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And this is a very important subject, very indeed. There is a monstrous deal in what you say, though you have, I must say, rather a peculiar, an unusual, way of puttin' it. Don't you stay another minit though, nor say another word, for your life; but bow, beg pardon, hold in your breath, that your face may look red, as if you was blushin', and back out, starn fust.
Descriptions of the dying flurry of the sperm-whale are plentiful in whaling literature, many of the best of them being in that ideal whaleman's log "The Cruise of the Cachalot," by Frank T. Bullen. I quote one of these: "Suddenly the mate gave a howl: 'Starn all starn all!
I watched its flight saw it enter the black mass and disappear to the shaft, and almost immediately came the second iron, within a foot of the first, burying itself in the same solid fashion. "Starn starn all!" I shouted; and we backed slowly away, considerably hampered by the persistent attentions of the cow, who hung round us closely.
"We sailors know 'em for rascals from stem to starn, but somehow every fresh one fleeces us jest as his mate did afore him. We don't larn nothin' by exper'ence; we're jest no better than a lot of babys with no brains. "'Good mornin', my man, sez the chap, as iley as you please. "'Mornin', sir, sez I. "'Lookin' for a job? sez he.
For there was a desperate fight going on at the piece of wreck; three men, knife in hand, were trying to get upon the floating wood, and those upon it stabbing at them to keep them off. But, in their despair, the swimmers made a dash together, regardless of the blows, climbed on, and a terrible struggle began. "Starn all!" roared Mr Grey; and the boat's progress was checked.
Heave off, put all steam on, and back out, starn fust, and then swing round into the stream. That's the ticket, Sam. It's done; but my elbow has took that lady that's two steps furder down on the stairs, jist in the eye, and knocked in her dead light. How she cries! how I apologize, don't I? And the more I beg pardon, the wus she carries on.
Then, sais you, in a starn voice like a boatsan's trumpet for if you want things to be remembered, give 'em effect, "Aim high," Sir, sais you. Then like my old father, fetch him a kick on his western eend, that will lift him clean over the table, and say 'that's the way to rise in the world, you young sucking parson you. "Aim high," Sir.
Up flew that awful tail, descending with a crash upon the water not two feet from us. "Out oars! Pull, two! starn, three!" shouted the mate; and as we obeyed our foe turned to fight. Then might one see how courage and skill were such mighty factors in the apparently unequal contest.
She sprung a leak in a gale, and we was 'bliged to make a raft, the boats bein' all stove in or washed away. It was barely ready when the ship went down starn foremost. Durin' the gale all my mates were washed off the raft or died of exposure; only me and my dog left." "How long ago was that?" asked the captain.
"`But when we was makin' for that fire full sail, a deaf old apple-woman came athwart our bows an got such a fright that she went flop down right in front of us. To steer clear of her we'd got to sheer off so that we all but ran into a big van, and, what wi' our lights an' the yellin', the horses o' the van took fright and backed into us as we flew past, so that we a'most went down by the starn.
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