88 EIGHT WHALES. 



But that was not the worst of it. The worst of 

 it fell upon myself and another dare-devil young 

 chap — or rather he and I brought it down upon 

 ourselves, for we volunteered. It was this way. 

 The captain was bound not to lose sight of the 

 stoven boats, and wanted two of the men to stay 

 by them until he could bring the old hooker and 

 pick them up. We two, being young and fearless, 

 offered to take the job. We stood each on the 

 stern and bow of a boat, sunken just to the 

 water's edge, and hung on to a flag-pole for three 

 terrible hours, with the two wounded whales 

 cutting about and making the water white with 

 their huge flukes, only a little way from where 

 we stood. 



All that while we were afraid for our lives, as 

 we were out in the middle of the ocean and the 

 ship was four miles off. 



It is always with a shudder that I recall that 

 adventure, though fifty years and more have gone 

 by since then. But I remember that even when 

 the danger was worst, we found room for joking, 

 and one of our men cried out, " Better have paid 

 your washwoman ! " That is the usual gibe 

 when a man is caught in a stoven boat, for there 

 is a belief among whalers that if you don't pay 

 your washwoman you'll suffer the penalty of 

 getting your boat smashed. 



