180 TEE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT." 



my arms, and knew that I should slide off the slope of 

 the whale's side into the sea if they did, I could make 

 no effort to secure myself. Everything then passed 

 away from me, just as if I had gone to sleep. 



I do not at all understand how I kept my position, 

 nor how long, but I awoke to the blessed sound of 

 voices, and saw the second mate's boat alongside. 

 Very gently and tenderly they lifted me into the boat, 

 although I could hardly help screaming with agony 

 when they touched me, so bruised and broken up did 

 I feel. My arms must have been nearly torn from 

 their sockets, for the strands of the whale-line had cut 

 deep into their flesh with the strain upon it, while my 

 thigh was swollen enormously from the blow I received 

 at the onset. Mr. Cruce was the most surprised man 

 I think I ever saw. For full ten minutes he stared at 

 me with wide-open eyes. When at last he spoke, it was 

 with difficulty, as if wanting words to express his 

 astonishment. At last he blurted out, " Whar you bin 

 all de time, ennyhaow ? 'Cawse ef you bin hangin' on 

 to dat ar wale ev' sence you boat smash, w'y de debbil 

 you hain't all ter bits, hey?" I smiled feebly, but 

 was too weak to talk, and presently went off again into 

 a dead faint. 



When I recovered, I was snug in my bunk aboard, 

 but aching in every joint, and as sore as if I had been 

 pounded with a club until I was bruised all over. 

 During the day Mr. Count was kind enough to pay me 

 a visit. With his usual luck, he had escaped without 

 the slightest injury ; neither was any other member of 

 the boat's crew the worse for the ducking but myself. 

 He told me that the whale was one of the largest he 

 had ever seen, and as fat as butter. The boat was an 



