Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-25
THE TRAINED FISH WON.
Extraordinary Yarn by n Sailor Who Had
Been sbipwrecked.

Extraordinary Yarn By Sailor who HAD
Been sbipwrecked.
A South-street ship-chandler was
showing how many tricks a bright lit
tie black-and-tan dog with high fore
head could do yesterday in the front
part Of his store, while half a dozen
sailors looked on admiringly. When
the dog had ended his performance by
rising on his hind legs and bowling
around to each of the spectators, his
owner said {;
"You see what little perseverance
will do. Six months ago that pup
didn't know any more than fish,"
Everybody smiled approvingly ex-
cept one old sailor, who meditatively
chewed bit Of rope-yarn. He said A:
"Nor fish, did you say, sir?"
eyes"
"Well. it may be as some fish don't
know nothin', bat others has more
sense nor any dog that ever walked on
four legs, or two either. Fish is the
knowniest critters there is, only nobody
never tries to teach 'em nothin'. They
never has any perseverance served out
to 'em like dogs has. Why, fish once
earned e100 for me. 1t twas when was
in the Samanthy Abbott, after she was
dismasted. You remember her, don't
you, captain, Had the sticks taken
out of her when we was three days
from Matanzas with load of slaves"
The ship-chandler said: "lf you'd
been left twenty-four hours longer on
the wreck your recollections wouldn't
be told here, | guess"
True for you, sir" said the sailor.
"Me and Jersey, the youngster as was
maxim his first trip into her, had o
close call, but we weathered Davy
Jones thai ere time, while the rest of
the men didn't. AS was sayin', when
the squall had passed and there weren't
nothin' left Of the schooner, only a
waterlogged hulk, and no shipmates
left neither, me and Jersey got up a bit
of canvas on the stump Of the bowsprit
to attract the attention of any ships as
might happen along in sight, and then
We sat down to mediate. When
we see the sun risin' next day, and the
weather comm off hotter'n ever, we
didn't feel no better nor we did the day
before. There wasn't breath OF wind,
but pretty soon gees rufllin' of the
water off to BASTARD, but twas only a
school Of dolphins chasin lot of flynn.
fish, and | know'd that there wasn't
no hope of any vessels happenin' along
while that ere condition Of affairs lasted.
So lie. and Jersey watched the flynn
fish and the dolphins and the boobies
what was hoverin' over 'em, sorteI
listless like, and wished we had one o.
the dolphins.
pretty soon they got so close thai
we could hear the buzzin' Of thei'
wings when they riz outen a wave, and
the dolphins was a-leapin' fathom oil
more inso the air after them. They
didn't none Of 'em pay any attention te
us no more than if we'd been logs o
wood a.rollin' in the water. Then thu
first thing we knew there was shoa
Of the Hyin'-flsh a-sailin' right over US
Jersey was for knockin' some Of 'eu
down with his sou'wester, and I'd {
mind to help him, when kerslap bis
dolphin landed right on the deck Of thu
schooner, which it was easy enough t.
do, because she was waterlogged AM
didn't have no bulwarks on to her.
"The dolphin struck right abaft thu
forehatch. and as | was leitin' IN!
knife into i'm | looks into the water
ss was amost up to the hatch combin'
in the hall of her. There | see half I
dozen OF them byin'-ilsh as the dolphin