A Whale in Sight

           Itwillberememberedthatthissingularincidentwasmade,morethanonce,thesubjectofconversationheldinthesternofthe"Pilgrim"betweenMrs.Weldon,CaptainHull,andtheyoungnovice.Thelatter,moreparticularly,experiencedaninstinctivemistrustwithregardtoNegoro,whoseconduct,meanwhile,meritednoreproach.

           Intheprowtheytalkedofitalso,buttheydidnotdrawfromitthesameconclusions.There,amongtheship’screw,Dingopassedmerelyforadogthatknewhowtoread,andperhapsevenwrite,betterthanmorethanonesailoronboard.Asfortalking,ifhedidnotdoit,itwasprobablyforgoodreasonsthathekeptsilent.

           "But,oneofthesefinedays,"saysthesteersman,Bolton,"onefinedaythatdogwillcomeandaskushowweareheading;ifthewindistothewest-north-west-half-north,andwewillhavetoanswerhim!Thereareanimalsthatspeak!Well,whyshouldnotadogdoasmuchifhetookitintohishead?Itismoredifficulttotalkwithabeakthanwithamouth!"

           "Nodoubt,"repliedtheboatswain,Howik."Onlyithasneverbeenknown."

           Itwouldhaveastonishedthesebravementotellthemthat,onthecontrary,ithadbeenknown,andthatacertainDanishservantpossessedadogwhichpronounceddistinctlytwentywords.Butwhetherthisanimalcomprehendedwhathesaidwasamystery.Veryevidentlythisdog,whoseglottiswasorganizedinamannertoenablehimtoemitregularsounds,attachednomoresensetohiswordsthandotheparoquets,parrots,jackdaws,andmagpiestotheirs.