) and losing his life in her -defence. From his lofty perch he looked down upon that ugly scene, and -his clean soul revolted at it. But he saw to his intense satisfaction -the actors therein gradually sink to slumber, overcome by fatigue, and -by midnight the pale moon shone down upon heaps of sleepers in all -sorts of varied attitudes, exposing shamefulnesses that the tender dark -had hidden. And overwearied at last he slept also. - -The morning brought tumult, a renewal of the orgies of the previous -night. All work, discipline, order, seemed to be at an end. The -skipper, like a maddened Bacchanal, swayed to and fro between two dusky -nymphs, daughters of the paramount chief, and Mr. Court, looking at him -with disgust, could take no steps. Once, indeed, finding a huge native -endeavouring to force his body down through the insufficient opening -of the cabin skylight, the mate almost forgot the stern control he had -placed upon himself, and was just about to seize the man fiercely and -hurl him away when he was seized from behind, and turning furiously to -see who it was he looked into the mild but fearless eyes of Reuben, who -said, ‘For heaven’s sake, sir, don’t anger them--for her sake.’ That -was all, and Mr. Court’s anger died instantly away. - -But none of the devoted few who throughout this terrible time retained -their manliness and clean living were able to retain much hope that a -final and terribly complete disaster could be avoided. And all they -could do was to look helplessly on and see it coming, powerless to -avert it. For the skipper, in spite of the madness of his orgies, -not only kept cunning watch over his end of the ship, and allowed no -native, whether male or female, to enter the cabin, but he also kept -the sober ones in view also, and by this I do not merely mean those -to whom he had handed out drink--his own countrymen--but those of the -white men who had allowed themselves to wallow in debauchery. - -The end came very suddenly, on the fourth night. All the revellers had -been carrying on furiously, with but brief intervals of exhaustion, -and the number of natives was greatly increased by fresh arrivals from -some of the outlying islands. Several serious quarrels had broken out, -and been patched up without bloodshed, and there was much murmuring -among the natives because the supply of liquor seemed to be failing--at -any rate, the Captain was not so free with it as he had been. More, a -belief had steadily gained ground among them that something of great -value was secured in that after-part of the ship into which none of -them had been permitted to penetrate. Now, whether either of these -causes had anything to do with the final catastrophe, or whether it was -just an outburst of savagery like the mischief of petulant children, -no one will ever know, but the fact remains that about midnight there -was a strong smell of fire, and before any of the sleeping roysterers -had awakened, tall flames upreared their terrible shapes from the -main-hatch, and a roar as of some vast furnace was heard. Almost in -an instant the ship was alive with men running hither and thither as -if dazed, others fiercely fighting, others drawing water in buckets, -and casting it into the glowing furnace of the main-hatch without the -slightest appreciable effect. In the midst of it all four men kept -their heads clear--Reuben, Mr. Court, Mr. Winslow, and Mr. Pease. As it -was very evident at an early stage that the fire, even if attacked by -competent hands, was unsubduable, and that, moreover, the natives were -bent not only upon destroying the ship but the lives of every European -on board, these four devoted all their energies to the means of escape. -The Captain was somewhere in the midst of the yelling crowd, fighting -fiercely, no doubt, his voice heard occasionally above the tumult, so -that no counsel could be taken with him. And to make the confusion -still more terrible, blinding columns of smoke began bursting, as it -seemed, out of every crevice of the vessel. This decided Reuben that -the time had come to act finally, and tearing the cabin door off its -hinges by one effort of his strength, he rushed below, and seizing -the half-suffocated Priscilla in his arms bore her on deck, and, -half-blinded, groped his way to the port quarter boat, and placed her -safely in the stern sheets. He had previously ‘racked’ the falls--that -is, fastened two of the parts of each together--and had thrown the -coils into the boat. Now he took a round turn round the midship thwart -with both the falls, and, holding them firmly, went to both ends of the -boat consecutively and cut the rackings, the boat falling a foot or so -each time with an ugly jerk. Then he lowered away handsomely, feeling -sure that in the hubbub on deck the rattle of the blocks would never -be noticed. She took the water, he unhooked and pushed off, full of -anguish of mind as to the fate of his three friends, but not knowing -what to do for them without risking the helpless woman for whom he -would gladly have suffered any pain or manner of death. