Beadle's Boy's Library of Sport, Story, and Adventure, No. 37 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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\ 4 Old Tar Knuckle and His Boy Chums. 7 aac were fully eleven fathoms from the whale. With wonderful celerity they paddled several fathoms nearer, and then up rose one of these men of the North with his long spear or harpoon made of wood or bone, tipped with copper, bal- anced in his right hand, ready for darting. He was fully eight fathoms from the whale, and Knuckle shrugged his shoulders hopelessly, feel- ing confident that the man could not strike his fish at so great a distance, for he had never seen a whaleman who could do so at a longer range than seven fathoms, which is considered a wonderful dart. But the Esquimaux, with quiet confidence drawing back his arm, suddenly sent the weapon whistling on its way, and to the surprise of Knuckle, he saw it strike the whale’s body and sink to the depth of several feet! ** Hels and flippers! what a dart!” he cried in astonishment. “T never saw anything like it!” added Hasler. It was in fact a wonderful throw for a har- n, but the wild sons of these northern climes ave been known to hurl their barbed weapons even further still, and with precision and effect atthat! This skillful dart saved the lives of Knuckle _ and his companions, for the instant the whale felt the prick of this new weapon, he dove down into the depths, whirling his flukes almost into Knuckle’s eyes as he went. To cut from the monster was with the old tar the work of an instant, asa knife is always kept ready in the bow for that purpose. One stroke of the keen blade severed the line, and the boat was free from the whale. Had the mate held on to his whale, instead of cut- ting, the boat, in its present position among the floes, would have been crushed, there being no room for it to run. The sealskin boat of the Esquimaux, on the contrary, being in a channel near the edge of the floe, was safe enough, for the whale, taking a direction away from the ice, drew the light craft out into the open sea. The whale-line of the Esquimaux, made of the bide of the walrus, was about a quarter of an inch thick, and was very tough. The mon- ster now struck did not take much of it ere he came up to the surface, The moment he rose, Knuckle was there to assist in — him with his eer which had already partly done its work. Hauling in the slack of their dripping line, the Esquimaux, who were fast to the leviathan, were soon darting their copper-pointed lances into the whale with marvelous rapidity. The ful and easy manner with which these bt boats were whirled here and there, to pag the flukes and the head of tae monster as their occupants charged him with their weapons, was truly wonderful! At last the whale showed a blood-red spout, and as this became thicker and lower, he swam around in a circle, which kept harrowing as his motions became feeble, and finally, with one farewell upward movement of the head and flukes, he rolled over on his side and gave up his mighty breath! “Well,” said Knuckle, as he took a fresh bite from his plug of tobacco, and mace straddled his legs, ‘‘the old king has been obligin’ enough ‘o kick at last. Much obliged to ye, Skeemos, vr your kindness in saving our lives and helpin us take our whale.” The aja told Yonkitt that for a little celupi (tobacco) they would help tow the prize to the shore, which was now about a league The monster was fastened to, and the towing was commenced, It was very slow work for so small a party of men. Before the whale was towed half-way to land, the wind came on to blow almost a gale, and many icebergs were driven between the toilersand the coast. Night, too, was closing round the party, and the Esquimaux refused to work longer. Charley Nye was thoroughly exhausted. ‘* Boys,” said Knuckle, ‘‘ we'll have to give ‘up for the present.” ‘* And lose the whale?” inquired Hasler. ‘‘No! We'll make him fast to one of these bergs, and put a signal on top of the berg. The won't drift if we fasten a line to it and make t’other end fast to the shore. That’s the best we can do, as we haven’t anchors for anchorin’ our fish.” The gale by this time having subsided, and the coast being now not further off than two hundred yards, this plan, which by whalers is often adopted, under similar circumstances, ‘was the one chosen by our party. The whale was secured with strong ropes to the iceberg, one part of the whaling-line was made fast round the frozen mass, and Tom Hasler and Nye having been left there, Knuckle and Yonkitt commenced to pull shoreward, Hasler “paying out” the coil ofline which had been placed on the berg for that purpose, as the boat receded. The berg being occupied by the two boys, was about fifty feet in diameter, with a column ris- ing up from one side, and it was to this that the line had been made fast. Nye helped Tom to ae the rope clear as it was paid out. Not long after, the boat reached the shore, and the other end of the line was secured to a rock. By this time darkness had closed round the floe. ‘““Why doesn’t the boat come for us?’ de- manded Charley. “‘Tt is a little strange,” admitted Tom. He had lighted one of the boat-lanterns which had been left with him, and he now waved it about his head. Meanwhile Charley’s teeth were chatterin with the cold. In fact both boys were chille through, besides being tired and hungry. ts alloa there! halloa!” shouted Tom, as he continued to wave the lantern! ‘‘Come and take us off!” There was no response. The boys peered through the gloom, but still they could see no sign of the boat. om took off his pea-jacket, and insisted that Charley should put iton. The younger lad ob- jected, but Tom would take no denial. - Just as young Nye put on the jacket, a shrill, piercing, horrible cry was heard from the direc- tion of the shore! “What can that be?’ asked Charley, as the two boys exchanged glances of dismay ‘“* God only knows,” answered Tom. ‘It was not that of any animal. It was a human