Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Next Page
OCR
ssSsses
Von.
The Female Harpooner.
A TALE OF. TITE SEA.
Tue whaler Sea Gull lay becalmed off the
Gallipagos in the South Pacifi
yays of the afternoon sun, falling upon her | would be?”
worn sides stained with rust, and bleached
by wind and wave, gave her the appearance of | —a happy light shone in his clear eyes,
He did not stop to answer the cooper’s ques- | soon as we get a favorable breeze, and T am
titious old sailors, | tion, but hastened aft to the side of the fair | determined that our colors shall be the best | father wlll yefuse.”
who, during ‘dark and stormy night watches, | vision upon the quarter-deck.
one of those * spectral” vessels which are some- |
times described by supe
are ‘so fond of ‘ spin-
ning” their wonderful
“yarns.”
Since morning not a
ripple had> disturbed
the surface of the sea.
The patched sails hung
flat and motionless
from the yards; the
helmsman, paning
against the barrel of
the wheel, could searce-
ly keep his eyes open.
Forward the men re-
clined upon the déck,
some smoking,and oth-
ers carving curious im-
ages out of whalebone
and pieces of hard
wood,
Tn the waist, leaning
against the bulw: 55
stood a tall, powerful
young man, of twenty-
iously tumed toward
the west.
“Whatis it? What
do you see, Herbert?”
inquired the ship's
cooper, as he emerged
from the main hold.
“Nothing—nothing,
after all,” replied the
young sailor; “it is
only a fin-back. At
first I thought it was
the spout of a sperm-
whale. The sun’s rays
prevented me from see-
ing very clearly.”
“Ay, ay—that shows
that even a man as ex-
perienced in’ whaling
as you are, may some-
times make a mistake
at first sight. But
there’s. something jist
come up aft, which’ll
1 more than
fin Ak or a
ue could, PU
m-wha
HT
ant ye
And the cooper rnb-
bed his hands, and
laughed roguishly, as
he nodded toward the
quarter-deck.
Glancing in the indi-
eated dtrection, Her-
bert saw, standing near
.the weather-rail, 2
young girl, witha
BET & S&S
STR: MITH,
No. 11 FRANKFORT STREET.
=~ aI]
utered according to an Act of Congress in the year 1865, by Srnrer & Sari, in the ‘Clerk’s Oflice of
NEW YORK, JANUARY 6, 1
large, spirited, brown e:
k, golden color, softly braided above a pure, | déeply.
white forehead. | ‘Good ° evening,
“There,” continued the cooper, ‘isn’t that | took her hand.
ocean. The!a more welcome sight than’ a sparm-whale | seen you, to-day
|
ightly colored | busy embroidering
The young man smiled, and s
| says we will start
WITH THE ACTIVITY OF. A YOUNG
Sati
petite, but well-rounded figure, a pretty, oval She turned, suddenly, and encountering the | ‘Ay,
‘ Yes,” shé answered.
‘looking of any in the port.”
aa ee es a Ge es ESS
(oT f
_ ™.
the District Court for the Southern Dist
annem -
866. $4 00 PER YE.
ct of New York,
AR.
SINGLE COPIES TEN CENTS.
OE
, ay, that’s a glorious idea!” cried He:
es, and hair of a admiring glance of the young sailor, blushed | bert, smilingr ‘From Callao we s
for home,” he continued, pressing the hand,
Minnie,” he said, as he
tion of your
“T have been very
the ship's flag; for papa
for the port of Callao, as
“No, no.
FAWN, PICKED UP HER LOVER'S IRON, AND
=SSs
| which was still in his;
“This is the first time I have | no longer he
1
‘and then, then I shall
tate to ask the important qnes-
’ather——'
“Oh! Herbert,” she gently _ interrupted,
while her whole frame trembled, and.a deadly
paleness came to her cheek,
why, but I fecl a presentiment that—that my
“T know not
Hie cannot—he will not. Te
knows how much we
love each other, he—”
The speaker was in-
terrupted by a rough
hand faliing heavily on
his shoulder.
He turned to encoun-
ter the stern eyes of
Minnie’s father, the
captain. .
“T have overheard
eyery word you have
said!” he exclaimed,
with any angry frown.
“T have said noth-
ing that Iam unwilling
you should have
heard,” thé'young man
promptly replied. «IT
love your daughter.
We both -loved each
other even before we
sailed. You have often
seen us together, and
must have known this
before.”
“No,” he grufily an-
swered; “I did not
even suspect its. TI
thought you were mere-
ly friends, and to that
Tcould have no objec-
tion. But—”
“Oh, futher !” inter-
rapted Minnie, - laying
her trembling hand
upon-his shoulder;
“surely you—”
Tie checked her with
an impatient wave of
the arm. .
“Know, then, young
man,” he said, in a
loud, stern voice, “that
Testeem you as a good
sailor, and harpooner,
that is all. “You aro
not the one I should
choose asa husband for
my daughter. She
shall never link herself
to one in your position.
The idea of my flesh
and blood marrying a
simple boat-steerer is
preposterons!”
“Why, how you
tuk!” cried Minnie,
blushing deeply.
“What difference can
it make whether he is
a boat-steerer ora com-
modore, so long as—
as I love him.”
< : So
SS SSE SS.
coe eee
SSS en
> oe, nwa sae
eee
:
|
‘
“Beside,” said Her- , /;
t=
