Kreelman’s tale was correct. Some one said, “Fancy Chest, you are a scholard and have read about such things. You can’t tell no tale that can beat that.” “I don’t want to,” I declared. “The story of the _Essex_ is all true and I trust it may never be repeated; but I can tell a story of a whale as savage as the one which sank the _Essex_. He too attacked a whaler, but no lives were lost.” “Go on,” they shouted. “In 1850 the _Parker Cook_ of Provincetown, while cruising in the Atlantic, lowered two boats for a bull sperm. The boat-steerer of one of the boats made fast with two irons, and the whale capsized her. The line fouled and nearly severed the boat-steerer’s leg from the body. He fortunately was able to cut the line, and the other boat picked up the men in the water and returned to the ship. But the whale wasn’t satisfied. Like the destroyer of the _Essex_, he made for the _Parker Cook_ and struck her with great force, throwing the men to the deck and burying the cutwater and stem up to the planking in his head. Then he repeated the performance but with abated force. The captain lowered another boat, and, when they were in close quarters, fired three bomb lances into the creature and so wounded him that he spouted blood. Every time the whale made for the boat, great skill was required in avoiding his charges. The whale was at last killed, and when tried out yielded a little over a hundred barrels. The vessel put into Fayal for medical treatment for the boat-steerer and for repairs. Lucky it was that the attack was directly on the stem. Had it been on any other part of the vessel she would probably have shared the fate of the _Essex_.” The men called for another, and I responded: