Bruce dropped down and Frank gave a surge at the oars that made the boat give a leap like a thing of life. Then Merriwell pulled as never before had he rowed, not even in the nerve-straining, soul-killing college races against Harvard.
Jump! jump! jump!--how he made the boat leap through the water! He was making the boat leap to get out of the whale"s course.
Bruce tried to get his oars into the rowlocks and aid, but, for once in his life, at least, the big fellow had lost all his coolness, and he lost an oar overboard.
"He"ll strike us!"
"We"re lost!"
"Hold fast!"
Frank continued to pull, but he was ready to drop the oars and make a leap for Inza the moment the boat was struck.
"I"ll do my best to save her!" he mentally exclaimed.
Still he knew the shock would hurl them far into the water, while the boat would be shattered in pieces. He might be stunned--he might be instantly killed.
For all that Inza stared straight at the whale, it is probable that she realized their terrible peril far better than Paula, who was so frightened that she covered her eyes with her hands.
Frank began to realize that there was a possibility of getting out of the way if the whale did not change its course. He strained every nerve--he pulled for life.
"Thank Heaven!"
Browning gasped the words, for the monster had not swerved from its original course, and it dashed past the boat some distance astern.
Even then Frank was not satisfied that the danger was past. He expected to see the whale stop, turn about and rush at them again.
Nothing of the kind happened. The monster was headed straight for the distant pa.s.sage that led out between the islands toward the lower bay and the open sea. He seemed to be in a great hurry, too, for he made the water fly as he sped along, the waves in his wake causing the little boat to rock when he had pa.s.sed.
Merriwell stopped pulling and sat watching the whale, never uttering a word till it had pa.s.sed out of sight far down the bay. Then he turned and observed:
"It"s plain enough that he doesn"t consider it healthy around here, and he is in a hurry to get away."
There was a smile on his face, and he seemed quite undisturbed by what had happened.
"Oh, Frank!" cried Inza, "what if he had struck us?"
"He would have b.u.mped his nose."
"Oh, how can you joke now!"
"Now is the time to joke. I didn"t have time to think of a joke a little while ago."
Browning dug himself out of the bottom of the boat, hoisted his huge body to a seat, and drew a deep breath of relief.
"A man who shoots at a whale with a rifle is a thundering fool!" he observed.
"And a man who tells him to shoot is another," laughed Frank.
"That is my first adventure with a whale," said the big Yale man, "and, if I have my way about it, it will be my last."
"Is--is he really gone?" faltered Paula, looking around.
"Yes, Miss Benjamin," a.s.sured Frank, "he has departed in the direction of Greenland."
"And he didn"t touch the boat?"
"If he had we"d be enjoying a swimming match for the yacht now."
"If he had," said Inza, "some of us would have been killed right away, and the rest of us would have been drowned."
"Let"s go back to the yacht!" urged the trembling Paula, her voice choking.
"I am quite ready," said Inza. "I don"t care about going over to that island now."
So Frank pulled back to the floating oar, and then the boat was headed toward the _White Wings_.
Merriwell did his best to restore the girls" spirits. He joked and laughed, and before the yacht was reached he had almost convinced them that they had been in no great danger.
"But, oh, it gave me such a fright!" said Paula. "Just to see that huge creature coming through the water straight toward us! It was awful!"
Frank was chosen as the one to relate the adventure to Miss Gale, for the girls were aware that she might scold them for leaving the yacht without her consent, and Frank could make it all right with her.
Hans was on deck, but he had not seen their adventure with the whale, although he had heard the report of the rifle, for he cried as they approached:
"Vot you shooted? I heard der gun ven id fired you off."
"We shot a large seabird," answered Frank; "but the varmint got away from us."
"Vot kindt up a pird vos a varmint?" asked Hans. "You don"d remember dot I haf efer seen von, do I?"
"It is large enough to make a fish chowder," explained Merry.
"Vot vos I gifin" you?" cried Hans. "Who efer heart a pird uf dot could make a vish-chowter! I vos guyin" you, I oxpect."
Browning threw him the painter as they came alongside, and soon the girls were safely on the yacht.
"Come back as soon as you have fixed it with Miss Gale," said Bruce, "and we will go onto the island and investigate."
Frank nodded and then went below. In a few minutes he came out laughing and a.s.sured the girls that it was all right. Then he dropped into the boat again, and soon he and Browning were on Devil Island.
They pulled the boat up on the beach and made it fast. Frank took the rifle, and Bruce looked at his revolver, which he had slipped into his pocket before leaving the yacht the first time. The _White Wings_ was riding at anchor within easy speaking distance of the sh.o.r.e.
"Which way shall we go?" asked Bruce.
"The buildings are on the other side of the island," said Merry. "Let"s go straight across."
"All right."