The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1889-07-05

A DOuBTING THOMAS.
Tho Way y Western Man sat Down ON q
Whaling Captain.

whaling Captain.
We had been in New Bedford ten or
twelve days, and had selected our par
ticular sea captain and listened to half
dozen Of his yarns without betraying
the slightest evidence OF doubt OF any
statement, when a stranger from the
far West arrived and rather forced his
presence upon our coterie. We were
on the back veranda OF the hotel, five
or six OF us and the old whaler. and
the latter had just started In on story,
when the Westerner came out of the
smoking room and drew up a chair.
Nov go ahead, Captain" he
brusquely observed, as he lighted a
fresh cigar.
well, gents,' began the captain,
after an uneasy loo3 around. ''l was
going to tell you abouta whale AS"
What species Of whalep" inter-
rupted the stranger. There are sew
eral species you know. and you had
better Designate"
"A right whale, sir"
"Ohl That all right; go ahead" :"
1--WE were lying to and drifting while
trying out a fish captured the day be-
fore, aud the wind was from "
"Was this on Lake Erie or the At
lantic ocean, put in the stranger.
''On the Atlantic. OF course"
"Then ] am with you. didn't know
but you were whaling on the lakes.
Better locate the spot little closer,
however.
at was off the coast Of Brazil" re-
piled the captain, in an indignant voice.
"That will do. but it is "a long coast.
Go ahead. and never mind which way
the wind blew
1--WE were drifting, as said con-
tinued the captain, as he swallowed a
lump in his throat. ''when the man al
the masthead called -n
Excuse me, captain, " interrupted the
stranger. ''but If all hands were trying
out why aid you have lookout at the
masthead
LET him go ONT called two or three
voices.
20, certainly. but he must be sure Of
his facts. Go on, captain, you had q
man at the masthead. where he didn't
belong at the time, but perhaps you
managed things that way. He sudden
ly sighted a whale. didn't he?"
The captain would have retired, but
we looked at him so appealingly that
he decided to make one more effort.
'fThe lookout hailed the deck and
said that large whale was bearing
down on our starboard broadside," !" he
said, after two or three swallows. Il
at once leaped--'
..Say, Captain" softly inquired the
stranger, "was the lookout a man o..
veracity"
''0f course he was!
"All right. then; but have known
lookouts who would lie like trotting
horse about whales. Coon. You were
going to say that you leaped over
board. What happened then?'
Gentlemen. ! can't stand this.
protested the captain, as lie rose up.
whats the matter?" asked the
stranger
You seem to doubt my word, sir. "
''Lands alive but how did you get
that idea. On the contrary, | have the
most entire faith in what you say. BY
the way, Captain, what year, month,
and day Of the week was this? What
was the name of your shipP Are any
Of the crew willing to go before a
magistrate and make afiidavitP ]
should also like"
But the captain had turned his back
and walked away, and our pleasant old
liar never returned to us. He had
been smothered by the stranger, and
we had to hunt up and listen to the
yarns of mate, who couldn't tell a
yarn without his face giving him away
every time he pulled a leg of truth out
Of Joint n. Y. Sun.
. S------
Goethe and His DoppeIganger.