Boys' Column.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2029, 11 February 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Boys' Column.

Jack and the Whale. “ I was brought up by a pious mother,’’ said Jack, “but I kind of went astray. I wasn’t as bad as some, but I did go off the handle considerable. There were mates of mine who never read the Bible at all. I didn’t do that. I read it. But I did what mayhap was worse. I argyfied about it when I had read, and one thing I was strung about was Jonah and the whale. Jonah couldn't have lived so long, I used to say, inside of that thar whale. “ I was born in Nantucket, and from Nantucket wo set Sail in the Beanstalk, Captain Salisbury, one fine afternoon. The folks came down to see us off, and we waved our handkerchera and cheered until wo lost sight of them, and we felt as most folks feel when they leave home. As for me, I looked back at my old mother, and 1 thought I'd like to come back with a bag of gold and build her a fine house, with a place on top for a telescope so that she could look out on the water and see the ships come up whenever she liked, and always have a silk dress and a lace cap and such, and no more work and worry. She was a good old mother, bless her. And I thought of Sally, too. I had a liking for Sally Thrush, a girl with cheeks like apples. And Nantucket seemed a good place to stay in ; but a sailor must sail away from home when duty calls him. “ And the sea is dear to him, too ; and so, after an hour or so, I got over the home-siskness, and was jolly as ever, until we came in sight of our first whales and the boats were out after them. And I remember I was just stepping into one, when I said to Tom Ryder: “ ‘ Mate, what d’ you think of old Jonah living in the inside of one of those oily fellows 1’ “ But Tom didn't grin. “ ‘ Bible is Bible,’ says ho, “ and fun !s fun.’ “Whereupon, being snubbed, I resented it, and stopped talking to him. , “ Time is short and you know all about whaling; so I’ll skip all we did until the minute we saw a great creature rise ont of the water as if by magic right alongside of the boat. She set her rocking like mad ; but what must I do but make a fool of myself by rising to my feet that minute. The next thing I know I'had taken a header into the water. “ Down I went, and up I came ; and as I came up something happened what I didn’t at first know. Then, lo and behold 1 I was in a kind of cavern. It was a queerlooking place, and might be at the bottom of the sea for all I knew. It was lit up in a shiny sort of way, as if phosphorus had been rubbed over it; and I could hear the men calling and shouting my name. They were looking for me, and here was I dry and safe enough. But where ? Where ? Well, mates, I can tell you that when the true answer to that question burst on my mind, I did not feel happy. When I first said to myself I'm where I always said Jonah couldn’t be—l'm inside of a whale—l did feel pretty well scared. ‘ It’s for my sins,’ I said to myself, ‘and I pray my old mother will never know it.’ “ Still it Avas curious when I got a little used to it. Not half as smothery as you’d think. And, then to watch things. I could see up through the whale’s mouth when ho opened it; and I could see in away through his sides the water and the sky and the dark shape of the ship. I could hear waves beating and the men’s voices. And now and again I’d look about to see Avliat the fellow had swallowed. There wore lots of things a red cap, such as foreigners wear, a glove, some lady’s that she’d dropped over the side, and a tin dipper and a corked bottle—looked like rum ; and after awhile I saw a bag. It was a leathern one, tied up tight. I couldn’t help leaning over and picking it up. It was heavy. It jingled as I lifted it, and I held it in both hands and sort of turned it over.

“Just take the picture into your mind, mates —me, a little younger than I am now, sitting in a curious pink hollow, on something like an ivory chair ; over me, the ribs of the whale showed through its flesh like a great umbrella or the like. It was pretty, though you might not believe it, and I tossing the bag about. It jingled and what was in it dropped on one side, and then to the other, as only hard money does. I untied the leathern thong at the neck and put my hand in, and took it out full of big, broad gold pieces—Spanish money—but there was money enough in that bag to make a man like me call himself rich.

“ ‘ Good Lord,’ said I to myself, as I tied it up again, ‘ hero’s a judgment on me. I’ve got this that would make my old mother happy and set me up for life, and here I am in tho inside of a whale, no uso for it, and not even a chance to tell the story.’ “ I could climb up red lane, but the whale would shut its jaws on my head, and that would he an end of me. I could havo bellowed. Such luck, and no good of it!

“ But just at that moment, mates, I heard a noise. ‘ Whack, whack, whack 1’ It was the harpoon. My mates had given me up for a lost man, and were after my whale.

“ The creature rolled over and over, and I was tossed this way and that, but I kept tight hold of my bag, and at last I saw the great jaws open wide, and stay so. The whale was dead.

“ Once a whale is dead, mates, it's just like walking up a pair of stairs to get out of his stomach. So up I climbed, lugging ray money. “ ‘ Hullo,’ says I.

“ 1 Hullo,’ says the rest. “ Up comes the boat and in they hauls me, and much they made of me, and when I told my story and showed the gold, why, I can hear them shout yet—bleat if I can’t. The captain he looked at the money. It was from some old Spanish ship, no doubt, he said ; but ho wouldn't touch a piece of it. “‘Finding is having, Jack,’ he said, 1 and by that rule the money is yours.’ “And I thought myself in luck that night, but before two months wore over the licumtalk was a wreck. We got off in the boats and were cast on a desolate island, where there were some berries and roots that kept us alive, to be sure, and we were taken off by a ship bound to Liverpool—and glad enough to get home alive, those that did. But my old mother—bless her I —didn't mind the money. My visit to the whale's insides had stopped my talk about Jonah, and she rejoiced at that. Twasn't my luck, anyhow, to be rich—l never shall be—but that experience is worth money, I tell you mates—” .1 ack had to tumble up on deck just then, and said no more.

“ Do you calculate that story was true ?” asked the little Yankee cabin boy of Bill. Bill only shook bis head. He never liked to commit himself.