WHAT THEY SAW
When the whale was in his first flurry of pain, he sent the boat high
into the air with one stroke of his mighty tail, and like loose
articles the boys were scattered out of it into the boiling vortex of
water. This was the sight that had called forth the alarm on board the
_Sea Eagle_, and made the captain spring to quick action.
No time was to be lost, for the boys were as helpless as straws in
the maelstrom. One thing was fortunate, they were all pretty fair
swimmers, but that would not help them if the whale should, in his
fury, chance to see them. But here, their very insignificance saved
them from his first rush. The mother and her young had taken the alarm
and were forging away to the southward.
The boys were now but several dark spots in the swirling waters. Jo
had the closest call, for one of the flukes of the whale's tail swept
a huge wave over him, and he thought he was going to be carried to the
bottom of the ocean. Jim at the very first had called out a warning,
"Boys, keep away from the boat." It was a lucky thing that he did so.
For as soon as the whale caught sight of it he made a furious surge
for it, and, opening his great jaws, he caught it squarely across the
middle.
There was a crunching sound, only more intense, as when a dog crushes
a bone. As Jo said afterward, "It wasn't more than a toothpick for
him." Meanwhile the boys were swimming in the opposite direction as
fast as their arms and feet could propel them. The whale now became
aware of a new enemy bearing down upon him.
Only this was even larger than he was, though of the same color. It
was making a chug-chug sound as it came towards him. In the dim brain
of the whale was an idea struggling for birth. Was this a strange sea
monster that was going to contest with him the supremacy of the seas,
or was it some of his antediluvian ancestors come back to earth, I
mean to sea, again?
There the reasoning of the whale stopped. A sudden blind fury came
over him and he charged for the _Sea Eagle_. Two rifle shots rang out
from the deck of the ship, and one tore deep into the black carcass.
Then the monster threw his flukes into the air and down he sounded
towards the depths of the sea.
In a moment the yacht was alongside the exhausted swimmers, and they
were hauled aboard. Jeems Howell was about done for, and had to be
worked over for some time; Jo also had shipped considerable salt
water, but Jim and Juarez were in tolerable condition considering the
experience they had been through.
"I hope you lads are satisfied now," grumbled the captain.
"He chawed our boat to kindling wood," said Jim, looking ruefully to
where the fragments strewed the sea.
"He would have done the same by you, if we hadn't come along,"
remarked the captain. "Served you right, too."
"I hate not getting him, that's what worries me," said Jim.
"How did you feel when he tilted you and the boat up in the air?"
inquired Tom curiously.
"Can't say," replied Jim. "It was so sudden, and I didn't take any
notes."
"I felt like I was going to be another Jonah," remarked Jo feebly.
"He's the Jonah," remarked the captain, pointing a contemptuous thumb
at Jeems, who had just gotten to his feet.
"How can I ever thank you, Captain?" asked Jeems Howell, who had a sly
streak of humor at times. "You saved my life at the risk of your own.
It was a noble deed, and one long----"
"Oh, g'wan with you," cried the captain. "I don't want none of your
banquet speeches."
To escape the infliction, he retreated to the quarter deck, where he
stood ready to repel any thankful survivors who might creep upon him.
Tom was busy asking questions about the whole unfortunate business,
for he had a very inquisitive mind, had Tom. Jeems, however, was the
only one among the gallant survivors inclined to humor him. Jim was
looking longingly over the expanse of ocean, not thinking of his
dripping clothes, but as though he had lost something, as indeed he
had. He was minus one large whaleboat and one small boat. It was not
the boat, however, that he was looking for, and no one but Jim would
have taken a continued interest in his whaleship but would have given
him up for lost.
[Illustration: "JIM STOOD PREPARED TO AIM."--P. 61.]
"There he blows!" he cried suddenly. "Let's try for him again."
"No more of that," roared the captain. "Not while I'm alive on this
boat." Jim smiled. He had not really intended to go after him in the
boat because he realized how foolhardy such a performance would be,
but he had another scheme in mind, and he prepared to carry it out.
"Come on, boys, let's give him a shot from the cannon," he cried.
"That's the idea!" exclaimed Juarez. "We will bring the ship up close
enough to get a good aim."
"I'd like to get even with him for the kick he gave me," cried Jo
viciously.
"Well, you boys are the beatingest," remarked the captain.
