The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-11-29
4 NOVEL PET.
A Whale Brought UP From Child.
hood by Lonely Planter.

a.
of the South Pacific lives a planter,
the only white man on the island,
which is full of brown-skinned folk,
who cut and dry the meat of cocoa
nut, which he sells to trading ves-
sells. When any stranger stops at
his island he will show him over
his plantations; he will give him
of the best that the island affords ;
he will get up concerts and dances
of the islanders. Above all he will
take him out to see his pet, which
is, perhaps, the largest and 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"
l was not much surprised when
he led the way to the boat, for in
the tropics every one goes by sea
rather than walk mile. The brown
skinned natives were seated on the
thwarts waiting for US and in the
bow was a barrel full of meat
chopped fine.
"What is that meat for?" | asked.
"To feed my pet" he said, laugh
ing.
The crew rowed away from shore
over the quiet waters between the
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 northward to meet
at sharp angle five or six miles
away. The great sea waves broke
into foam upon these walls, but
within their protection was a trlan-
gle of water as smooth as any lake.
Out over this the boat rode easily
until we had reached a point about
midway between the middle point
of the reefs and the shore. Here
the boys stopped rowing, and two
of them began drumming with clubs
upon the bottom of the boat.
"Shut your eyes, said the planter.
"if you whish to enjoy surprise. "
l closed my eyes and the boys
soon ceased their drumming, and
some one blew long blasts upon a
horn. Then that, too, ceased and
the boat lay motionless and moth
ing disturbed the stiffness. All at
once l heard huge sigh, and felt
a hot and sickish breath. There
was no need for the planter to bid
me open my eyes, for surprise or
no surprise the lids would not stay
shut. Not more than six feet away
I saw huge monster floating on
the surface and looking at US with
the most expressionless eye that
ever saw in a living beast.
"There's my pet" cried the plan
ter. II raised him almost from the
time he was a baby of twenty feet
long, and now he measures sixty
seven feet over all and lots more
growth to come yet"
The pet was a sperm whale. lie
seemed enormous when compared
with US men. Behind the grea
head there stretched out lone
body covered in great patches, witt
barnacles as large as teacup, ane
the sleek hukes of the tail, lying
fiat upon the water, seemed ever sc
far away, yet ever SO much too near
when | recalled whalers' accounts
of the behavior of this animal wher
enraged. The great head rose from
the sea so high above the water tha
it becalmed the boat. The eye was
about the size of an OK eye, and hao
almost the same deep violet shade
The ear was not so far distant from
the eye, simple orifice in the skin
the color of the skin was a dusky
black, which became lighter ane
more yellow underneath; excep
for the barnacles the skin was quite
smooth.
The great animal lay motionless
lust out of arms reach, until tn
planter called to him and dabblet
his fingers in the water, much a
one attracts a kitten by scratching
on the carpet. The distant tiuke
made a half turn in the water, am
the whale moved easily toward us
and ranged up alongside, just touch
ing the boat. The planter reache'
over the gunwhale and began t.
pick a number of wriggling thing
out of the corners of the whale
eve. He handed several to me, an
/ found them to be small whit
crabs, which, with their legs sprea
out would cover one of the old sll
yer half dimes. These parasites ar
constant annoyance to all whales
which have no means OF rlddln
themselves of the pest.
Lend a hand" said the maste
of this unwieldy pet, "if you hav
any sympathy with a suffering cs
tacean. Just scoop out his mout
, while l am busy with this ear"
| felt that | should much prefe
to take liberties with an elephar
, than to handle a whale, but | 500
saw that the animal enjoyed tn
attention and gave every asslstane
in his power by drawing up his llE
, to give free access to the gums, an