but were fain to come to
some arrangement with the ELIZA ADAMS, one of the ships that had been
unsuccessful, to take over our other whale on an agreement to render
us one-third of the product either in Port William or at home, if she
should not find us is the former place.

Behold us, then, in the gathering dusk with a whale on either side,
every stitch of canvas we could show set and drawing, straining every
nerve to get into the little port again, with the pleasant thought that
we were bringing with us all that was needed to complete our well-earned
cargo. Nobody wanted to go below; all hands felt that it was rest enough
to hang over the rail on either side and watch the black masses as they
surged through the gleaming sea. They represented so much to us. Very
little was said, but all hearts were filled with a deep content, a sense
of a long season of toil fitly crowned with complete success; nor was
any depression felt at the long, long stretch of stormy ocean between
us and our home port far away in the United States. That would doubtless
come by-and-by, when within less than a thousand miles of New Bedford;
but at present all sense of distance from home was lost in the
overmastering thought that soon it would be our only business to get
there as quickly as possible, without any avoidable loitering on the
road.

We made an amazing disturbance in the darkness of the sea with our
double burthen, so much so that one of the coasting steamers changed
her course a bit to range up by our side in curiosity. We were scarcely
going two and a half knots, in spite of the row we made, and there
was hardly room for wonder at the steamboat captain's hail, "Want any
assistance?" "No, thank you," was promptly returned, although there was
little doubt that all hands would have subscribed towards a tow into
port, in case the treacherous weather should, after all, play us a dirty
trick. But it looked as if our troubles were over. No hitch occurred
in our steady progress, slow though it necessarily was, and as morning
lifted the heavy veil from the face of the land, we arrived at our
pretty little haven, and quietly came to an anchor. The CHANCE was in
port wind-bound, looking, like ourselves, pretty low in the water. No
sooner did Paddy hear the news of our arrival in such fine trim than
he lowered his boat and hurried on board of us, his face beaming with
delight. Long and loud were his congratulations, especially when he
heard that