The Republican journal., 1882-11-02
they first heard us they made a rush VI

they flrSt heard us they made a rush up
the creek for quarter OF a mile, and
then shallering the water, turned and
come back in body. Here they comes !!
yelled the boys and women, the dogs a
barking, and folks a-screaming and pelt-
ing 'em, and they a-coming down looking
like one o these ere tidal waves ye've
heard tell on. Wall, the first ones struck
the seine and went right through, and
when they reached the line O boats, up
they went into the air, dozens of EN-
yes, right overhead ; some of 'em cleared
twenty feet, and we asetting there par
alyzed like. | never expected to see it
rain porpoises, but | did that day, sar-
tin. There warn't a man dared to raise
a hand, so afraid of getting hit. They
all dropped and let the hull school jump
over 'em. never see the like afore."
"lIear that ?" asked the speaker sud
denly changing his attitude to one Of
attention. A faint puff, family repeated,
came over the seas from the windward
"Now YOU mightn't think it, but expert
ence tells US by the hearin' OF it, just
where they're a-goin' to come up; fol
instance tall sportsman rose NJ
and steadied himself in a miraculous
manner. "N0w Iii pint the weapon and
you watch for the pig"
He was a chip of the old Stepher
Moses stock, and guessed it to a fraction
as simultaneously came the strong puff
md the shining black body, right ir
range: deatening report, an earth
quake shock, and the guesser looked VI
from the bailers and bilge, and solilo-
quized II do believe she's bust" But
she hadn't '.bust," he had only put il
two charges of powder, and had beer
fairly kicked over.
"The first pig I've missed for goin' or
spell" he continued, rubbing bis shoul-
der and looking at the old gun askance.
"What do you do with porpoiscs z
asked the reporter, as the owner Of the
gun, after carefully loading it, took u
the oars.
oil" was the reply. "There's a biz
demand for it in the manufacturing
towns, and heap is used in the tannin
business. When was boy they useC
to eat cm around here the meats firm
and solid. They amt q fish, You know
Jest the same as Il whale or a COW nus!
their calves in the same way, and whol
they've got EN- you want to look out
shot d calf about here last spring, an(
when ! grabbed it ty the blow hole t
haul it aboard, the dam rushed at me Sc
she about came aboard. The water was
black with em all a-nosing around tho
boat, and couldn't drive 'em off Cut,
critters They must a-knowed | was out
OF shot. 1t takes a toerable experience
to shoot porp0ise, on account of their be
ing seen oftener in rough weather, an(
SO makes the boat unsteady; but they
generally move against the wind, anC
when you see EN- in a dead calm YOU kiI
look for a breeze from the pint they're
bearin' on. We call EN- putiers, cause
they puff like a pig, and in shaller water
you kin see EN- n0Siu' around Jest like
an old hog. How long do they live
Wall, | can't say. You never see the
man that found dead put1er There's
one old putter seen about here for years
and known by a cut in his top fin IIel
been seen all up and down the coast
from Cape Porpoise to Gloucester, st
they seem to have tolcrahle range
Mackerel, herTin and such, seem to be
the food they most banker after, anC
sometimes the hull school will line in an(
hunt a school of mackere, run EN- righr
out. It's a great sight, then; all you
have to do is to stand in the water witt
a club and take EN- as they come; bu
they're rare at their pranks."
Another puff came over the water
More smoke. struggles, getting to The
windwald, and the dory had all the pig
she could carry. The dimnutiye spri
sail was raised, and on the long swell We
rushed in toward the land. IN Y sun