The South Sea Whaler | Page 7

said Walter, "though the boatswain was quite angry with me for doubting what he asserted."
While he was speaking, another large albatross came sweeping by.
"For my part, I am not afraid of catching a second," exclaimed Hulk; "and if there is ill-luck in killing one, there may be good luck in catching two." Saying this, he prepared his hook and line, and was ascending to the yard to let it tow overboard as before.
"It will be a good thing for you if you do catch two," exclaimed the boatswain. "We want good luck for the ship, for little enough of it we have had as yet." But before Hulk could get out his line the albatross was seen to swoop downwards, and immediately afterwards it rose with a huge fish in its talons, into which it plunged its powerful beak with a force which must have speedily put an end to its prey. Powerful, however, as were its wings, it could not rise with so great a weight, but commenced tearing away at the flesh of its victim as it floated on the surface. It thus offered a fair mark to any who might wish to shoot it. Three of the ship's muskets were brought up by some of the younger officers, who were about to fire.
"Let me have a shot," said the boatswain, taking one of them. "I seldom miss my aim."
The captain, who had been below, just then coming on deck, observing what they were about, ordered them to desist, observing--
"I don't wish to lower a boat to pick up the bird, and I consider it wanton cruelty to shoot at it."
The boatswain pretended not to hear him, and taking aim, he fired. The bird was seen to let go its prey, and, after rising a few feet, to fall back with wings extended into the water, where it lay fluttering helplessly. The ship gliding on, soon left it astern.
"I consider that a piece of wanton cruelty, Mr Capstick," exclaimed the captain. "I must prohibit the ship's muskets being made use of for such a purpose; they are intended to be used against our enemies, not employed in slaughtering harmless birds."
The boatswain returned the musket to the rack, muttering as he did so; but what he said neither the captain nor his mates were able to understand.
The ship had now nearly reached the latitude of the Falkland Islands, and in a short time she would be round Cape Horn, and traversing the broad waters of the Pacific. Hitherto few ships had been seen, either friends or foes; a lookout had been kept for the latter, as the crew hoped that, should they fall in with an enemy's merchantman of inferior size, the captain would capture her to give them some much coveted prize-money. Two had been seen which were supposed to be small enough to attack, but the captain had declined going in chase of them, greatly to the annoyance of the crew; and the boatswain and others vowed they would not longer stand that sort of thing.
Walter was walking the deck during his middle watch the next night, when Dan Tidy came up to him.
"Hist, Mr Walter," he said in a low voice. "Will you plaise just step to the weather-gangway, out of earshot of the man at the helm? I have got something I would like to say to you."
Walter stepped to the gangway, and, seeing no one near, asked Tidy what he had to communicate.
"I wouldn't wish to be an eavesdropper or a tale-bearer, Mr Walter; but when the lives of you and your father and most of the officers are at stake, it's time to speak out. I happened to be awake during my watch below when the boatswain came for'ard, and I heard him and Tom Hulk and about a dozen others talking in whispers together. I lay still, pretending to be asleep, as, of course, they thought were the rest of the watch. Capstick began grumbling at the chance there was that we should take no prizes; and declared that, for his part, he was not going to submit to that sort of thing. The others agreed with him, and swore that they would stand by him, and do whatever he proposed. Some said that the best thing would be to go to the captain, and insist that he should attack the first enemy's merchantman they could fall in with. `And the captain will tell you to mind your own business, and that he intends to act as he considers is most for his own interest and that of the owners,' said Hulk, with an oath. `I tell you, the only thing we can do is to make him and his young fry, and the old mate and some of the rest of