The skipper nodded assent, and C. B., shouting to one of his boat’s crew to throw him up the baling gourd, sprang into the waist-boat with it, and when he had bent on a lance warp or short line to a harpoon he flung the gourd well away from the ship into the sea. Then poising the heavy weapon he balanced himself for a moment, a perfect model for a sculptor, and hurled it at the tiny object. The harpoon described a regular parabola and fell, splitting the gourd in half, while an involuntary cheer went up from the crew.
“That’s as good as I want,” muttered the skipper, and then aloud to C. B.: “Had any experience on whale?”
“Oh yes, sir,” brightly responded the young man, “we do considerable whaling here. In fact, we’ve got about thirty barrels of humpback oil here now; we’d be glad to trade with you if we can come to terms.”
“All right,” returned the captain, “we’ll talk about that later; the thing now is to get you. Half the cruise is over, that is I can engage you for about two years at the fiftieth lay and three hundred dollars a ton for sperm oil, market price for black. An’ if you’re willin’, I’ll put you on the articles now.”
“I came principally for that purpose,” replied C. B. with sincerity, and within ten minutes he was enrolled as captain’s boat-steerer of the ship Eliza Adams, presently cruising for sperm whales in the Pacific Ocean with some twenty-two months of her voyage to serve.
I cannot say that C. B. felt excited or uplifted at this accomplishment of his desires, but he certainly felt that satisfaction which arises from the banishment of uncertainty, and with a contented face he took his position in his boat again ready to pilot the skipper in, who was lowering his own boat. A very few words sufficed to convey to his friends in the boat the news of his step, but they were enough to reduce the warm-hearted fellows to tears. For the departure of any one from that happy community, where all were related and where all were friends, was looked upon by everybody in the nature of a personal bereavement, and indeed was considered much more serious than death, because when any one died those remaining really believed that the departed one had entered into a far happier state of life than could be possible on earth, and that sorrow for them was unnatural and wrong.
But no word was spoken as they sped towards the beach, the seasoned hands in the skipper’s boat straining every nerve to keep up with them. A bit of skilful piloting was needed, but the skipper was an old hand at surf boating, and handled his boat with consummate skill. And as soon as she touched the beach there were twenty willing hands ready to grab her and run her up until the wave receded, when all hands jumped out and assisted to drag her high and dry.
In five minutes the news had spread to every member of the community that C. B. was going away, and great were the lamentations. Indeed, it was fortunate that the captain of the Thetis demanded their attention as he had to hurry away, as that took the edge off somewhat. C. B.’s boat with a fresh crew was requisitioned to carry off the huge load of fresh fruit, meat and vegetables that had been collected, while the captain with the two desperadoes would go off in a boat free from a hampering load of provisions. Glad as they were to get rid of the terrible creatures that had worried them so long, and also that they had been of service to a man-o’-war, there were few of the usual demonstrations as the boats pushed off, for their hearts were very heavy at the loss of C. B., in spite of all they had felt lately.