Harper's Young People, April 20, 1880 Part 2

"On inquiry I learned that the alligator had been first seen by the Burmese, who gave instant notice of his approach, as before described, and the warning was as quickly comprehended by the captain. All his exertions to escape were, however, unavailing, and he felt himself seized a little below the shoulder. By a convulsive effort he succeeded in shaking off his cruel antagonist, and again struck out. The animal, however, again advanced, and seizing him nearly by the same place, dragged him under the surface for an instant or two, when the splashing of the oars compelled him to relax his hold. On examination it proved that the arm, although severely lacerated, was not so much injured as to incur the necessity of amputation; and being placed under medical care at Rangoon, the skipper was soon enabled to resume his duties."

[Begun in No. 19 of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, March 9.]

ACROSS THE OCEAN; OR, A BOY'S FIRST VOYAGE.

A True Story.

BY J. O. DAVIDSON.

CHAPTER VII.

TOWED BY A WHALE.

"Have you ever seen a whaler, lad?" asked old Herrick, as Frank came on deck the next morning. "Well, here's one for you _now_, anyway!"

There, sure enough, on the very edge of the great weed prairie which was now almost left behind, lay a large vessel, with her sails hanging loosely against the masts. Alongside of her floated a huge black and white ma.s.s, which a second glance showed to be the carca.s.s of a whale, while the thick black smoke that rose from between her masts told that the work of "trying out" the oil was going briskly forward. This was just the sight for Austin, who, in the long winter evenings at home, had devoured every account and engraving of the whale-fishery that he could lay his hands on. He was still gazing, when Herrick touched his arm.

"See them two boats yonder, my boy? They've struck another whale, or my name ain't Herrick."

The whaler's boats were about three miles off, pulling as if for life and death. The other end of the line attached to each was under water, but the disturbance of the surface showed that some large object was in violent motion below. Suddenly both crews "backed water," while a man leaped into the bow of each boat, axe in hand, ready to cut the rope should the whale attempt to drag them under.

The next moment the huge black body broke through the seething foam with a lash of its tail, which, as Herrick said, "sounded like a church tower a-fallin' flat on an acre o' planks." In flew the boats, one on each side, up sprang the harpooners, whiz went the well-aimed weapons, and the wounded whale, giving a leap that set the whole sea boiling, turned and came right down upon the _Arizona_, as if taking _it_ for the a.s.sailant.

[Ill.u.s.tration: TOWED WITH THE SPEED OF A LOCOMOTIVE.]

Frank turned pale in spite of himself, for the charge of this moving mountain seemed able to crush the strongest ship like an egg-sh.e.l.l. But just as it was about to strike the bow, the monster turned again, and made for the distant whaler, towing the two boats after it with the speed of a locomotive.

"Bully for you, mates!" shouted a harpooner, as they flew past. "Ye've turned the critter for us, and now she'll tow us aboard without our pulling a stroke!"

On the sixteenth night of the voyage, Frank was sitting on the fore-hatch, admiring the brightness of the moon. Eight bells (8 P.M.) had just been struck, when the ship's officers were seen crowding together on the after-deck with an appearance of considerable excitement. Before any one could guess what was the matter, one of the men uttered a cry of astonishment, and pointed upward.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ECLIPSE.]

The moonlight had become suddenly obscured, not by mist or clouds, but by a huge circular shadow, which moved steadily across the bright disk, blotting it out inch by inch.

"It's a 'clipse, that's what it is," said one; "and I heerd Mr. Hawkins say this minute as some feller ash.o.r.e, months and months ago, said it ud come this very day and hour. Queer, ain't it, for any land-lubber to be so 'cute?"

The darkness steadily increased, till the men could barely see each other's faces; and with the unnatural gloom, a solemn silence fell upon one and all. Not a word was spoken, not a sound heard, save the rush of the steamer through the great waste of black waters. But the return of the light at length unchained all tongues, and many a quaint comment was made upon what they had just seen.

"Guess the moon's got one side bright and t'other dark, and when she slews round, she brings the dark part broadside on."

"Not much, I reckon; it's them wet clouds goin' back'ard and for'ard over her that spile her polish, same way as the spray rusts our b'ilers."

"Shouldn't wonder; for a book-l'arned feller told me once that the sun hisself's all black inside, and them spots ye see on him's jist the black a-showin' through the gildin', like a darky's skin through the holes in his shirt."

The signs of their approach to land now became unmistakable. The sea took a greenish tinge; numerous vessels were seen heading the same way as themselves; and various birds, of a kind never met far from sh.o.r.e, came fluttering around them. Frank, too much excited to go below, perched himself in the rigging, and strained his eyes to catch the earliest glimpse of Europe. But Africa came first, in the shape of the Tangier Light; nor was it till 4 A.M. that the haze lifted, and a huge dark ma.s.s was seen looming on the port bow, the sight of which made the boy's heart leap, for it was the Rock of Gibraltar.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR.]

