"Nope," said Trunnell.

There was a moment's silence.

"I might 'a' knowed that," said the skipper, as if to himself.

Trunnell appeared to sniff sarcasm.

"Oh, I've been to one or two places in my time," said he. "There ain't
nothin' remarkable about New York except the animals, and I don't keer
fer those."

"Whatchermean?"

"Oh, I was closte into the beach off Sandy Hook onct when we was tryin'
to get to the south'ard, an' I see an eliphint about a hundred feet high
on the island acrost the bay. There was a feller aboard as said they had
cows there just as big what give milk. I wouldn't have believed him, but
fer the fact that there ware the eliphint before my eyes."

"Stuffed, man,--he was stuffed," explained the captain.

"Stuffed or no; there he ware," persisted Trunnell. "He would 'a' been no
bigger stuffed than alive. 'Tain't likely they could 'a' stretched his
hide more'n a foot."

The skipper gave the third mate a sly look, and his nose worked busily
like a parrot's beak for a few minutes.