Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1889-07-05
~ II - ..13l| ~
HE WAS A DOUBLING THOMAS.
The Way . Western Man Sat Down on .
Whaling Captain.

We had been in New Bedford ten or
twelve days. says a writer IN the New
York Sun, 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 Westener came out OF
the smoking-room and drew up
chair.
"Now, 90 ahead, Captain" he
brusquely observed, as he lighted .
fresh cigar.
well, gents" began the Captain.
after an uneasy look around, II was
going to tell you about a whale as"
"What species of whale?" interrupt
ed the stranger. .'rhere are several
species, you know, aud you had better
designate"
"A right whale, sir"
10! That's all right; 60 ahead"
I'VE were lying to and drifting
while trying out fish captured the
dav before, and the wind was from"
'.Was this on Lake Erie or the At
lantic Ocean?" put in the stranger.
''On the Atlantic, of course"
''I'hen am with you. didn't know
but you were whaling on the lakes.
Better locate the spot little closer.
howevef."
1T was of 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"
I'VE were drifting. as said." con-
tinued the Captain, and he swallowed
lump in his throat, ''when the man
at the masthead called"
Excuse me; Captain" interrupted
the stranger. .'but il all hands were
trying out why did you have u lookout
at the nlasthead?"
Let him 60 on" called two or three
20. certainly. but he must be sure of
his facts. Go ON, Captain. you had .
man at the masthead, where he didn't
belong vt the time. but perhaps you
manage things that way. He sud.
denly sighted whale, didn't hei" W
The Captain would have retired but
we looked At him so appsalingly that
he decided to make one more effort.
s..The lookout hailed the, deck aud
said that = large whale was bearing
down on our starboard broadside," M
said. after two orttHce swsllow] =!
= ..Ss, yss I'M sssss.a. ID, ,s,..,( .s
sssaDx5s, - N do 81
veracity"
''Of course he wasr'
'.All right, then; but have known
lOok0uts who would liz like . trotting
horse about whales. Go ON. You were
going to say that you leaped overheard.
What happened then?"
Gentlemen. / can't stand this" pro-
tested the Captain as he rose up.
whats the matter?" asked the
stranger. o3 a4
You seem to doubt my word, sir"
Lands alive! but how did you get
THAI 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 thisp What
Was the name of your shipi Are any
Of the crew willing, to go before
magistrate aud make affidavit?
should also like {. 1.+.
But tue Captain had turned his back.
and walked away. and our pleasant
old liar never returned to us. He had
been Ismothsred by the stranger, and
we had. to hunt up aud listen, to the
yarns Of mate who couldn't tell Q
yarn without his face giving him away
every time he pulled leg Of truth out
Of joint.