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -AND LAST - - -It may well be wondered why in the much-abused name of common-sense the -mariners on board the _Grampus_ did not, seeing the hopelessness of -saving their vessel, make for the boats and leave her. But it must be -remembered that, apart from the fact that they were nearly all mixed -up in that horrible compost of savagery, there were really only three -of them who had any clearness of head remaining. These three, whom I -have already named, were busy preparing the starboard quarter boat -for leaving when suddenly there burst upon them, like a flood, a mob -of natives, and before they had time to draw their weapons they were -overpowered, and another dark deed was consummated. As so often has -happened in South Sea Island story, the innocent suffered equally with -the guilty--indeed, more, for one guilty man escaped for a time. Off in -the dark Reuben waited, all his nerves raw with anxiety for those who -would never come. What to do he did not know, for light and graceful as -a whaleboat is when she has her full complement of men on board, she is -cumbrous as a barge to be handled by one man at any time without sail; -and when to that one man’s task is added the hampering of darkness -and ignorance of the way he should go, the hill of difficulty becomes -well-nigh insurmountable. - -Reuben stood with his feet upon the two cleats, made and fastened for -the purpose of raising the steersman’s body, one on each side of the -stern-sheets, staring with smarting eyes into the smoky, flame-stabbed -darkness where the ship lay. Occasionally a great spurt of blood-red -fire lit up sea, shore, and sky, and made him tremble for fear of -discovery; then a wild chorus of yells and shrieks chilled his blood -as he pictured mentally the scene being enacted on board. Strangely -enough, he had quite forgotten his own peril, had forgotten how many -were the native canoes, how impossible it would be for him to propel -that heavy boat one quarter as fast as those amphibious natives could -swim after him if once they realised his departure. Ah! The boat sagged -heavily to one side, and in over the bluff of the bow climbed a dark -figure, gasping as if its chest was being rent asunder. Reuben sprang -forward, and found it was the skipper. The two men stared at each other -for a moment; then the skipper gurgled out, ‘Oars, pull for life; all -dead but me.’ And as he spoke he seized an oar and began to pull. -Reuben said no word, but took another, and with the long, splendid -stroke of the whaler they propelled the beautiful craft silently -seaward, passing the headland safely and unobserved. A light breeze was -blowing, and no sooner were they clear of the head than the skipper -said, his native gruffness asserting itself even in that terrible hour, -‘Come, lend a hand ’n’ git th’ mast up. She’ll go twice as fast under -sail. Git a move on ye.’ It was a heavy task for two men, one of whom -was evidently fighting hard against overpowering weakness, but Reuben’s -great strength again stood him in good stead, and before ten minutes -had elapsed the big sail was bellying bravely forward, and the boat, -heading out into the night, was gently bowing to the incoming Pacific -swell, seeming eager to escape from those awful shores. - -Captain Da Silva took the steer-oar, and with something of his old -skill laid the boat on the direct course for the nearest reef-opening, -steering by the white curdlings on the reef-tops around, which showed -up most conspicuously against the dark of the night. Astern the -_Grampus_, now one vast flame, filled the sky with a lurid glare, and -the smoke of her burning came floating over the heads of the fugitives -in a long grey cloud. For a space of about half an hour not a word was -spoken by either of the men. Then suddenly the skipper said sharply, -‘Who’s this?’ pointing to the motionless figure lying in the stern -sheets at his feet as if he had only just seen it. - -‘It’s yewr wife, Cap’n,’ answered Rube in the most matter-of-fact -manner possible. - -‘How ’d she kem here?’ demanded the skipper again. - -‘I brought her, sir,’ replied Rube, without the slightest change of -voice. - -‘Oh, yew did, eh?’ said the skipper faintly. And then stooping and -letting go his hold of the oar, he laid his hand upon the unconscious -woman and said, ‘’R y’ all right, Pris? I’m drefful sorry t’ have brung -ye t’ this; but I kain’t do nothin’ f’r y’ naow. I’m mighty sick man -myself.’ And with that word he fell forward in a heap fainting. - -This brought Rube aft on the jump, but it was well for him that -Priscilla had been roused from her curious stupor and was able to -attend to her husband, as the steering of the boat demanded all one -man’s attention now. - -They were nearing the reef passage, and the swell meeting them was -causing the boat to leap as she surmounted its crests, and demanding a -very steady hand at the steer-oar to keep her bow on to it. Besides, -the channel was barely five boats’ lengths wide, and the foam of the -incoming breakers almost obscured it at times. Still Rube steered -seaward with a steady hand, and presently with a sigh of relief he saw -the gallant craft shoot out from between those walls of white on to the -dark, free ocean beyond. Then he was about to try and ship the rudder, -which always hangs alongside, when he heard her voice saying: - -‘Would you please look at the Captain? I think he has fainted, or -something, and his clothes are all sticky, as well as wet.’ - -Rube answered thickly, ‘Certainly, ma’am, only yew must ’scuse me if I -divide my ’tention between him and the boat. She wants a good deal of -steering just now, an’ we kain’t afford to linger about here, in case -we ain’t far enough from that awful place by sun-up.’ - -Then Rube stooped down and peered into the skipper’s face, feeling all -over his body at the same time and noting the sticky feeling of which -she spoke. But he knew no more of what it was than she, and as he had -no light he could not investigate. And so he gave all his attention to -the navigation of the boat away from those dangerous shores while yet -the land wind held, knowing full well that it would die away before -dawn and the sea breeze come with the sun. Then if he were not well off -the land he would run great risk of being caught by the natives, whose -blood thirst would by this time be unassuageable. - -Priscilla, only conscious apparently of one fact, that her husband -needed her ministrations, was doing her best under those sadly hampered -conditions to give them. That she was tossing about on the open sea in -a small boat with only her unconscious husband and one sailor to keep -her company did not seem to impress her at all. And yet it would be -grievous if anyone reading her story should think of her scornfully as -having degenerated under her terrible trials into something very much -resembling an imbecile. Oh, no; really her present state of mind had -been reached through a series of shocks that would have driven a weaker -woman to death or madness, but in her case had providentially resulted -in a sort of calm acceptance, without any apparent surprise, of -whatever strange experiences should befall her. Mechanically she bathed -her husband’s face with her handkerchief dipped in the water overside, -and, warned by his stertorous breathing, she loosed his neckband and -managed to raise his head on to her lap. And thus she sat quietly -enduring the cramping of her limbs, accepting the sharp pains shooting -through her body as inevitable, and making no sound. - -A hush stole over the dark sea as the wind died away, broken only -by the heavy occasional flap of the now useless sail. Without a -word Reuben shipped the steer-oar and stepped lightly forward. In a -minute or two he had tightly furled the sail and taken an extra pull -at the backstays and stay, after deciding that owing to his being -single-handed and not sure of his power to elevate it again he must -take the risk of being seen through leaving the mast standing. He -did not realise how far the swift boat had glided under the gentle -stress of the light land breeze during those past hours of darkness. -With almost hungry eagerness he waited for the dawn, noted the first -faint blush as of surprise tinting the eastern sky, watched with -growing feelings of worship tremulous threads of delicate colour -running searchingly into the sombre concave of the departing night, -saw the flood of palest golden light appear, and then springing into -its midst ablaze with glory, majesty, and life, the sun. And the -land out of sight. His head sank upon his bosom, and he thanked God -for deliverance. Yet, having done so, he could not help a sinking -at his heart as he looked aft at those two crouching forms--one so -inexpressibly precious to him, the other a sacred charge because--well, -because of right and truth and honour. He knew that upon him, under -God, depended their lives, although he did not then know how far gone -the skipper was. And just one little moan escaped him as he thought how -ill-provided they were for a long cruise in those unfrequented seas. -Then hope revived again as he felt, because of his ignorance, that -he could not sail far in any direction without making land, and land -meant food and water, and (but that he did not trouble about) savages, -cannibals made, if possible, worse than they were by nature by the -utter villainy of white men far more culpable than they. - -Then, treading softly as a cat, he stepped over the thwarts aft again, -and as he did so Priscilla lifted her wan face to his, saying calmly: - -‘Are we safe from pursuit?’ - -Rube nodded: he could not trust himself to speak. - -‘Then, will you see what you can do for Captain Da Silva. I--I am -afraid he is badly injured.’ - -With one glance at the boat fore and aft and a satisfied noting of the -little darkness on the water which betokened the coming breeze, Rube -obeyed, and stooped to the Captain’s side. As soon as he did so he -saw to his horror that the stickiness they had both felt during the -darkness was blood; the skipper had been wounded in many places, and -his blood, aided by the salt water, had congealed upon him and stopped -its own flow, or he would have been dead long before. - -‘Ma’am,’ said Rube unsteadily, ‘I’ll dew my best fur the Cap’n, but, as -yew k’n see, that isn’t much. He’s badly cut, an’ I daren’t interfere -with his hurts ’cause at present they’ve stopped bleedin’, and if I -tech him an’ start ’em agen I mayn’t be able to stanch th’ flow then. -Pity I got nothin’ t’ give him but a little soak biscuit an’ water. -P’raps you’ll take a little yewrself, ma’am, at the same time t’ keep -up yewr strength and courage.’ - -The ghost of a smile flickered for a second about her white lips, and -she said simply, ‘Thank you. You are very kind. What shall I call you?’ - -He answered shortly, with a tightening at the heart, ‘My name’s Rube, -ma’am--at least, that’s what I get usually. Call me thet, if ye don’t -mind.’ - -And then he busied himself with the preparation of the simple meal, -measuring crumb and drop as if each represented so many minutes of -life, and deciding that, as for himself, he could go a much longer -time yet before encroaching upon the small stock which must suffice for -them all. The breeze freshening, he set the sail again, and, hauling -the boat’s head as near the wind as she would lie, found that she would -make about E.N.E. on the starboard tack--by guess, that is, for there -was no compass in the boat. And this course he chose, not because he -knew whither it would lead them, but because he saw that it was taking -them well away from those accursed isles, of whose very name and -whereabouts he was ignorant. And having got the boat so easily trimmed -that by lashing the tiller at a certain angle she would steer herself, -coming up and falling off just as if a hand was at the helm, he turned -his attention again to the skipper and his wife, finding that the -former had returned to a reasonable appreciation of his surroundings -and was quietly taking the biscuit pap from Priscilla’s fingers. His -filmy eyes lighted upon Reuben, and he said in low but clear tones: - -‘Ah! yew never gut thet floggin’ I promised ye. Wall, I doan’ know as -I’m sorry thet yew missed it. I guess I ben a pretty hard case ever -sence I gut a chance t’ be, ’n’ I don’t believe I ever ben sorry fur -anything I ever done befo’. I felt mad, but not sorry--no, never. ’N’ -I thought I’d go some day jest like that. ’N’ now I kain’t. Pris’ -(turning to his wife with sudden energy), ‘I want yew t’ fergive -me--I’ve done y’ a power of harm. I ben an awful brute t’ ye. Wut I -ben t’ th’ men don’ matter--that’s wut they’re aboard fur--but yew ben -good t’ me, ’n’ I ben a devil t’ yew. Naow I’m a-dyin’, ’n’ I don’ care -a plunk fer thet, but I’d like y’ t’ know I’m sorry fur wut I done t’ -ye. Ez fur this galoot, I don’t know who he is er wut he is, ’n’ ef I -a-hed my way with him he’d a-hed a pretty tough time, but I do b’lieve -he ain’t half bad. Kiender soft mebbe fur all he’s so big an’ hefty, -but I think he’ll put ye through in shape. An’----’ But then the -voice suddenly melted into a few unintelligible sounds, and again the -skipper’s head sank on to his wife’s lap and he was silent in another -swoon. Rube looked at him helplessly for a moment, then, reflecting -that the best thing for him would be to concentrate his mind upon the -only thing he could do--viz., the handling of the boat--he stepped -thoughtfully back to the tiller, and cast his eye first over the boat -herself, then all around. She was going sweetly along, unguided, like a -creature of intelligence, and as if she needed no human intervention, -so, satisfied of this, Rube busied himself in making everything within -her as neat and ship-shape as possible. Having done all he could at -this, he counted their treasured biscuit, felt the weight of the water -supply, and looked inquiringly at Priscilla, holding up the little -wooden beaker or piggin with one hand and pointing to the keg with the -other. But Priscilla, moistening her parched lips as well as she could, -shook her head, giving a meaning glance at the little bucket wherein he -had soaked the biscuit of which she and the Captain had been partaking, -to show him that there was still some left. - -Just as Rube was wondering what he could do next for her comfort, and -his own satisfaction, there was a commotion in the water alongside, and -with a series of sharp taps against the sides and bottom of the boat, -half-a-dozen large flying-fish fell into her in their hurried rush -upwards from the onslaught of a big albacore, which went sweeping past -with one of their late comrades thwartwise in his mouth. In a moment -Rube had gathered the welcome little wanderers together and hidden them -all out of the sun’s rays but one. This he cleaned with the utmost -delicacy and filleted, cutting the fillets into dainty narrow strips. -With half-a-dozen of them balanced on his knife-blade, he approached -Priscilla, who had been watching him languidly, saying, ‘Here, ma’am, -is suthin’ that’ll dew yew and the skipper both good. It’s cool and -moist, an’ ef yew shet yew eyes fur a minit yew’ll be surprised haow -easy yew can take it. Thousan’s of people prefer it this way t’ cooked. -’N’ I’ll dry some fur ye then, only it ain’t so good fur ye because -of its makin’ y’ thirsty, an’ water’s none too plentiful.’ With -utmost docility she roused herself, took the tender looking strips, -and put one of them to her husband’s cracked lips. His mouth opened -mechanically and his jaws moved, but he had no power to swallow, and -his breath began to come and go laboriously. Putting one hand under his -head, she beckoned Rube with the other, whispering, ‘Is he dying? Can’t -you _do_ anything for him?’ - -With a fervent petition for aid to do the right thing, for wisdom to -see it, Rube stepped to her side and took the Captain’s weight off -Priscilla’s arm upon his own. There was, even to a man with as little -experience of death as Rube’s, but scanty room to doubt that Captain -Da Silva was going to his account. And then, incredible as it may seem -to most of us, this simple-minded Christian man, forgetting all else -but the pitiable plight of the sufferer before him, actually burst -suddenly into earnest prayer that he might be spared--if only for a -little while--spared to repent of the evil done and intended. But as -he prayed he was conscious of something, he knew not what, driving into -his mind the certainty that his prayer was not to be granted. That -Ramon Da Silva had done all the direct ill he was to be allowed to do. -Rube’s voice ceased, the skipper’s eyes opened, glazed and fixed, his -lower jaw dropped heavily, and he was dead. Catching Priscilla’s eyes -fixed earnestly upon his face, Reuben said solemnly, ‘He’s dead, ma’am, -and the rest is with God.’ ‘May God have mercy upon him now,’ she -replied. - -Until the evening scarcely another word was spoken by either of them, -both busy with their own thoughts. But just before sunset, Rube said -questioningly, ‘We kain’t do no good, and may do much harm, by keeping -the body any longer: d’ you mind my offering up a prayer an’ committin’ -it to th’ deep?’ She answered humbly, ‘Do what you think is right--I am -willing. God knows I have every confidence in you.’ So Rube sank upon -his knees on the thwart, and with bowed head commended the dead man to -the mercy of the Merciful. Then he rose, and with a sudden heave of his -great shoulders, lifted the piece of clay; there was a sullen splash, -an eddy, and all that was mortal of Ramon Da Silva had disappeared for -ever from human sight. - -With an unutterable sense of relief Reuben turned to the business of -living, and bringing forth his little store of filleted fish and a -handful of broken biscuits gently pressed Priscilla to eat. She at once -commenced to try, only stipulating that he should also take something, -for she felt sure that, since the catastrophe, at any rate, he had not -broken his fast. He gravely acceded to her wish and began to eat, but -had only taken two or three mouthfuls when he laid down the morsel he -was conveying to his lips, put both hands to his face, and, his huge -body shaken as with ague, burst into a tempest of sobs. Priscilla -watched him in awe-stricken silence, until she, too, moved beyond -bearing by such a passion in this quiet, self-possessed man, began to -weep. But as soon as she did, Rube, by a tremendous effort, regained -command of himself and began in tenderest fashion to speak such -comforting words to her as his close acquaintance with the Source of -all comfort had given him possession of. But be it noted, neither his -consolation nor Priscilla’s distress had any reference to their present -desperate condition whatever. That apparently gave them no uneasiness. -These tears of Priscilla’s were due to reaction, to self-pity perhaps -a little, but principally were an evidence of the passing away of an -awful bondage. Such tears as a prisoner might shed on first emerging -from a loathsome captivity in an underground dungeon into the blessed -light of Heaven--free. - -There is no need to enlarge upon the cause of Rube’s breakdown: if it -be not palpable, it would be futile to explain. - -Now he was torn with a raging conflict between his desires and his -fears. Would Priscilla, after all, love him? Dare he make himself known -without appearing to take any unmanly advantage of her helplessness, -her utter need of some strong arm upon which to lean, whether she loved -its owner or not so long as he was kind? Foolish--oh, yes, but quite -natural where such faithful love as Rube’s reigns in a man’s heart, -allied with such a distrust of self as he possessed. So he sat speaking -to Priscilla such things as he found best to say with this backlash -of harassing thoughts occupying one corner of his brain, and causing -his eyes to shine with almost audible intensity. And presently lifting -her head Priscilla’s gaze met his. For a moment she stared spellbound, -then gasped, ‘Rube, it’s _you_, it’s YOU. O God, how good You are to -me!’ And she bent towards him. All his fears were forgotten now, all -his delicate self-tormenting diffidences vanished like breath-mist from -a diamond, and he took her to his broad breast as a mother takes her -infant, yearningly, hungrily. - -The boat sailed on steadily into the blankness of the horizon, hunger -and thirst, and dreadful outlook all forgotten, and in that happy hour -each lived a lifetime of perfect joy, feeling that, come what might, -the price to pay would not be grudged by them. Then, with a sigh of -perfect content, they released one another, and Rube, feeling as if -the strength of ten lay in his great frame, the wisdom of a dozen old -sea-captains had accumulated in his brain, set about preparing for the -night. He felt ready to wrestle with death itself for her as Jacob did -with the angel, and with no more fear. And she followed him with her -eyes as he busied himself about the boat and made ready their tiny -meal. It was so sweet to feel once more the presence of unselfish love -ready to do and dare all things for her. If the prospect of that wide -sea-plain and their utter loneliness upon it, and the knowledge of -their want of food, did for a moment give her a chilly feeling as of -the approach of darkness, it was only momentary: one glance again at -his bright, brave, calm face dispelled it, and brought instead the glow -of