boys stood up to catch a glimpse of the ocean monster. It was the first whale t

licked over the rachet the Dartaway shot ahead. Sam, standing up in the bow, poised his arm to hurl the harpoon. Then,

downward into the depths whence it had em

e!" excla

per. "Got to expect that. We'll land him yet. Put her a little furt

s from Sam's hand. The old man kept his eye fixed on the water, as tho

creature would rise. The Dartaway had been sailing along not more than t

o need to tell Jerry in which direction to steer. He increased the speed of t

ied Bob, unable to wi

e don't want to frighten him

the wheel over. Nearer and nearer the craft approached the big

ster, but not close enough to enable Sam to throw the harpoon, when the whale, with a migh

r get him!"

Water Sam," was th

quite a distance from shore, and there was no other craft near them. The flotilla of boats was two miles away, still cruising around wher

Sam motioned for Jerry to steer the boat to the right. Hardly had the direction been cha

e wouldn't come up so often to breathe. I think I can

did not tremble as he shoved the levers over. Old Sam gave a las

istening in the sun. It seemed that the whale was a thousand feet long, though as Sam told

t just enough gasolene to keep it from being stalled. His hand was on the reverse le

s head, indicated to Jerry to approach the whale broadside on, as they were now coming u

one hundred feet. Now it was seventy-five. Still the whale had not taken fr

l in a small fish which he had hooked. He stood rigid in

stling sound, a hissing through the air. Somet

hale's back, a straight shaft. It was the handle of t

lled Sam. "Astern

in, and send the gasolene and sparking levers over. With a splutter

the pain of the iron. Then it brought its great flukes down on the surf

ow. So rapidly did it spin out that the bearings began to smoke, and the old sailor dipped

p!" he cried. "Old S

everse, but, in a few minutes the boy

e matter?"

f the tub, but before then it had been

the old sailor said. "Don't be