THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 



do to save his life. The cooper, who was ship-keeper, ran 

 down with the ship, intending to cut between the whale and 

 myself ; but we were at too close quarters. He was afraid to 

 run me down, lest he might tear me with the ragged copper. 

 Thus for three-quarters of an hour that whale and I were 

 fighting : the act of breathing became labored and painful ; 

 my head and shoulders were sore from bruises, and my legs 

 had been pounded by his flukes ; but it was not until I found 

 myself swimming with my arms alone, and that my legs 

 were hanging paralyzed, that I felt actually scared. Then 

 it looked as if I couldn't hold out much longer; I had seen 

 the ship close beside me, and the second mate's boat trying 

 to get in to me, and throwing me lines, or something to float 

 on. But I failed to reach them. Now these things seemed 

 very far off; that was the last I remembered, until I came 

 to on board the ship. 



" I was afterward told that the first mate, in answer to a 

 signal from the ship, had come up, and seeing me feebly pad- 

 dling with my hands and not answering to his hail, he put 

 straight into the fight. The whale saw them coming, and 

 made for them. The men sprang to their oars, and the mate 

 had only time to seize my collar, while they pulled their best 

 to escape from the furious whale. They thus gained time 

 to take me into the boat, seemingly a drowned man. The 

 mate had true pluck. Leaving me to the care of the crew 

 on board, he put back for the whale. As he afterward said, 

 * She was too dangerous a cuss to run at large in that pas- 

 ture-field.' Watching a chance, he got a f set ' on her over 

 the shoulder-blade, and sent the red flag into the air. This 

 tamed her ; she sagged around for a time, and settled away 

 dead. The mate then came on board and reported sunk 

 whale ; and I was put to bed, a mass of bruised flesh. It was 

 several weeks before I was able to take my place in the head 

 of the boat again." 



