Show tike the man ahda who knew everything I 1 A mig mighty aty knowing g man was caleb page who kept the f eri at the fork of the road near woodchuck creet creek S rag hall haia W in the village of hornbill Horn Hort vill ivill no I 1 occurrence had ever taken place all the particulars of which caleb did not possess a thorough knowledge in the minutest detail all matters iti iii the p perspective were anticipated discussed arran arranged ed and satisfactorily disposed of by caleb coq long bellor before they took place if a neighbor rushed into atie ie store to communicate what he believed to be a very recent 1 piece ece of 0 news he would have the conceit taken out or of him by being told by caleb that he had heard it a week ago events of the past pre present seat and fut future tirey were all the same to him his ubiquitous knowledge grasped and covered them all to him aril they were all stale news pa tha A small bet was mode made one even ing between si stev stevens ens and joe bis si ai bet that joe coul dult nonplus caleb with any piece of intelligence redl real or imaginary y joe took all such bets as that the following evening so and joe accompanied by two tw or three more moreon of the 11 hoys boys of the it I 1 age who were to help the thing along and fill in in proceeded to calebs store after being comfortably seated here and there on barrels boxes etc st si opened the evenings amusements by aski asking tig in in a manner that I 1 indicate indica tM d he was conom continuing uin a conversation commenced I 1 before they entered the store I 1 so you say joe that they caught him last ni night 11 yes esy 9 sir r about seventeen ev enteen minutes past I 1 eg eight t I 1 well ii joe bow tar up the eitek was il I 1 on a c careful at consideration I 1 should say it was about three miles or three thre miles and a quarter 0 oi I 1 perhaps a half up the said creek I 1 caleb who hadi harlost had lost not a word of the conver sati 0 dropped his sugar scoop with wish astonishment and opened his ears for the boys were talking about a matter matte in which he was not posted apy up the conversation continued welt well 5 si 81 that conid nt abeen a been far froni from deacon hunts jest so answered joe it was about eighty rods from deacon hunts bog pen in a direction did you hear joe asked si with a face as solid as a gravestone estone how much ile de they go go mes yes I 1 did replied joe with a nother another face as solemn as two gravestones 1 I bearn tell that they zol go nigh upon sixty baals of ite ile 21 the wags obber observed ved that caleb was getting exceedingly cee uneasy and piled it on I 1 well silas tie tae insect was about eighty two feet long and twenty eight feet odd inches broad arc ad and thick in proportion I 1 at this point inthe in the dialogue caleb became so de 4 pera tely excited that he could contain himself no lougi louger louder I 1 and snap snappishly demanded to know thunder I 1 they were ming talking about 22 1 I 1 why qa wd d joe with well feigned astonishment dont you know about their heir edt catching ching that are 12 that are whai I 1 pe peevishly ashly su sik girled caleb why that are whale beriou seriously sly ed joe bubbins 8 hibbins it A whale wha tellI excle med the bewildered balb have thet they caught a whale up the creek I 1 1 they avent caught else said the jw jae i and how much ile d d they get inqui ed caleb C bleb ms as he fe recovered covered his hia wits I 1 ninety two haills buls cepl reeled ed joe forge foi getting the tc amount he had previously boned 1 well twell ly said caleb iiii ali slow deliberation and j satisfied atis fied look lam J am glad they caught the whale for I 1 1 kard heard ahey were after trim kiml I 1 joe paid the bet bialon abslon carpet bag |