cry.” ‘“*Can it be that the Esquimaux have attacked Knuckle?” Tom started, and for an instant turned pale. ‘* No,” he said, after a moment’s thought, ‘‘I don’t think they would do that. They are great thieves, but they would eke 4 go so far.” The boys listened, but they not again hear the cry. All at once they saw a flash of light ashore, followed by the sharp report of a pistol. “That was Knuckle’s pistol,” declared Nye. ‘Tt cannot be that it is a signal to us?” ** Hark!” admonished Nye, suddenly laying a peed his pre arm. — : Kenia ollow, ing, roaring noise was heard, like that of a herd of bulls. . A minute later, dark slimy forms shining in the lantern’s gh came swarming out of the water upon the berg occupied by the young sailors. ‘*Sea-elephants!” exclaimed Tom, ‘*‘ What can have sent so many of them here all at once?” The uncouth-looking creatures crawled upon the berg in every direction. It was soon fairly black with them. : Each of these animals was about ten feet in length, with a long, projecting snout and small, singular-looking eyes. The two lads were com- pletely surrounded by them—hemmed in on all sides. The monsters did not attack them, but all, thrusting their snouts forward, set up a most unearthly bellowing. ‘ And kept it up for several minutes, until, with a farewell upward glance of their little goblin-like eyes in the sides of their heads, they plunged into the sea and disappeared in the gloom beyond. ‘It seems to me that the berg moves,” said Charley; ‘‘it seems to go forward.” With a bound Tom reached the rope fastened to the base of the column. He seized it and began to pull upon it. ery of dismay escaped him, for the rope came loosely in! ‘ ‘“We are adrift!” he shouted. “Are you sure?’ gasped Charley, as Tom continued to pull on the rope. “‘ Ay, sure enough; you can see for yourself.” by What could have Parr the rope? The ele- phants with their teeth?” ‘*T hardly think so.” He finally hauled in all of the rope. He held the two ends by the lantern which he had set on the ice. “See, Charley, it is a clean cut. That has been done with a knife !” “* And how is this?’ demanded Nye. ‘‘ Here is the water washing over the place where we stand?” “*1t must be a wave,” gasped Tom, a deadly paleness overspreading his face, “No, you can see the water is almost smooth.” Tom hurried to the side of the berg on which the whale was secured. He held up the lantern,. but no sign of the dead monster was discovered. It had been fastened by means of a strong rope, one end of which was passed through a hole cut in the thick ice. The rope was not now to be seen; the edge of the berg had tipped up, and sunk several feet under water. ** What does it mean?” said Charley. we lost the whale?’ “Worse than that! The whale is sinking and is dragging the berg down with it!” ‘**Can we not cut from the whale?” ‘No. Had we known sooner it was sinking, we might have done so, but the rope is too far under now.” “Then we are lost!” ‘‘Charley, I fear it is true!” The two boys clasped each other’s hands silently and stood. for some time exchanging glances. Meanwhile the whale gradually settling, drew the berg down more and more in a slanting position. Tom and the boys were obliged to cling to the icy column, nearly to the summit of which they had climbed. * Have The water had by this time covered the lower half of the berg. The huge mass of the whale’s body sunk slow- ly but surely toward the bottom. This sinking of the whale after he is struck is: a common occurrence. Sometimes it happens immediately after death, and sometimes several hours later. The situation of the lads was perilous in the extreme. Chilled as they already were they could not keep up long in the cold water, when ba berg should at last go down from under them. Lower—lower every moment! Tom, who had brought up the lantern with him, waved it wildly about his head with his: disengaged arm. But he had little hope now that the signal would be heeded. Already the water was rushing with a gurg- ling roar into the hollows of the icy column to. which the young sailors clung. ‘*T can hold on no longer!” gasped Charley. ‘*My hands are benumbed!” Tom flung his lantern into the sea, and seized the speaker by the jacket to keep him in his. place. ‘*‘ Hold on, for God’s sake! Don’t let go till the berg leaves us!” As he spoke the berg plunged sidelong al- most beneath the surface. In another moment it must go under! *¢ Hoo-law !” exclaimed a shrill voice. ‘‘ Comee here in time! Dropee down quick! Me catch in boat!” It was Yonkitt who spoke. ¢ The boys letting go their hold of the icy column, as it was going beneath the surface dropped into the light skin boat, which Yonkitt had brought to their rescue. Nearly at the same moment the waters closed over the iceberg they had just left, as it was drawn slowly down into the depths by the sink- ing whale. —- CHAPTER IV. A PERILOUS COMBAT, CHILLED and half frozen as they were, the boys were glad to assist Yonkitt in paddling the sealskin eanoe toward the coast. In response to the eager inquiries of his two companions as to what had happened ashore to delay their being taken from the iceberg, the Esquimaux explained as follows: s soon as the whale-boat and the two canoes had gained the beach, Knuckle fastened the end of the line to a rock. He and Yonkitt were then about to enter the boat to go for the boys, when they heard a gurgling sort of roar amon the rocks, and, in the dim light, they saw dar forms rushing toward the water. They could not distinguish more than the outlines of these figures, but it was evident that a number of small sea-elephants were being pursued by sey- eral huge sea-lions. At the same moment they heard a terrible cry not far off; then they caught a glimpse of a Sea-lion as it went past them with something in its mouth, “ Ay, the cry you k of, was what Tom and I heard while on the iceberg!” said eho “Yes,” said Tom, “and it was their being pursued by sea-lions that had frightened the elephants and caused them to swarm upon the iceberg.” Eomichbooks (<0)