The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-06-01
A pOUBTlNG THOMAS.
The Way western Man sat Down on Z
Whaling Captain.

The Way Western Man sat Down on
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 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.
Now go ahead, Captain" he
brusquely observed, as he lighted n
fresh cigar.
well. gents" began the captain,
after an uneasy look around. 81 was
going to tell you about a whale as"
"What species of whale?" inter
rupted the stranger. There are sew
eral species, you know, and you had
better designate"
"a right whale, SIR"
"Oh! That's all right; 60 ahead. J"
ave were lying to and drifting while
trying out fish captured the day be-
fore, and 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 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 at
the masthead called"
Excuse me, captain" interrupted the
stranger, "but if all hands were trying
out why did you have a lookout at the
masthead?'
Let him go ont" called two or three
voices.
30, certainly, but he must be sure O
his facts. Go on, captain, you had
man at the masthead, where he didn''
belong at the time, but perhaps yor
managed things that way. He sudden
ly sighted whale, didn't hep"
The captain would have retired, but
we looked at him so appealingly that
he decided to make one more effort.
"The lookout hailed the deck and
said that large whale was bearing
down on our starboard broadside," he
said, after two or three swallows. 81
at once leaped--"
Say, Captain softly inquired the
stranger, was the lookout man o
veracityp"
"Of course he wasn'
"All right, then; but i have knowr
lookouts who would lie like trottine
horse about whales. Coon. You were
going to say that you leaped over
board. What happened thenP'
"Gentlemen, | can't stand this,
protested the captain, as lie rose up.
"What's the matterP" asked the
stranger.
you seem to doubt my word, sir. ,
LANDS alive! but how did you ge
that idea! On the contrary, have th'
most entire faith in what you say. b,
the way, Captain, what year, month
and day of the week was this? Wha
was the name of your shipP Are an.
of the crew willing to go before ;
magistrate and make afiidavitP
should also like"
But the captain had turned his bacl
and walked away. and our pleasant ole
liar never returned to us. He haC
been smothered by the stranger, an'
we had to hunt up and listen to tn
yarns of "A mate, who couldn't tell
yarn without his face giving him ava.
every time he pulled leg OF truth ou
of Joint. Y. sun.