"
"They're as harmless as a cow, unless they get angry," said her
husband.
Slowly the great ship began to move through the water. Tom and his
friends were about to go back to their cabin, for they thought the
excitement over, when, as the young inventor turned from the rail,
he felt a vibration throughout the whole length of the steamer, as
if it had hit on a sand-bar.
Instantly there was a jangling of bells in the engine room, and the
Soudalar lost headway.
"What's the matter?" asked several persons.
They were answered a moment later, for the big whale, even though
grievously wounded in his fight with the killer, had risen not a
hundred feet away from the ship, and was coming toward it with the
speed of an express train.
"Bless my blubber!" cried Mr. Damon. "We must have hit the whale, or
it hit us under the water and now it's going to attack us!"
He had no more than gotten the words out of his mouth ere the great
creature of the deep came on full tilt at the vessel, struck it a
terrific blow which made it tremble from stem to stern, and careen
violently.
There was a chorus of frightened cries, sailors rushed to and fro,
the engine-room bells rang violently, and the captain and mates
shouted hoarse orders.
Pages:
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90