332 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OB, 



signing dangerous papers that the term " ringleader " was 

 derived ? 



No immediate notice was taken of the " robin," but after 

 a time the mate brought us word that the captain had de- 

 termined to run to the Sandwich Islands, and there deliver 

 the ship into the hands of the American consul. To this 

 we bad no objections, and, provided no time was lost in 

 cruising, we consented to work the ship into port. Accord- 

 ingly we shook out the reefs, sheeted home the courses, 

 squared in the yards, and set light sails and sternsails, and 



went bowling along under a cloud of canvas. Mr. F 



now called us about him on the forecastle, and asked us to 

 go in the boats after whale, with the understanding that as 

 soon as any grease was had we should continue our course. 

 To this we assented, as we should have done to almost any 

 thing he could have asked of us, as he had both the confi- 

 dence, respect, and hearty good-will of the crew. 



The test soon came, and the " sweet little cherub " offered 

 a chance for us to retrieve our voyage. The masthead had 

 been scarcely manned when a whale was raised close aboard, 

 the creature having ventured too much on our demoralized 

 condition, evidently. The captain came from the cabin at 

 the cry, and, looking anxiously forward, hesitated to issue 

 the usual orders. The mate, in bluff, cheery voice, broke in, 

 " Come, boys, hand sternsails." "Ay, ay, sir," and with old- 

 time alacrity we took in light sails, braced the yards, and 

 brought the ship to the wind. A bright gleam of something 

 more than satisfaction lighted the careworn features of the 

 " old man " as he busied himself in overhauling gear in his 

 quarter-boat. The ship came to, with mainyard aback, with- 

 in half a mile of the unconscious whale. At the next rising 

 we went on, our boat fastened, and in twenty minutes our 

 prey lay fin out. When we were pulling on board, the cap- 

 tain perceived a chance to heal the old wound. This fine 



