CHAPTER X
THE WHALE ESCAPES
"Towed out to sea?" inquired Ned.
The words had a sort of terror in them. The boys looked at one another.
"Land love you, yes," went on the old whaler, who seemed as happy as alad at a picnic. "It isn't the first time I've been towed by a whale.That's the way they do, sometimes. But they soon tire of it, and thenwe'll have another chance at him."
"But isn't it dangerous?" asked Jerry, who did not exactly like theidea.
"Not a bit," replied Sam. "That is, if you cut the line in time, incase the whale sounds."
"What do you mean?" asked Ned.
"Why, sometimes they'll take a notion to go down before you know it.Then, if you don't cut the line in time, they're liable to swamp theboat."
"Maybe we'd better cut it now," suggested Bob.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Sam. "Why it's only just begun. There's no dangeryet. I remember once we was towed nearly a day with a whale in theNorth Sea. I was mate of the _Dogstar_ then, as fine a craft as I eversaw. But she was wrecked on an iceberg and I was the only one saved.That was a voyage!" and the old man's eye sparkled in remembrance.
"How far will he take us?" asked Jerry, not a little anxious on hismother's account.
"No telling," replied Sam. "Twenty or thirty miles, maybe. But you haveone advantage we didn't have in the old whale boats. You can keep theengine going at reverse, and make a drag that will soon tire him out.That's a good thing."
In spite of the fact that the motor was revolving the screw backward,the whale seemed to have no difficulty in pulling the _Dartaway_ afterhim. He fairly made the craft fly through the water.
Right out to sea, the motor boat was headed. The beach had long sincebeen left astern, and the other boats could only be dimly seen.
There was nothing to do but to sit and wait for the whale to tireitself out. Sam seemed to accept this as a matter of course. Hehad brought a lance along, in addition to his harpoon, and was nowsharpening this keen weapon, in anticipation of making a death thrust.
As for the boys, they viewed with alarm the ever increasing distancefrom shore. The beach was now but an indistinct hazy line.
"Maybe we'd better give it up," suggested Bob.
"Why, are you getting hungry, Chunky?" asked Jerry.
Ned's laugh at this sally seemed to relieve their feelings somewhat,and, when Sam told them he would only hold on a little while longer, incase they were still alarmed, they felt better.
"We can't come to any harm," the old sailor said. "No matter how far wego we can get back, and we'll not have to row, either, the way we didin the old days."
"But it's a good distance to go to sea in a small boat," objected Bob.
"This is big enough to cross the Atlantic in," said the sailor. "Allyou want is plenty to eat."
"Oh, we've got that," Bob replied, brightening up, somewhat at theremembrance of the well filled lockers.
"Then don't worry," advised Salt Water Sam. "It's a fine day and nosign of a storm."
Then the boys decided to accept the situation. They knew they couldmake good time back, in their craft, and Jerry did not believe hismother would worry. Besides she had no idea that they had gonewhaling. If she had, she might have been alarmed.
Then, too, there was something fascinating in the idea of beingattached to a monster of the deep. The boys realized it was anexperience they might never have again, though, for that matter, it isdoubtful if they ever wanted it.
So, for an hour longer they sat in the boat and watched the wavesrushing past them. As the reversing of the engine seemed to have noslackening effect on the whale's progress, Jerry decided to shut themotor off, and so save gasolene.
Now and then Sam would stand up in the bow and take an observation. Theboys could see nothing but the long, thin line extending from the craftand disappearing beneath the water.
"He's still there," said the old sailor, as if there could be any doubtof it with the way the boat was speeding through the water. "I can seehim, almost on the surface. He's going a lively clip."
Bob got up from where he had been seated and began rummaging about inthe locker.
"What's the matter?" asked Ned.
"I'm hungry," announced Chunky. "Got to have something to eat."
"That's not a bad idea," Sam put in. "I didn't have much dinnermyself, and salt air always makes me have an appetite."
Thus finding an ally, Bob proceeded to get out the victuals. He lightedthe gasolene stove and made coffee, which with some sandwiches andcanned stuff, provided a meal that made up in zest what it lacked inquality.
"I'll bet it's the first time this whale ever towed a dinner party,"said Jerry between bites.
"I hope it'll be the last," murmured Sam. "I want to get my lance intohim. There's a pot of money in it, even if he isn't a spermer. We canland him on the beach and charge ten cents admission to see him, thoughit's not in my line."
It was about ten minutes later when Jerry, glancing at the line,noticed it was slack. He called Sam's attention to it.
"He's up to some trick," the old sailor remarked, as he peeredanxiously forward. "Going to sound, or maybe he's headed this way."
The boys looked at each other. Here was a new complication. It was onething to chase a whale. It was altogether another to have the processreversed and the monster turn pursuer.
"What shall we do?" asked Ned.
"We'll have to wait and see what he's up to," Sam replied.
"Suppose he comes for us?"
"Then we'll have to run. That's the only safe rule," and Sam smiledgrimly.
The _Dartaway_ was now rocking easily on the waves. The sea remainedcalm, and, as the sailor remarked, was like a "mill pond on a summerday." The line from the bow lay slack on the water.
"He's sulking," muttered Sam, as he stood up, trying to catch a glimpseof the monster.
An instant later it seemed as if a big wave was coming toward the boat.There was a roll of green water, advancing nearer and nearer.
"He's headed for us!" cried Sam. "Quick! Start the engine and get away!"
Bob dropped his sandwich and sprang to the fly wheel. He cranked it,praying silently that the explosion might come quickly.
Jerry had thrown the forward gear in, and turned on the gasolene andspark. There sounded a welcome "chug," and an instant later the enginewas working at rapid speed.
Jerry put the wheel over, and headed the boat away from the on-comingwhale. The line, fast to the bow, swung over the stern, lengthwise ofthe craft, nearly carrying Ned overboard in the rapid change it made.
The _Dartaway_ was off like an arrow from the bow, piling up a line offoam at the cut-water. The big wave at the back was nearer now. It wascaused by the water gathering in front of the whale's blunt, massivehead.
"Can we get away?" cried Bob.
"We've got to try!" shouted Sam. "Put a little more speed on, skipper!"
The boat forged ahead faster than before. Sam stood up, peering aftto see if the whale gained. There was no doubt that the monsterwas nearer, in spite of the fast whirling propellor. For once the_Dartaway_ had met her match in a speed contest.
"Can't you get any more out of her?" called the sailor in an anxiousvoice.
"No," said Jerry, his heart sinking.
"He'll ram us and sink us!" cried Bob.
"Veer off a bit!" yelled Sam. "Maybe he'll rush past us, and we canslip away."
Jerry shifted the wheel, to allow the whale to pass on the left, ifit would, in its maddened rush. The sailor armed himself with a smallhatchet and his lance.
As the boat swung around the line passed from the stern to the bow.It had been slack, but now it grew taut again, and the old sailor,watching it, sought for an explanation.
It was easily found. The whale had ceased its rush at the boat, and,passing to one side, was moving forward again. Then, as though tryinga last resort to rid itself of the harpoon, it suddenly sank. Down anddown into the ocean depths it went.
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The bow of the _Dartaway_ began to be depressed. Lower and lower itwent into the water, until the screw was revolving in the air.
"He'll pull us down with him!" yelled Jerry.
"No, he won't!" cried Sam.
There was a sharp sound, a snap as though a whip had cracked and theend of the line flew up in the air. Sam had cut it with his hatchet,and the whale had escaped its enemies. The bow of the boat righted, andthe craft floated on an even keel, moving forward at a fast pace.