A CAPTURED WHALE 215 



landlubber could see nothing to attract his atten- 

 tion the old salt's quick vision detects the faint 

 cloud of steam on the horizon, which sends the 

 blood tingling through his veins and causes him to 

 shout, 'Thar' she blows!" 



Up goes the signal flag to spread the glad news 

 that a whale is sighted, in a moment more the 

 church bell is clanging and its brazen throat is try- 

 ing its best to articulate the words, "Thar' she 

 blows!" 



ALL IS HUBBUB. 



However unintelligible the remarks of the bell 

 may be to mere strangers, there can be no doubt 

 but that the natives understand it perfectly, and, 

 if they did not, one glance at the captain's signal 

 flag would explain all. 



The sound of the bell sets the village wild with 

 excitement and all is hubbub and confusion. "Thar' 

 she blows!" shout the school children. "Thar' 

 she blows !" ejaculates the teacher, "She's blowin' ' 

 chuckles the parson as he grabs his hat and makes 

 a bee line for the beach. 



In the olden times on this part of the coast they 

 had no church bells, and when the first church was 

 built in the neighboring village of Sag Harbor 

 in 1767, the good fishermen, farmers and pi- 

 rates used to assemble on sabbath days at 

 the call of the drum, and it is more than 

 probable that this same martial implement 

 was beaten when a whale was sighted off 

 shore ; but now it is the church bell which rings the 