As the dawn brightened, all the grand features of the scene came forth in their full splendor. The long purple range of the African mountains, ending in the bold headland of Ceuta, far away to the southeast; the wide blue sweep of the bay, with the dainty little white town of Algeciras planted on it, like an ivory carving; the flat sandy neck of "neutral ground" between the Rock and the mainland, with all its countless memories of war, from the old-world battles of Spaniard and Saracen to the day when the combined fleets of France and Spain swept it with the fire of 1800 cannon; the bristling masts of the harbor; the long gray curve of Europa Point; the mighty fortress itself, with the narrow eyes of levelled cannon peering watchfully through the terraced rocks that loomed against the bright morning sky like a thunder-cloud; the blue Spanish hills, wave beyond wave, melting at last into the warm, dreamy horizon; and right in front the white houses of Gibraltar, huddled together along the base of the cliff, as if (to quote old Herrick) "they'd been playin' snow-sled, and all slid down in a heap"--all were there.[1]

[Ill.u.s.tration: A GIBRALTAR FRUIT BOAT.]

To get into Gibraltar Harbor is no easy matter; but the _Arizona_, following in the wake of an English mail-steamer, reached her berth at last, and had barely cast anchor when she was surrounded by a perfect fleet of "sh.o.r.e-boats" freighted with oranges, figs, bananas, cocoa-nuts, monkeys,[2] parrots, and everything else that any sailor could be expected to buy.

The screams of the parrots, the chattering of the monkeys, the b.u.mping of the boats against each other, the clatter of the oars, the angry outcries of the boatmen, in Spanish and broken English, whenever a monkey or a parrot fell overboard, or a fruit basket got upset, made a deafening uproar. An English man-of-war, anch.o.r.ed close by, was similarly beset; and a mischievous sailor had just la.s.soed a monkey out of the nearest boat, against which outrage both Jocko and his master were protesting with all the power of their lungs. Frank lost no time in buying a stock of oranges, and tossed a quarter to the tall, black-eyed boatman, whose embroidered jacket, brown handsome face, and round flat hat with a jaunty c.o.c.kade on one side of it, made a very striking picture. The Spaniard rang it on a knife-blade, tested it with a hard bite from his strong white teeth, and then tied it up in the handkerchief around his head, with a bow and a "Gracias, senor" (thanks, sir), worthy of any grandee in Spain.

"What a fine fellow!" cried Frank, enthusiastically.

"Ay, ain't he?" growled an old tar who overheard him. "If I'd a loose tooth in my head, I'd yank it out 'fore comin' here, for fear some o'

them 'fine fellers' ud steal it!"

"You don't say!"

"Fact; and that's why we never let none on 'em aboard. I guess the old sayin's true enough, 'The Spanish wines steals all heads, the Spanish women steals all hearts, and the Spanish men steals everything.'"

The captain, purser, and doctor had gone ash.o.r.e with the ship's papers; but to the no small dismay of the crew (who had expected a long stay in port) a signal was suddenly reported to "up anchor" at once. So the chain-cable was pa.s.sed around the capstan, the bars manned (for the convenient fashion of getting up the anchor by steam was not yet adopted by the _Arizona_), and to work they went.

The slack of the chain came in easily enough; but to "break" the anchor out of the mud was a harder matter. Up came more men--up came even the "trimmers and heavers" from the engine-room; the bars bent with the pressure of six st.u.r.dy fellows apiece, but the anchor never budged. The perspiration rolled down the bronzed faces of the sailors, and their brawny chests heaved like bellows with the strain; but all to no purpose.

Suddenly a "flaw" of wind made the vessel heel, bringing more pressure on the chain. The crew made a desperate effort, and seemed about to conquer, when snap went a bar. The capstan spun back, the men were dashed along the deck like nine-pins, and one poor fellow, jammed between the chain and the hawse-pipe, had his hand cut in two as if by an axe.

"h.e.l.lo, Yankee Doodle!" shouted a voice from the British ship, "can't git up yer mud-hook, eh? Shall we send a boy down to lift it for yer?"

Frank's eyes flashed fire at the taunt, and the roar of laughter that followed. Forgetting everything in the pa.s.sion of the moment, he sprang upon the capstan, and shouted:

"Mates, are we going to let that Britisher laugh at us? Not much!

Come--all together; now!"

The excited men answered with a deafening cheer, and bent to their work like giants. One tremendous heave, and up came the anchor at last. Round and round they spun, leaping over the cable, which was now coming rapidly in; and while Frank cheered and waved his cap like a madman, they ran the anchor up "chock-a-block," just as Captain Gray and his officers came up the side.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Most engravings of Gibraltar give a very imperfect idea of its position, which may be best conveyed by representing the Spanish coast as a door, and the Rock as the k.n.o.b of its handle. The latter's seaward face is a pretty close copy of the Hudson Palisades.

[2] The Rock of Gibraltar is the only spot in Europe where monkeys are found running wild.