But he made no objection to this plan, and took the wheel himself, so
as to maneuver the _Sea Eagle_ to within good striking distance of
the big mammal. Meanwhile, the boys lost no time in getting the small
cannon ready for the fray. All was excitement and energy. Here was a
target worth shooting at. The whale seemed to be resting after his
recent exertions, and was rolling easily on the surface of the ocean.
Tom stripped the jacket of canvas from the shining gun of brass,
Juarez and Jo got the ammunition from the hold, and soon had the
charge ready to fire. Jim stood prepared to aim. The boys waited
impatiently for the right moment to come, when the yacht would be
as close to the quarry as it would be wise to venture. Steadily the
little ship bore down toward the whale, keeping half quartered to it.
It seemed that he must take alarm and the boys held their breath
in fear lest the monster should take fright and make a sudden
disappearance into the depths. The harpoon still sticking high up on
his side gave a line to aim by. Then Jim depressed the muzzle of the
cannon until it was point blank at the long black target now shelving
up from the blue surface of the ocean. Just as the whale wakened to
his danger, Jim pulled the lanyard and fired. There was a roar, a
white gush of smoke, and the shell tore into the vitals of the great
whale.
Then there was action to which the disturbance when the whale was
harpooned was a mere flurry. He thrashed the ocean into foam and the
blood from his wound dyed the waters crimson. At last he rose bodily
in the air and fell back upon the surface of the ocean with a mighty
whack that could have been heard for miles. The waters retreated from
his fall in great waves that made the little steamer rock.
There was great jubilation on the deck of the _Sea Eagle_ when
Jim made that shot, which was not so remarkable either, when one
considers the size of the target and the nearness of the object aimed
at. But the captain was decidedly enthusiastic over Jim's success,
and clapped him heartily on the back with manifest approval.
"You ought to be in the navy, lad," he cried. "You are a born American
gunner. Old Paul Jones ought to have had you."
"That wasn't a hard shot, Captain," remarked Jim. "It was your
navigating that really deserves the credit."
"Too bad we have to leave him," said the captain. "That fellow would
be good for a lot of oil."
"I should like a closer look at him," urged Jim. "I believe I'll lower
the other boat and board him."
"I reckon he can't do you any harm now, Skipper," said the captain,
"and I suppose a whale does look cur'us to you. I see by that harpoon
that you made a pretty good shot with the iron; just a little nearer
to the shoulder and you would have fetched him."
The boat was all ready to lower and in a jiffy they had it in the
water. Tom was allowed to go along this time, but Jeems Howell was
among the missing, he absolutely and steadfastly refused to go on
the excursion.
"Come along, Jeems," urged Jo. "You never saw a dead whale."
"But I have seen a live one, and my curiosity is satisfied," replied
Jeems.
"He won't bite you, jump in," said Tom, who was quite brave now.
"How do I know that he is really dead?" replied Jeems. "Like as not he
will give a last flop and crush you. The deck for me."
Realizing that it was useless to urge Jeems the boys pulled away from
the _Sea Eagle_, and rowed over to the dead whale.
"My! but he is a monster," said Juarez. "Let's board him."
"All right," agreed Jim.
So Tom jammed the bow of the boat against the whale's side, and the
three J's--Jim, Jo and Juarez--made a landing on Whale Island. It made
Jo feel a little squeamish standing upon the mass of the dead monster
that yielded under his foot. It seemed that his tread must surely
cause the whale to make a final effort to get rid of his enemies.
"He must be all of seventy feet," cried Jim, pacing as far as he
could.
"His head is eight or ten feet long," said Juarez.
"Too bad you can't take some of him for a souvenir," said Tom.
"We are mighty glad that he didn't get any of us for a souvenir,"
remarked Jo.
"I'm going to get my harpoon any way," said Jim. As he wrenched at
it, the whale suddenly rose with a gentle heave, and Jo was almost
paralyzed with fright, and even Juarez turned somewhat pale. However,
it was only an unusually large wave that had raised the whale up and
allowed the placid carcass to slide down again.
"Ahoy there, squall coming!" hailed the captain's voice from the
quarter deck of the _Sea Eagle_. "Get aboard quick."
The boys obeyed, but with obvious reluctance, for the whale had much
of interest for them yet. But they saw the squall whitening over the
ocean from the northwest quarter, and coming with great rapidity.
"We don't want to worry the old man any more to-day," suggested Jim,
"so we will pull for the shore."