156 THE WHALE HUNTERS 



the Chile coast. We'll recruit fresh victuals there and 

 head for Cape Horn and home.' 



Off Cape Horn the relentless west winds blew with their 

 utmost fury and twelve barrels of the precious oil were 

 emptied on to the mountainous seas to help the battered 

 ship to safety. She limped into the Falkland Islands for 

 repairs and then spreading her patched sails set her 

 jibboom northward. As the latitudes grew lower spirits 

 rose high, for this was the Atlantic whose waters lapped 

 the Nantucket shores. 



In the pale sunlight of an April morning Thomas was 

 helping to warp the Meribah alongside the wharf at Nan- 

 tucket when he caught sight of his father and mother arm 

 in arm with a girl of twenty among the cheering, waving 

 crowd on the shore. As soon as the ship was made fast he 

 leapt on to the wharf, embraced his mother and shook his 

 father warmly by the hand. The girl stood shyly apart 

 with eyes lowered until Thomas taking her by the hands 

 kissed her softly on the cheek. 



Captain Galloway leant over the taffrail and waved to 

 Thomas's father. 



*We did it again, Henry,' he shouted with a broad grin 

 on his weather-beaten face. 'We filled her holds to 

 the hatches inside the four years. But it's the last time 

 for me. I'm getting too old. You can let Mr. Hodge 

 take her next voyage.' 



That evening in a room of the Oakley house overlooking 

 the harbour the diaries of Jonathan and Thomas rested in 

 an honoured place next to the family Bible for all future 

 generations of Oakleys to read. 



