Story Hour Readings: Seventh Year Part 19

Where is this event supposed to have taken place?

Read the lines that show the men are miners.

3. How much was staked against Buck? Who was for the dog? Against him? How did he respond? How did the men who bet against Buck show they were good losers?

THE LOSS OF THE _DRAKE_

BY CHARLOTTE M. YONGE

The Newfoundland coast is a peculiarly dangerous one, from the dense fogs that are caused by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. These waters rushing up from the equator here come in contact with the cold currents from the pole. As they meet, they send up such heavy vapor 5 that day can sometimes scarcely be discerned from night; even at little more than arm's length objects cannot be distinguished, while from without, the mist looks like a thick, sheer precipice of snow.

In such a fearful fog, on the morning of the 20th of June, 10 1822, the small schooner _Drake_ struck suddenly upon a rock and almost immediately fell over on her side, the waves breaking over her. Her commander, Captain Baker, ordered her masts to be cut away, in hopes of lightening her so that she might right herself, but in vain. One boat was washed away, another upset as soon as she was launched, and there remained only the small boat called the captain's gig. 5

The ship was fast breaking up; the only hope was that the crew might reach a small rock, the point of which could be seen above the waves at a distance that the fog made difficult to calculate, but that, it was hoped, might not be too great. A man named Leonard seized a rope and sprang 10 into the sea, but the current was too strong for him; he was carried away in an opposite direction and was obliged to be dragged on board again.

Then the boatswain, whose name was Turner, volunteered to make the attempt in the gig, taking a rope fastened 15 round his body. The crew cheered him after the gallant fashion of British seamen, though they were all hanging on by the ropes to the ship, with the sea breaking over them and threatening every moment to dash the vessel to pieces. Anxiously they watched Turner in his boat, as 20 he made his way to within a few feet of the rock. There the boat was lifted high and higher by a huge wave, then hurled down on the rock and shattered to pieces; but the brave boatswain was safe, and contrived to keep his hold of the rope and to scramble up on the stone. 25

Another great wave, almost immediately after, heaved up the remains of the ship and dashed her down close to this rock of safety. Captain Baker, giving up the hope of saving her, commanded the crew to leave her and make their way to the rock. For the first time he met with 30 disobedience. With one voice they refused to leave the wreck unless they saw him before them in safety. Calmly he renewed his orders, saying that his life was the last and least consideration, and they were obliged to obey, leaving the ship in as orderly a manner as if they were going ash.o.r.e in harbor. But they were so benumbed with cold that many were unable to climb the rock and were swept off by 5 the waves; among these was the lieutenant.

Captain Baker last of all joined his crew. It was then discovered that they were at no great distance from the land, but that the tide was rising and that the rock on which they stood would a.s.suredly be covered at high water. The 10 heavy mist and lonely coast gave scarcely a hope that help would come ere the slowly rising waters must devour them.

Still there was no murmur. Again the gallant boatswain, who still held the rope, volunteered to make an effort to save his comrades. With a few words of earnest prayer, 15 he secured the rope round his waist, struggled hard with the waves, and reached the sh.o.r.e, whence he sent back the news of his safety by a loud cheer to his comrades.

There was now a line of rope between the sh.o.r.e and the rock, just long enough to reach from one to the other when 20 held by a man at each end. The only hope of safety lay in working a desperate pa.s.sage along this rope to the land.

The spray was already beating over those who were crouched on the rock, but not a man moved till called by name by Captain Baker, and then it is recorded that not 25 one, so summoned, stirred till he had used his best entreaties to the captain to take his place; but the captain had but one reply: "I will never leave the rock until every soul is safe."

Forty-four stout sailors had made their perilous way to 30 sh.o.r.e. The forty-fifth looked round and saw a poor woman lying helpless, almost lifeless, on the rock, unable to move.

He took her in one arm, and with the other clung to the rope. Alas! the double weight was more than the much-tried rope could bear; it broke halfway, and the poor woman and the sailor were both swallowed in the eddy.

Captain Baker and three seamen remained, utterly cut 5 off from hope of help. The men in best condition hurried off in search of help, found a farmhouse, obtained a rope, and hastened back; but long ere their arrival the waters had flowed above the head of the brave and faithful captain.

All the crew could do was, with full hearts, to write 10 a most touching letter to an officer who had once sailed with them in the _Drake_, entreating him to represent their captain's conduct to the Lords of the Admiralty.

"In fact," said the letter, "during the whole business he proved himself a man whose name and last conduct 15 ought ever to be held in the highest estimation by a crew who feel it their duty to ask, from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that which they otherwise have not the means of obtaining; that is, a public and lasting record of the lion-hearted, generous, and the very unexampled 20 way in which our late n.o.ble commander sacrificed his life in the evening of the 20th of June."

This letter was signed by the whole surviving crew of the _Drake_, and in consequence, a tablet in the dockyard chapel at Portsmouth commemorates the heroism of Captain 25 Charles Baker.

--_A Book of Golden Deeds._

1. Retell the main events of this story as briefly as you can. You can do this best by making a careful outline of the points set forth. Hand your topics to your teacher.

