第59章 LIBERTY DAY--AND AFTER(6)

My hand touched and clung to a rope, which immediately towed me in some direction--I neither knew nor cared whither.Soon the motion ceased, and, with a seaman's instinct, I began to haul myself along by the rope I grasped, although no definite idea was in my mind as to where it was attached.Presently I came butt up against something solid, the feel of which gathered all my scattered wits into a compact knub of dread.It was the whale!

"Any port in a storm," I murmured, beginning to haul away again on my friendly line.By dint of hard work I pulled myself right up the sloping, slippery bank of blubber, until I reached the iron, which, as luck would have it, was planted in that side of the carcass now uppermost.Carcass I said--well, certainly I had no idea of there being any life remaining within the vast mass beneath me, yet I had hardly time to take a couple of turns round myself with the rope (or whale-line, as I had proved it to be), when I felt the great animal quiver all over, and begin to forge ahead.I was now composed enough to remember that help could not be far away, and that my rescue, providing that I could keep above water, was but a question of a few minutes.But I was hardly prepared for the whale's next move.Being very near his end, the boat, or boats, had drawn off a bit, I supposed, for Icould see nothing of them.Then I remembered the flurry.Almost at the same moment it began; and there was I, who with fearful admiration had so often watched the titanic convulsions of a dying cachalot, actually involved in them.The turns were off my body, but I was able to twist a couple of turns round my arms, which, in case of his sounding, I could readily let go.

Then all was lost in roar and rush, as of the heart of some mighty cataract, during which I was sometimes above, sometimes beneath, the water, but always clinging with every ounce of energy still left, to the line.Now, one thought was uppermost --"What if he should breach?" I had seen them do so when in flurry, leaping full twenty feet in the air.Then I prayed.

Quickly as all the preceding changes had passed came perfect peace.There I lay, still alive, but so weak that, although Icould feel the turns slipping off 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 entire loss, so completely smashed to pieces that nothing Of her or her gear had been recovered.After spending about a quarter of an hour with me, he left me considerably cheered up, promising to look after me in the way of food, and also to send me some books.He told me that I need not worry myself about my inability to be at work, because the old man was not unfavourably disposed towards me, which piece of news gave me a great deal of comfort.

When my poor, weary shipmates came below from their heavy toil of cutting in, they were almost inclined to be envious of my comfort--small blame to them--though I would gladly have taken my place among them again, could I have got rid of my hurts.But Iwas condemned to lie there for nearly three weeks before I was able to get about once more.In my sleep I would undergo the horrible anticipation of sliding down that awful, cavernous mouth over again, often waking with a shriek and drenched with sweat.

While I lay there, three whales were caught, all small cows, and I was informed that the skipper was getting quite disgusted with the luck.At last I managed to get on deck, quite a different-looking man to when I went below, and feeling about ten years older.I found the same sullen quiet reigning that I had noticed several times before when we were unfortunate.I fancied that the skipper looked more morose and savage than ever, though of me, to my great relief, he took not the slightest notice.

The third day after my return to duty we sighted whales again.

We lowered three boats as promptly as usual; but when within about half a mile of the "pod" some slight noise in one of the boats gallied them, and away they went in the wind's eye, it blowing a stiffish breeze at the time, It was from the first evidently a hopeless task to chase them, but we persevered until recalled to the ship, dead beat with fatigue.I was not sorry, for my recent adventure seemed to have made quite a coward of me, so much so that an unpleasant gnawing at the pit of my stomach as we neared them almost made me sick.I earnestly hoped that so inconvenient a feeling would speedily leave me, or I should be but a poor creature in a boat.