Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-05-22
A DOuBTiNG THOMAS.
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
q 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 a
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
fresh cigar
"Well, gents" began the captain.
after an uneasy look around, II was
going TO tell you about whale as"-
What species of whale3" inter
rupted the stranger. There are sew
eral species, you know, and you had
better designate.
"A right whale, sir"
"Ohl That's all right; go ahead"
I'VE were lying 10 and drifting
while trying out fish captured the
day before. and the wind was from
"Was this on Lake Erie or the At
lantic oceani" 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
1T was of the coast OF Brazil, " re
piled the captain in an indignant voice.
That will do. but is a long coast
Go ahead, and never mind which way
the wind blew"
I'VE were drifting, as / said, con-
tinued the captain, as he swallowed q
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 lookout
at the mastheadf"
'Let him goonl" called two or three
voices.
"Oh, certainly, but he must be sure
Of his facts. Go on, captain, you had
man at the masthead, where he
didn't belong at the time, but perhaps
you managed things that way. He
suddenly sighted a whale, didn't hef"
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 a large whale was bearing
down on our starboard broadside," he
said, after .wo or three swallows. II
at once leaped"-
Say. captain, softly inquired the
stranger, twas the lookout pan OF
veracityr
''Of course he wasW
"All right, then; but l have known
lookouts who would lie like q trotting
horse about whales. Go on You
were going TO say that you lesped
overheard. What happened thenr
Gentlemen. can tstand this, pro.
tested the captain, as he rose up.
whats the matterf' asked the
stranger.
'sYou seem to doubt my word, sir.
Lands alivel but how did you rcl
that ideai On the contrary, have 0e
most entire faith in what you say. By
the way, captain, what year, month
and day Of the week was thisi Whnl
was the name Of your shipl Are any
Of the crew willing 10 90 before q mag
istrate and make affsdaviti l shouil
also like
But the captain had turned his bacl
and walked away. and our plcasAn
old liar never returned 10 us. Hehs<
been smothered by the stranger, aD.
} we had to hunt up and listen 70 ~
/ yarns Of mate, who couldn't tell
, yarn without his face giving hin
, away every time he pulled a leg q
truth out OF joint. New York Sun.