2. What is the rule aboard ship in case of abandoning the vessel? What accidents at sea do you know about?

THE WALRUS HUNT

BY ROBERT M. BALLANTYNE

The following episode is from _Ungava: A Tale of Eskimo Land_, a "cla.s.sic" of the fifties and sixties. _Ungava_ is full of thrilling adventure, based on the author's own experiences as a young fur trader in the Hudson Bay country. Ballantyne (1825-1894) belonged to the family of famous Edinburgh publishers that issued Scott's works.

Just prior to the incident quoted below, Annatock had discovered a walrus frozen to death and was engaged in chopping him up. Then appears walrus number two, who was thoroughly alive.

Not far from the spot where this fortunate discovery had been made, there was a large sheet of recently formed black ice, where the main ice had been broken away and the open water left. The sheet, although much melted by the thaw, was still about three inches thick, and quite 5 capable of supporting a man.

While Annatock was working with his back to this ice, he heard a tremendous crash take place behind him. Turning hastily round, he observed that the noise was caused by another enormous walrus, the glance of whose large round 10 eyes, and whose loud snort, showed clearly enough that he was not frozen like his unfortunate companion. By this time the little boy had come up with Edith and the sledge, so Annatock ordered him to take the dogs behind a hummock to keep them out of sight, while he selected several 15 strong harpoons and a lance from the sledge. Giving another lance to Peetoot, he signed to Edith to sit on the hummock while he attacked the grisly monster of the deep single-handed.

While these preparations were being made, the walrus dived, and while it was under water the man and the boy ran quickly forward a short distance and then lay down behind a lump of ice. Scarcely had they done so when the walrus came up again with a loud snort, splashing the water 5 with its broad, heavy flippers--which seemed a sort of compromise between legs and fins--and dashing waves over the ice as it rolled about its large, unwieldy carca.s.s.

It was truly a savage-looking monster as large as a small elephant and having two tusks of a foot and a half long. 10 The face bore a horrible resemblance to that of a man.

Its crown was round and bulging, its face broad and ma.s.sive, and a thick, bristling mustache--rough as the spines of a porcupine--covered its upper lip and depended in a s.h.a.ggy dripping ma.s.s over its mouth. After spluttering 15 about a short time, it dived again.

Now was Annatock's time. Seizing a harpoon and a coil of line, he muttered a few words to the boy, sprang up, and running out upon the smooth ice, stood by the edge of the open water. He had not waited here more than a 20 few seconds when the black waters were cleft by the blacker head of the monster, as it once more ascended to renew its elephantine gambols in the pool.

As it rose the Eskimo threw up his arm and poised the harpoon. For one instant the surprised animal raised 25 itself breast-high out of the water and directed a stare of intense astonishment at the man. That moment was fatal.

Annatock buried the harpoon deep under its left flipper.

With a fierce bellow the brute dashed itself against the ice, endeavoring in its fury to reach its a.s.sailant; but the ice 30 gave way under its enormous weight, while Annatock ran back as far as the harpoon line would permit him.

The walrus, seeing that it could not reach its enemy in this way, seemed now to be actually endowed with reason.

It took a long gaze at Annatock, and then dived. But the Eskimo was prepared for this. He changed his position hastily and played his line the meanwhile, fixing the point 5 of his lance into the ice in order to give him a more effective hold. Scarcely had he done so when the spot he had just left was smashed up, and the head of the walrus appeared, grinning, and bellowing as if in disappointment.

At this moment Peetoot handed his uncle a harpoon, and 10 ere the animal dived the weapon was fixed in his side.

Once more Annatock changed his position; and once again the spot on which he had been standing was burst upwards.

It was a terrible sight to see that unearthly-looking monster smashing the ice around it and lashing the blood-stained 15 sea into foam, while it waged such mortal war with the self-possessed and wary man. How mighty and strong the one! how comparatively weak and seemingly helpless the other! It was the triumph of mind over matter--of reason over blind brute force. 20

But Annatock fought a hard battle that day ere he came off conqueror. Harpoon after harpoon was driven into the walrus--again and again the lance pierced deep into its side and drank its lifeblood; but three hours had pa.s.sed away before the dead carca.s.s was dragged from the deep 25 by the united force of dogs and man.

--_Ungava: A Tale of Eskimo Land._

1. Find the picture of a walrus, and tell what the animal looks like. Get a description of a walrus from your reference library, if possible.

2. Describe Annatock's method of hunting the walrus.

3. Be prepared to give a two-minute talk on the Eskimos, touching on race to which they belong, methods of obtaining food, and mode of living.

THE RESCUE

On a bright moonlight night, in the month of February, 1831, when it was intensely cold, the little brig which I commanded lay quietly at her anchors inside of Sandy Hook. We had had a hard time beating about for eleven days off this coast, with cutting northeasters blowing and 5 snow and sleet falling for the most part of that time.

Forward, the vessel was thickly coated with ice, and it was hard work to handle her as the rigging and sails were stiff and yielded only when the strength of the men was exerted to the utmost. When we at length made the port, 10 all hands were worn down and exhausted.

"A bitter cold night, Mr. Larkin," I said to my mate as I tarried for a short time upon deck. The worthy down-easter b.u.t.toned his coat more tightly around him, and looking up to the moon replied, "It's a whistler, Captain; and 15 nothing can live comfortably out of blankets to-night."