Griggs courier., 1889-06-07
A DoueT,No THOMAS.
Tho way Western Man Sat Down On =
Whaling Captain.

z AsAV wy - Sv0DSoru N10n S0C down On q
Whaling Captain.
We had been in New Bedford Zen or
twelve days, and had selected our par.
ticular sea captain and listened to half
dozen OF his yarns without betrayinp
the slightest evidenc, of doubt of any
statement, when q stranger from the
lar West arrived and rather forced his
presence upon our coterie. We were
On the back yeranda of the hotel, five
Dr six of us and the old whaler, and
the latter had just started in on a story,
when the Westerner came out of the
smoking room and drew up e chair.
''Now go ahead, Captain he
orusquely observed, as he lighted
fresh cigar.
'.Well, gents,' began the captain,
lfter an uneasy look around. 81 was
going to tell you abouta whale as---''
''What species of whale?" inter-
eupted the stranger. "There are sew
sral species. you know, and you had
better Designate" 4
"a right whale, sir.' =
''Oh! That's all right; go ahead"
1--WE 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 l am with you. didn't know
but you were whaling on the lakes.
Better locate the spot little closer,
however,
.sIt was off the coast of Brazil" re-
piled the captain, in an indignant voice.
''That will do, but it is a long coast.
60 ahead. and never mind which way
The wind blew"
1--WE were drifting, as said," COM
sinued 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
put why did you have lookout at the
masthead?'
LET him go on!'' 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
!y sighted whale. didn't he?'
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. II
at once leaped--"
.'Say, Captain softly inquired the
stranger, .'was the lookout u man Of
veracity?"
"Of course he was!''
''All right, then; but I have known
horse about whales. Go ION. You were
going to say that you leaped over
board. What happened then?"
Gentlemen, I can't stand this. -
protested the captain, as lie rose up.
s.What's 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 ship? Are any
of the crew willing to go before a
magistrate and make affidavit? I
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 a 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.
Goethe and His Doppelpnnper.