art sank within me. "Cheer
up, my boy, you'll live to be the death of many a whale yet. See, put
your lips to this can--it will do you good."

He shook his head gently, being too weak to reply.

We had killed a big fish that day, and we knew that when he was "tried
in" we should have completed our cargo; but there was no cheer given
when the monster turned over on his side, and the pull to the ship that
evening seemed to us the longest and heaviest we ever had, for our
hearts were very sad.

Next day Fred was worse, and we all saw that his words would come
true,--he was dying.

I was permitted to nurse my poor messmate, and I spent much of my time
in reading the Bible to him, at his own request.

He lived about a week after the accident and then he died. We buried
our shipmate in the usual sailor fashion. We wrapped him in his
hammock, with a cannon-ball at his feet to sink him. The captain read
the burial-service at the gangway, and then, in deep silence, we
committed his corpse to the deep.

CHAPTER NINE.

NEWS FROM HOME--A GAM.

The death of poor Fred Borders cast a gloom over the ship for many days.
Every one had respected, and many of us had loved the lad, so that we
mourned for him long and truly. But a sailor's life is such a rough
one, requiring so much energy and hearty good-will to his work, that he
cannot afford to allow the sorrows of his heart to sit long on his
countenance. In a day or two after no one would have supposed we had
lost one of our best men. Whales appeared in great numbers around us.
The old cry of "There she blows!" ran out frequently from the mast-head,
and the answering cry from the captain, "Where away?" was followed by
the "Stand by to lower!--lower away." Then came the chase, with all its
dangers and excitement--the driving of the harpoon, the sudden rush of
the struck fish, the smoke and sparks of fire from the logger-head, the
plunging of the lance, the spouting blood, the "flurry" at the end, and
the wild cheer as we beheld our prize floating calmly on the sea. And
in the midst of such work we forgot for a time the solemn scene we had
so recently witnessed. But our hearts were not so light as before, and
although we did not show it, I knew full well that many a joke was
checked, and many a laugh repressed, for the memory of our dead
shipmate.

The man who was most affected by his death was the captain; but we were
not prepared for the great change that soon