perfect happiness--that is, as nearly perfect as a spirit clothed -with flesh can feel. - -They took their evening morsel of food, and uttered their evening -prayers sitting hand in hand like little children, and with as little -care or fear for the future as babes would have; they saw the bright -sky darken into the violet of the night, while the gentle breeze held -steadily and the boat still swept quietly forward to the east. Rube -made Priscilla as comfortable as possible, sacrificing the jib’s -usefulness for the night in order to protect her from the drenching -dew, and as she laid her head down upon his coat rolled up for a -pillow she gave a happy little sigh, murmured, ‘Thank you, dear,’ put -up her face to be kissed as a tired child would out of its cot, and -went instantly to sleep. Rube, noting this with intense satisfaction, -composed himself upon the little deck aft, where he could look down -upon Priscilla’s form, cast off the tiller, and, sitting with it -under his arm, steered the boat steadily by the wind, still making, -as nearly as he could judge by the stars, about a N.E. course. So -through the night he sat, and dozed and woke alternately, never finding -any alteration in the pose of that recumbent figure beneath him, -never needing to do aught but just sit still and commune with his own -thoughts. Strangely enough, do what he would he could not feel any -apprehension for the future. Again and again he endeavoured to depict -Priscilla and himself dying of hunger and thirst under the great solemn -eye of heaven. Again and again he recalled his experiences in the -_Xiphias_’ boat when all the bitterness of such a death was actually -undergone, and the survivors were literally haled back from the dark -entry of the grave. But no answering tremor came. Not even when he -thought of his father and mother, those waiting, lonely figures sitting -by their cosy but quiet fireside praying for him. Ah--that was it. The -effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, and whether -he (and _she_) were to live or die, the peace which they were enjoying -was undoubtedly due to that stream of real prayer ascending continually -from the Eddy Homestead for the wanderers on unknown seas. - -Therefore, in the morning, as daylight filled the sky, he faced the -waking Priscilla with a countenance scarcely less bright. He drew her -a bucket of water from overside, and recommended a sluicing of hands, -and face, and neck, telling her that for the next half-hour it would -be necessary for him to seat himself upon the bow and look steadfastly -ahead in case in that clear dawn-light some vessel should be visible. -And when such a toilet as she was able to make was completed, a word -from her would bring him aft on the jump supposing his vigil were not -over. She smiled gratefully, appreciatively; and met him presently, -when in response to her call he came leaping aft, with a face so bright -and rosy in spite of its thinness that an involuntary exclamation of -wonder and admiration burst from him. Then they sat down to their -frugal breakfast of water and biscuit--the fish was now too stale to -eat, unless they were much more ravenous than at present--and for sauce -they had reminiscences, all that Rube could remember on both sides of -the blank, and all that she _would_ recall of the doings of her dead -husband. Then Rube, interesting Priscilla greatly, produced a hook -and line which he had found stowed away in the ‘eyes’ of the boat. -Carefully mounting a strongly smelling flying fish upon the hook, he -trolled it astern, and in a few minutes succeeded in flinging into the -boat a beautiful coryphena, or dolphin as the sailor calls it, of over -ten pounds in weight. A portion of its flesh was cut off, and preserved -for bait, a portion was carefully prepared for the next meal--they did -not mind raw fish now--and the rest cleansed, and cut in strips, was -laid in the sun to dry. And then they thanked God, ate another meal, -and took courage. - -On the fourth morning, although they had caught plenty of fish--for in -those prolific seas the deep-sea denizens swarm--they drank their last -drop of water. They had husbanded it carefully, and as at the outset -there was but little over a gallon, it had lasted well. But even now -they did not feel dismayed. Amid their terrible surroundings they were -quite, or nearly quite, happy. That same strange assurance enjoyed by -Rube had communicated itself to Priscilla, and together they discussed -their meeting with the dear old people, and all the wonderments that -people so entirely ignorant of what had been happening since their -departure might naturally be supposed to entertain. They caught a -skip-jack that day, a kind of vivacious mackerel, weighing about five -pounds, and almost gaily munched its juicy flesh, which was so grateful -to their already parching mouths. - -Then, at the close of day, as usual--it seemed as if they had been thus -associated for a lifetime--they prayed, kissed each other good-night, -and Priscilla went to sleep, while Rube, as usual, sat erect and dozed. -He was suddenly awakened by a great glare of light which dazzled him, -proceeding from he knew not where. Next moment a clear voice sounded -across the blackness following upon the blaze: ‘Boat ahoy!’ ‘Hallo,’ -replied the deep tones of Rube. And then he saw the towering form of -a ship, her green light glaring down at him as if in judicial inquiry -just overhead. In fact, so close that only by putting his tiller hard -over and bringing his boat up in the wind he escaped running into -her with a crash. A side ladder was lowered, a couple of agile men -glided down ropes into the boat, and in less than ten minutes Rube and -Priscilla stood upon the deck of H.M.S. _Alcestis_, surveying ship, to -whose splendid lookout they owed their rescue, and whose crew they had -provided with a babblement of talk that was already surging throughout -the remotest corners of the ship. - -A cabin was immediately found for Priscilla, and the wardroom -attendants could not sufficiently show their zeal and readiness -to anticipate her every want. Rube, brought before a charming -young-looking officer, was interrogated as to the how and why of this -miraculous appearance in mid-Pacific in a boat, at night with one -woman, but not before he had been offered and had refused a glass of -grog and a cigar, and had accepted instead a plate of soup on the -condition that some was first given to Priscilla. - -So Reuben told his tale to the Captain of the man-o’-war, and whether -the sentry at the door had his ear to the keyhole all the while or -not I don’t know, but certain it is that almost as soon as Reuben -retired for the rest of the night to a comfortable berth, having first -visited Priscilla’s cabin and found her supremely happy, his story -was the common property of the ship’s company, and he could have -had any one of them shed blood, their own or another’s, for him. Of -that, of course, there was no need, but anyone who knows the British -man-o’-warsman, officer or seaman, needs not to be told that on arrival -at Honolulu the paymaster of the _Alcestis_ handed over to Reuben a sum -of money sufficient for all reasonable expenses and fare to Vermont. -Among those _reasonable_ expenses was included the cost of a wedding -at the English church, to which over one hundred of the _Alcestis’_ -crew invited themselves, and made those proceedings vibrate with -their own enthusiasm. I regret to say, though, that after escorting -the newly wedded pair on board the mail steamer bound to ’Frisco, and -cheering themselves hoarse as she departed, several of those gallant -blue-jackets were found so full of spirits, animal and vegetable, that -it became necessary for the preservation of the public peace to put -them under lock and key, with serious results to themselves. - -Reuben and his adoring wife had no more adventures. They were the -heroes of the passengers and crew of the _Golden Gate_, and they had -much ado to dodge the wily reporters in the Queen City of the West. -Nor were they able to prevent the appearance of their histories (with -such extraordinary verbal embellishments as the said reporters deemed -it necessary to add) in the flamboyant local newspapers. But in due -time they found themselves travelling together the quiet moss-grown -paths between Boston and the home farm, and arriving at the door of -the Eddy Homestead to be received as the latest and best gifts of a -loving God to the faithful old couple who had never wavered in the -long waiting for them, nor doubted that they would come. Also it seems -an anti-climax to record their settling down to a happy, useful, and -loving life in the old farm of Priscilla’s youth, kept in readiness for -them by Rube’s father against the day of their return. - -It was somewhat of a wrench for them to be compelled to make a journey -to New Bedford and depose to the circumstances in which the _Grampus_ -was lost, and there always remained a sense of something incomplete in -Reuben’s mind about the early days of his departure from New Bedford, -and the intervening months before awaking on board the _Grampus_. But -these ripples made no impression upon the steady flow of their stream -of happiness. Brother Will came to see them from Chicago, portly and -full of dollar-talk, being almost a millionaire, and departed West -again, feeling that there was, after all, something which even dollars -could not buy, and that Rube and his sister possessed the chief of -those things. - -Here let us leave the much-tried pair, nestling under the wing of the -Loving Father, whose watchful care had been over them through all their -perils, being serenely carried onwards to a golden sunset. - - -_Spottiswoode & Co. Ltd., Printers, New-street Square, London._ - - - - -WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR. - - -WITH CHRIST AT SEA - -A RELIGIOUS AUTOBIOGRAPHY. - -Fifth Edition. Crown 8vo. cloth, 6_s._ - - ‘There is not a dull page in the whole narrative.’--TIMES. - - ‘Those who are acquainted with Mr. Bullen’s work will know that he - cannot fail to compel the attention of his readers. He writes with a - sincerity and a simplicity which lend a great charm to all he does.... - He has much to say of the conditions of the service in which he spent - many years, and most of what he tells us is extremely interesting. - Moreover, to those who love the sea the book is worth reading for - its description of the varied moods, the storm and stress, the calm - benignity, the delicate play of the ocean on which this religious life - is spent.’