The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-10-12

the object came nearer she was able
to make out the form Of a snake-llke
fish of a very large size, the head high
up ont Of the water.
Gould it be her husbands tame
whale back for its dinner at this late
hour, she thought, rs she supposed the
fish had gone away early i'll the day.
AS it came close to the point OF ana
on which she stood she saw that there
was some object OIL its back that re-
sembled q human being, and rs the
whale came into the small harbor with
the speed of a steamboat under all
steam, the form of her husband could
be plainly seen. He lay across the
whales back, near the neck, with his
arms over the side of the fish, holding
on with a firm grip and in another mill
ute Capt. Jim's form arose from the
surf and IVES quickly clasped i'll his
wife's arms. He followed her into the
house and after a complete change OF
clothing followed by a warm drink. he
told her how he had been saved from
q watery grave by his faithful whale,
which seemed to know considerable.
"'When the storm broke this morn-
ing said Tim, we were we'll down the
bay and before I could get prepared
for the storm my mast broke off by
the fierce wind. What followed l am
unable to say, excepting that l struck
in the icy water and was sinking when
1 felt something soft like, coming up
under my hands, and you can bet l
grabbed il. When I came to the sur
face I saw it was my tame whale. and
then l felt safer than 1 had 4 minute
before, although I was ut q loss 10
know just what the big fish would do
and where it would take me. l talked
to the faithful whale as l would to a
person., as I had done so often during
the meal hour, and promised him extra
rations if he landed me- safely on our
beach.
"'You know the rest continued the
captain to his wife, and here 1 am safe
and sound after q ride Of fully twenty
miles on the back Of a real whale, but
a good one, I can assure YOU
Captain Mcmillan turned the fish to
good use later, when he went out OIL
his fishing trips, as he would fasten
q stout rope to the iron band IN the
whales tail and would be towed home
faster than by sailing. or even steam,
as the fish always came into the little
cove. All went we'll for about a year
and many tempting offers We're mad
for the wonderful fish, but Jim would
not part with his silent friend for any
amount. as to the fish he owed his life.
He was just beginning TO teach the
whale to tow his boat to different
neighboring towns in PasSamaquoddy
Bay. when the long fish took sick and
died.
THAT was a sad blow to Captain
Mcmillan, gentlemen. as we'll as his
family. and it was a long time before
they fully recovered from the shock
and the loss of their pet.
Captain Mcmillan didn't know just
what to do with the body, but finally
decided to give it a burial in the bay
near his home and mark the spot with
a gravestone in tile form of a big buoy
above the dead whale.
"This he carried out to the letter and
the unique funeral services were held
on the beach the following day and
were attended by quite a large gather
ing Of Canadian friends from tic ISL
ands near.
"That ended Captain McMlllan's
tame ., haze, gentleman said the
speaker, land I will now bid you all
goodnight" saying which, lie gathered
nd his bundles and started for nim
home.-Lewiston Journal.