a faint streak against the
lighter colored clouds. I knew that a steamer was there; but she was
far, far away, and would never sight the whale, or my fluttering
signal.

I thought of all manner of curious plans to attract attention to my
plight from a long distance over the sea. Fire was my main thought. I
knew that no vessel--scarcely a mail-carrying steamship--would pass a
fire at sea without investigation. Had I been a modern Munchausen I
might have found some way of drawing a wick through the whale and
setting fire to its blubber!

As it was, had I been likely to run short of burning fluid I surely
would have endeavored to "try out" some of the blubber. I knew that,
before the day of mineral oil--kerosene--people used whale oil almost
altogether for lamps. But I was fortunately well supplied with oil,
water and food. I might ward off starvation for a month; but I was not
at all sure that I wished to exist so long under the then prevailing
conditions.

But life is very sweet to us, and I suppose I should have clung to the
last shred of mine had Fate intended me to remain in this abandoned
state so long. This day and another night passed. I went to bed and
slept well. The whale's carcass might roll over and crush my boat, or
some other accident happen to the Wavecrest during my retirement. But
I could do nothing to fend off Fate did I keep awake and had already
made up my mind that I had little to fear.

As for the whale sinking again, that was impossible. It may have sunk
after being killed; but putrefaction had set in within the carcass and
the gases which had thereby formed would keep the whale afloat until the
fish and seabirds had stripped its bones, in great part at least.

With the returning day the clouds broke. I had noted before arising that
the gale was subsiding. The sun showed his face and I welcomed him
enthusiastically. The sea did not subside however. I could not think of
leaving my sure haven yet. It did not look exactly like settled weather
but the sun shone warmly for part of that forenoon.

Before noon several screaming gulls had found the dead whale and were
circling around it, gaining courage to attack. The presence of the sloop
moored to it bothered them at first. But in a few hours there were other
scavengers of the sea at hand which were afraid of nothing. I sighted
the first ugly fin soon after eating my dinner. Then another, and
another and another appeared, and soon the voracious sh