"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 bra.s.s, 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 sh.e.l.l 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 ma.s.s 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 carca.s.s 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 sh.o.r.e."
CHAPTER VIII
A RACE
Even then they were none too quick, for as they were swinging the boat to the davits the squall struck the _Sea Eagle_, heeling her well over, and there was a rush and roar of wind and flying spray from the yeasty seas. It was fun while it lasted. The prow of the ship was turned eastward once more, leaving the whale, but not alone.
Already the birds were gathering to their feast, and from all directions cut the dark-finned sharks to get their share. In a short time all was turmoil about the whale, fluttering wings and whirling foamy water. This was too good a target for the boys, so they decided to give the crazy cannibal crew a surprise.
"Let"s give those beggars a farewell salute, Juarez," cried Jim.
"I"m with you," he replied.
"What"s the distance?" inquired Jo.
"Quarter of a mile," hazarded Tom.
"It"s nearer a half," replied Jim.
"It don"t look it," put in Jo.
"That"s because objects on the ocean seem nearer than they do on land."
"Why is that so?" inquired the ever inquisitive Tom.
Jim was clearly stumped by this inquiry, but he did not let on that he was puzzled in the least.
"No time to tell you now. That gun is about ready to fire."
"You don"t know," jeered Tom, "that"s just an excuse."
"Show you later if you can"t study it out for yourself," remarked Jim nonchalantly.