--DAILY TELEGRAPH. - - ‘Mr. Bullen has told the story of his inner life of faith as it grew - amid the very real hardships and temptations of his life at sea. And - by doing so, we do not doubt that he will have given to many men - and boys the best help a fellow-man can give in their own struggle - with like circumstance. Had he kept his book back for posthumous - publication, he would probably have considerably lessened, as well as - postponed, the good it is calculated to do, for the help to be got out - of a biography is very much increased by the contemporaneousness of - the experiences it records.’--SPECTATOR. - - ‘We count this one of the most daring books ever printed--a book - in which a very powerful writer has risked a great reputation for - Christ’s sake. It is quite as fascinating as the book that made him, - only in another kind of way. For simple verity, for power to make the - thing live before readers, few autobiographies have the power of this. - We could not put it down until we were through with it, and as we were - going through we could not command our tears. The book will do a world - of good; and, we say again, the witness is a very brave one, manfully - borne.’--METHODIST TIMES. - - ‘As a human document nothing more interesting of its kind has appeared - for many years.... No one can doubt on reading this book that Mr. - Bullen has lived his religion. There is so little to be gained by - professing to be a Christian at sea that a man who does profess to be - a Christian probably is a Christian. If his rule is made applicable to - the author of this book the present writer records his impression for - what it is worth, that Mr. Bullen is one who has lived the Life, and - that his account of it is interesting and manly.’--DAILY CHRONICLE. - - ‘One of the most popular books that he has written.... Mr. Bullen, as - usual, writes with considerable charm, and will once again elicit the - sympathy and admiration of all who peruse his pages.’--WESTMINSTER - GAZETTE. - - -THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH-EAST - -Second Edition. Crown 8vo. cloth, 6_s._ - - - ‘The story is touching and impressive, and fully establishes what we - believe to be the real point about which Mr. Bullen is zealous--that - there are no actually Godless corners anywhere in the world, simply - because though men may forget God, God does not forget men, and in - some way or other witness is borne to the truth of the spiritual - life in the darkest times, and the most seemingly abandoned - places.’--SPECTATOR. - - ‘One of the most beautiful religious stories ever written. Mr. - Bullen’s incomparable knowledge of the details of the sailor’s life is - displayed as wonderfully as in his earliest books.’--BRITISH WEEKLY. - - ‘An inspiring book, and charmingly written.’--METHODIST RECORDER. - - ‘The whole tone of the book is healthy, inspirational, and - hopeful.’--METHODIST TIMES. - - ‘A story as interesting as any that could be written.’--DAILY NEWS. - - ‘A remarkable book, interesting in the extreme to really religious - readers as giving a view--accurate, the writer protests--of a phase of - London life very little known and hardly ever realised by middle-or - upper-class people.’--RECORD. - - ‘No one knows better how to make his characters picturesque, and yet - actually faithful to nature, than does Mr. Bullen, and these humble - Christians of the slums of Rotherhithe are wonderfully life-like. “The - Apostles of the South-East” have been drawn from real life, and are - sketched with all that vigour and fidelity that are so characteristic - of the writer.’--ROCK. - - -WITH CHRIST IN SAILORTOWN - -With Illustrations. Fcp. 8vo. cloth, 1_s._ 6_d._ - - ‘It stands apart from books of a similar kind, not only because of - the writer’s unique experience of the sailor’s life, but because of - the high literary gifts which he can bring to his task; and it will - help the public to know more than they do of an excellent work which - appeals, above all, to Englishmen.’--LITERATURE. - - ‘Never has the pathetic side of sailor life been more vividly - presented.’--BIRMINGHAM DAILY GAZETTE. - - ‘We congratulate the author without reserve upon the judicious - and generous use which he has made of his remarkable ability and - popularity.’--MANCHESTER GUARDIAN. - - ‘Everybody should buy it, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest - it, and do all in his power to forward the amelioration and - Christianisation of our merchant seamen, which implies the creation of - an adequate Royal Naval Reserve.’--QUEEN. - - ‘It is written with sympathy and vivacity; and is full of inimitable - touches which throw into relief the manly sympathy and moral courage - of the writer, as well as the peculiar needs of the poor fellows of - whom he writes at once so wisely and so well.’--LEEDS MERCURY. - - -London: HODDER & STOUGHTON, 27 Paternoster Row, E.C. - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -A number of typographical errors have been corrected silently. - -Books by the Same Author added to Table of Contents. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A WHALEMAN'S WIFE*** - - -******* This file should be named 65718-0.txt or 65718-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/5/7/1/65718 - - -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. 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