Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-11-07
A Playful Monster.

cuts anu uTH the meat OF cOcOAnut,
which he sells 70 trading vessels.
When any stranger stops at his island
he will give him Of the best that the
island affords; he will get up great
concerts and dances of the islanders;
above all, he will take him out 10 see
his pet, which is, perhaps, the larg-
est aud oldest animal that was ever
petted by any man.
Come along with me, ;" he said, on
the morning after my arrival at the
/ island, come out and see my pet
/ | was not much surprised when he
led the way TO the boat, for in the
tropics every one goes by sea rather
than walk IA mile. The brown-skinned
natives were seated OH the thwarts
waiting for Us and in the bow was
barrel full OF meat chopped fine.
What Is the meat for = asked.
10 feed my pet" he said laugh.
/ ing.
The crew rowed away from shore
( over the quiet waters between the
I reefs. The island was surrounded by
/ coral, and from each corner of its
northern side, which was about two
miles long, a wall OF coral stretched
away norIhward To meet at a sharp
angle i've or six miles away. The
great sea waves broke into foam up.
on these walls, but within their pro-
lection was "A triangle OF water as
smooth as any lake. Out over this
the boat rode easily until we had
reached point about midway be-
tween the middle point OF the reefs
and the shore. Here the boys stop
ped rowing and. two OF them began
deumning with clubs upon the bot
tom OF the boat.
Shut your eyes, said the planter,
II you wish TO enjoy II surprise
closed my eyes and the boys soon
ceased their drumming and some one
blew long blasts upon horn. Then
that, too, ceased, and the boat lay
moGiouless and nothing disturbed the
stiffness. All at once | heard huge
sigh, aud felt hot and sickish
breath
TO hid me open my eyes, for surprise
or no surprise the lids would not
stay slut. Not more than six feet
away | saw huge monster floating
on the surface and looking mt us
with the most eXpressionless eye that
ever saw in "A living beast.
That's my pet" cried the planter.
II raised him almost from the time
he was II baby OF twenty feet long,
and now he measures sixty-seven feet
over all aud lots more growth to come
yet"
The pet was sperm whale. lie
seemed enormous when compared
with us men. Behind The great head
there stretched out long body COW
cred in great patches with barnacles
as large as IA teacup, and the sleek
ilukes Of the tail, lying Hat upon the
water, seemed ever 30 far away, yet
ever so much too near, when re-
called whaers' accounts of the be-
havior of this animal when EN-
ragged.
The great head rose from the sea
so hign above the water that IL be-
calmed the boat. The eye was about
the size Of All OK eye, aud had almost
the same deep violet shade. The ear
was not 80 lar distant from the eye, n
simple oriiice in the skin; the color Of
the skin was IA dusty black, which
became lighter and more yellow un-
derneath; except for the barnacles
the skin was quite smooth.
The great animal lay motionless,
just out OF arms reach, until the
planter called TO him and dnbbled his
fingers in the water, much as one at
tracts "A kitten by scratching on the
carpet.
The distant hukes made a half turn
in the water, and the whale moved
easily toward us and ranged up along
side, just touching the boat. The
planter reached over the gunwale
and gave the whale slap between
the ear and eye and bade him turn
the other side.
Immediately the great head sank,
passed under the boat and came up
dripping OH the other side. Then
the sea monster sculled ahead until IL
was 600 or 700 feet away frOIn the
boat. Then IL began a series Of an
tics and displayed an agility rcarcely
TO be expected from 20 great an ani-
NAL The chopped meat was thrown
overheard and we rowed back TO
shore while this odd pet was feed
ing.
How did / get him = said the
planter, ia answer to my flood Of
questions. lit might be more accur-
ate TO say he got NE first. One day,
some years ago, was sailing up the
lagoon, with barrel full Of chopped
meat TO bait a pool in the reef be-
yond. All at once felt the boat
lifted up and overturned and, when i
had righted her and clainbered
aboard, there was the whale feeding
OH the meat which had been scattered
all about. He was only twenty feet
then. but that was quite long enough
TO give me a good scare Ia addition
10 my ducking. Somehow or other
he never seemed able to find the pass
back into the sea, and now he is 20
L. ,hat he cnnd NOT get out even IL