arks were
tearing at the whale from beneath while the increasing number of
seabirds were hovering and fighting above the carcass.

Both the finned and winged denizens of the sea became so fearless that I
could have stroked the sides of the sharks with my hand or got upon the
whale and knocked the birds over with a club. Blood as well as oil ran
from the great carcass and the sea was soon streaked all around with
foulness. A dreadful stench began to be apparent, too. The fetid gasses
from the abdominal cavity of the dead creature were escaping.

But I could not afford to change my anchorage just for a bad smell!
Anxious as I was to get home again, I dared not start for land yet
awhile. I must wait for a fair wind and the promise of a spell of steady
weather. I knew that by heading into the northwest I must reach the New
England coast if I sailed far enough; but otherwise I was quite ignorant
of my position. Having a nicely drawn chart in my chest did not help me
in the least now, for I did not know my position and had no means of
learning it had I been a navigator.

This day passed likewise and an uncertain, windy night was ushered in.
I set my lantern again on the whale's back, the birds having become less
troublesome; but determined to keep watch for part of the night, at
least. To this end I rolled myself in my blanket and lay down on the
bench at the stern. The clouds still fled across the skies, harried by
the wind; and the wind itself fluctuated, wheeling around to various
points of the compass within a short hour.

I fell asleep occasionally and finally, before dawn, descended into a
heavy slumber. I don't know what awoke me. The wind was whining very
strangely through the sloop's standing rigging. My oar had tumbled down
and oar and lantern were in the sea. The birds had all disappeared, nor
were the fins of the sharks visible. Off to the south'ard was a strange,
copper colored bank of cloud. The east was streaked lividly, for it was
all but sunrise.

I rose and stretched, yawning loudly. I suddenly felt a prickling
sensation all over me. I knew that the air must be strongly impregnated
with electricity. Despite the whining of the wind here beside the dead
whale there seemed to have fallen a calm.

I scrambled up the side of the whale and turned to look northward.
Glory! Within five miles was a bark, under full sail, coming down upon
me--a vision of rescue that brought the stinging tear-drops to my eyes.
I