Part 11 (1/2)

”Are you sure that those are people?” asked the mate. ”I see a flagstaff and flag clearly enough; but if those are human beings, the flag must be a very large one, such as no whale-boat carries.”

”Can papa be there?” exclaimed Alice, who was seated on a piece of timber in the centre of the raft.

”Little doubt about dat,” said Nub, turning round to her. ”Cheer up, Missie Alice; cheer up. We soon get dere. But whether it is land, as Ma.s.sa Walter says, or one bery big whale, is more dan I can tell. It look to my eye like a whale; but I cannot see its head or its tail,--and whales got both, unless dey are cut off.” Nub, in fact, was greatly puzzled at the appearance of the seeming island. He did not take into consideration the deceptive effect produced by the light mist which pervaded the air, making objects seen through it magnified and distorted, as it floated imperceptibly by.

”I cannot quite make it out even now,” observed the mate. ”There's a flag, there is no doubt about that; and there are creatures of some sort moving about--but to my eyes they look more like birds than men. The curious mist which hangs over the water plays strange tricks; and I have over and over again been deceived, and so have many others; but I see the flag as clearly as if it was not more than a cable's length from us.”

”It seems to me that the people are stooping down or carrying huge bundles on their backs,” observed Walter. ”Perhaps they are digging or building huts. I suspect, from their numbers, that the whole crew, whom we supposed embarked on the big raft, are there. We are near enough for them to hear our voices, though, as they are so busy, they have not as yet made us out.” On this Walter shouted and waved his hands.

”I thought so. There go your men, who were so busy digging and building!” exclaimed the mate. As he spoke, a number of birds rose in the air and flew shrieking away, soon being lost to sight in the clouds of mist which hung over the ocean to the west; and revealing, scarcely a quarter of a mile off, an enormous whale, or marine monster of some sort, floating on the surface, with a small flagstaff and flag sticking in its back.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

ON THE WHALE'S BACK--SIGNS OF A WRECK--LIGHT A FIRE AND COOK BLUBBER--A NOVEL LAMP CONTRIVED--A SAIL IN SIGHT--DISAPPOINTMENT--NUB'S NARROW ESCAPE--THE WHALE ROLLS OVER--A FEARFUL PREDICAMENT--THE RAFT WITH WALTER SAILS AWAY.

As the voyagers were anxious to reach the creature which lay before them, they got out the oars, the mate and Nub pulling, while Walter steered.

”I see some harpoons and spears sticking in the creature's back,”

exclaimed Walter.

”They will be of use, if we cannot get anything else from it, as we shall be able to kill any dolphins or bonitoes which swim near us,” said the mate.

”I tink me get some slices of meat out of de back of de creature,” said Nub. ”We no want food now.”

”We shall find it rather high-flavoured and somewhat tough,” observed the mate; ”but it will keep body and soul together; and we must not be particular.”

Walter, though very hungry, felt no inclination to eat whale's blubber, especially if the creature had been dead for some time,--though he had heard that the Eskimos consider it dainty food, and eat it in vast quant.i.ties. Poor Alice, who had been unable to swallow the mixture of flying-fish and oil, shuddered at the thought.

”I see a quant.i.ty of gear hanging about the creature's head,” said Walter; ”and that makes me suppose that it must have been fast to a s.h.i.+p. If so, it cannot be a fish my father has struck; and some other whaler besides ours must be in the neighbourhood.”

”I am of your mind,” said the mate. ”We shall know for certain, when we get alongside, by the harpoons. However, the idea gives me hope that we shall obtain a.s.sistance before long.”

The voyagers were gradually approaching the monster, which was certainly not a sperm whale, though it was of enormous size, floating far higher out of the water than does that creature. They therefore came to the conclusion that it was of a rare and hitherto unknown species. (Note 1.) A quant.i.ty of gear with some large floats hung about its head, while the harpoons sticking in it had their lines attached. The only way to account for this was, that the people who had attacked it had fancied that it was dead, and that it had suddenly revived and broken loose from them.

The whale was soon reached, when the raft was made fast to a couple of the harpoon-lines which hung from its body. It was no easy matter to climb to the top of its back; but the mate, bidding Alice remain on the raft, hauled himself up by the lines which hung from it, Walter and Nub following his example. On reaching the top of the whale's back, the mate examined the flag.

”This is an American piece of bunting,” he exclaimed. ”It shows without doubt that it was killed by the boats of one of their whalers. There are a good many of them in these seas at present, and they are not the fellows to abandon a fish they have once caught.”

”Dat is what I was tinking,” observed Nub. ”I don't tink any Englishman eber kill such a 'straordinary-looking fish as dis.”

”I have seen a good many, but never one like it,” said the mate.

”I only hope it good to eat; and de sooner me cut some blubber and cook it, de better. Mr s...o...b..ok, you got tinder-box and flint and steel?”

”Yes,” answered the mate, ”I always carry them; though, as we cannot light a fire on the raft, I have hitherto made no use of them. But how do you propose lighting one on the top of the whale, Nub?”

”We get up some pieces of wood from de raft, and den, with de blubber, we soon have one blazing fire,” answered the black. Descending to the raft, he took one of the pieces of plank and began to chop it up. ”We soon have some dinner for you, Missie Alice,” he said while so employed.

”You stay quiet on de raft, and not fancy you going to starve any more.” Having performed his task, he secured the wood in a bundle, and hoisting it on his back, he climbed up again.

During Nub's absence the mate and Walter looked anxiously around them, in the possibility of any boats being in sight. None were to be seen; but they observed several objects floating about, apparently pieces of wreck, spars and casks,--and among them a sea-chest, which seemed of large size, as it rose considerably above the surface.