Frank Nelson in the Forecastle

ver the absence of their genial companion. The old sailor believed in looking on the bright side of things, and thought there was no use

g deserted us, we are compelled to call on you to fill his place. Suppose you work out a c

1

d myself only a few days ago. The twentieth parallel runs throu

run in as short a time as

e northeast trades, and the equatorial current.

d wanted to come back to the State

d forty-five degrees north latitude, and there you would find strong westerly winds to help you along. P

] help you if you wanted to go to Alaska from China. When it strikes the shores of our continent it divides, part of it flowing on down the coast a

posted. Besides, almost anybody with a chart before him, could clatter away as though his t

," said Uncle Dick. "He's as fi

e officer of the deck, the bow of the Stranger was brought around a point or two, and the voyage was fair

ils they had expected to encounter, the backwoodsmen began to act a little more like themselves. But when an ignorant person once gets hold of an idea it is almost impossible to make him let go of it, and the trappers' minds could not be set wholly at rest. They steadily refused to go into the forecastle at night, and always slept on deck. The boys found the reason for this in a remark they heard Bob[122] make to his companion. They wanted plenty of elbow room when they reached the under side of the earth, the old fellow said, so that when the schooner dropped off among the clouds, they could take to the water. They saw sharks, dolphins and flying-fish (the trappers began to put more faith in what the boys said after they h

1

a small one,

big do you think a whale is, any

hey have been found sixty and se

of eighty, and I shouldn't wonder

pitch into him," said Eugene. "I'd like t

along they would not trouble

y n

backs. He would not yield oil or bone enough to pay for the trouble of lowering the boat

n ease and grace that was astonishing, and now and then he showed so much of his huge bulk above the water that the boys opened their eyes in amazement, and Featherweight declared that there was no end to him. The

of Archie, who stood by pulling his chin, and gazing

thinking," w

small party who would like to be ordered into a small boat to attack a beast of that size, and you were wonderi

he water, while George turned to Dick and Bob, w

n your first whale, and it isn't such a

. "If the babies look like tha

s?" repeat

Rodgers, but he couldn't see it. Rodgers, he called another of the sailors, and he said h

recastle say to you," said Eugene, indignantly. "Uncle D

1

d the ole one will be along purty soon lookin' fur it, an' then we'll see a whale. If the ole one don't find the baby, she'll

nce at them, as Fred remarked, and it was a matter of impossibility to set their fears at rest. For a week afterward Dick and his companion kept a sharp lookout, expecting every minute to see the old whale coming in search of her young one; but she did not appear, and the next thing that happened to relieve

dragons and other sea monsters, and the awful sights that would be presented when they came to the under side of the earth, looked through their hands at the dim outline

whale. She can't find her baby, and so she's coming down to ask the skipper what he's done with it.

something. I can see his long arms resting on the water, and ready to catch the firs

third, "and I think Lewis had better go

g his hands for a spy-glass, had been looking at the island ever since they fir

Rodgers. "I seen the waves, but I thought they was the bone the whale was carrying in her

1

matter," said the

s fears as well as they could, and by giving him a solemn promise that they would see him safely through any danger that might arise if he would remain close by them, they succeeded in keeping him out of the company of the foremast hands all the rest o

they expected to find there. The huge fishing canoes they saw the next day; the natives that came aboard in swarms while they were running about in the light, baffling winds they found under the lee of the land, the fruits they offered f

the gig was called away and the captain set out for the town, leaving the boys to enjoy themselves as best they could during his absence. But it was dull business, this trying[131] to pass away the time when they were so impatient and anxious. They kept up their spirits by telling one another that something would surely happen to restore their friend Frank to them, but the face

e, boys,

on been here?

d a crew of natives and has gone out for a three months' cruise

at abou

captain, and he was here just long enough[132] to sh

ssed it at all," said Eugene.

probably carries as much canvas in her courses and spanker as we can

going to do n

almost like searching for a needle in a haystack, bu

r do. While we are moving about we shall feel that we a

" said Un

f we find the Tycoo

se Frank and make him some amends for what he has done-I think I shall be able to do so," said the old sailor, wit

s lying in the harbor of Honolulu? What was the reason he had not done as he advised the deserter to do-insisted on seeing the American consul? The boys could only speculate upon these points, and they had ample leisure to do it-almost six weeks. During that time every ship they

g out"-that is, rendering out the oil of a whale she had recently captured. The Stranger's bo

est of the Club stood in the waist, attentively regarding the ship as she came toward them

nking so myself

s glass levelled at the ship, and edged away toward the officer of the deck. "It

sister," replied the offi

1

that had a good deal of meaning in it, seized his trumpet, her captain appeared upon her bulwarks. The boys, through their glasses, had a plain

red Eugene, his voice rendered husky by excitement.

" said Bab, taking his glass down from his e

captain was dressed. He wore a tarpaulin on his head, a red shirt open at the throat, and a pair of coarse trowsers, which were thrust into the tops[

!" roared

houted the capta

s that?" ask

e had a mouthful of something. The only part of the reply that the Stranger's crew understood was that

name of his ship, Mr. B

o say Eli Coon, sir

ly like Tycoon, doesn'

himself, Mr. Baldwin?

1

son, were the wor

hat?" shouted the c

d Uncle Dick; and the words were so plain and distinct that the master

a boat aboa

s the Tycoon if I ever saw her, but that isn't the scoundrel who commanded her while she was in the harbor of

, and be ready to jump when you hear the word." The sailors knew what that meant, and while some pushed back their sleeves, others laid handspikes where they could find them again at a moment's warning; and having thus prepared for any emergency, they moved to the side in a bo

n that boat, a

ly. "If he is aboard that ship now is his

ewis," whispere

could without losing his balance, and his[139] eyes were fastened upon the approaching boat with a gaze such as a hawk might bestow upon the prey it was ab

that boat," said Archie, "he will be a well-thumped man befor

was mistaken. But he's a hard

The backs of the oarsmen were turned toward them, and the captain kept his tarpaulin drawn low over his forehead, w

d appeared above the Stranger's rail. Then Dick began to bestir[140] himself. Wit

"What are you about? If you attempt any v

his feller can't fool ole Dick Lewis, no ma

rail, and lifting him in his arms as he would an infa