*
CHAPTER VIII
ABNER'S WHALE
In a previous chapter I have referred to the fact of a bounty
being offered to whoever should first sight a useful whale,
payable only in the event of the prize being secured by the ship.
In consequence of our ill-success, and to stimulate the
watchfulness of all, that bounty was now increased from ten
pounds of tobacco to twenty, or fifteen dollars, whichever the
winner chose to have. Most of us whites regarded this as quite
out of the question for us, whose untrained vision was as the
naked eye to a telescope when pitted against the eagle-like sight
of the Portuguese. Nevertheless, we all did our little best, and
I know, for one, that when I descended from my lofty perch, after
a two hours' vigil, my eyes often ached and burned for an hour
afterwards from the intensity of my gaze across the shining waste
of waters.
Judge, then, of the surprise of everybody, when one forenoon
watch, three days after we had lost sight of Trinidada, a most
extraordinary sound was heard from the fore crow's-nest. I was,
at the time, up at the main, in company with Louis, the mate's
harpooner, and we stared across to see whatever was the matter,
The watchman was unfortunate Abner Cushing, whose trivial offence
had been so severely punished a short time before, and he was
gesticulating and howling like a madman.
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