Part 10 (1/2)

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 s.h.i.+p, 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 hoa.r.s.e orders.

”Here he comes again!” yelled Mr. Durban, as he hurried to the side of the s.h.i.+p. ”The whale takes us for an enemy, I guess, and he's going to ram us again!”

”And if he does it many times, he'll start the plates and cause a leak that won't be stopped in a hurry!” cried a sailor as he rushed past Tom.

The young inventor looked at the oncoming monster for a moment, and then started on the run for his cabin.

”Here! Where are you going?” cried Mr. Damon, but Tom did not answer.

CHAPTER X

OFF IN THE AIRs.h.i.+P

As Tom Swift hurried down the companionway he again felt the s.h.i.+p careen as the whale struck it a powerful blow, and he was almost knocked off his feet. But he kept on.

Below he found some frightened men and women, a number of whom were adjusting life preservers about them, under the impression that the s.h.i.+p had struck a rock and was going down. They had not been up on deck, and did not know of the battle between the killer and the whale, nor what followed.

”Oh, I know we're sinking!” cried one timid woman. ”What has happened?” she appealed to Tom.

”It will be all right in a little while,” he a.s.sured her.

”But what is it? I want to know. Have we had a collision.”

”Yes, with a whale,” replied Tom, as he grabbed up something from his stateroom, and again rushed up on deck. As he reached it the whale came on once more, and struck the s.h.i.+p another terrific blow.

Then the monster sank and could be seen swimming back, just under the surface of the water, getting ready to renew the attack.

”He's going to ram us again!” cried Mr. Damon. ”Bless my machine oil! Why doesn't the captain do something?”

At that moment the commander cried from the bridge:

”Send a man below, Mr. Laster, to see if we are making any water.

Then tell half a dozen of the sailors to get out the rifles, and see if they can't kill the beast. He'll put us in Davy Jones's locker if he keeps this up! Lively now, men!”

The first mate, Mr. Laster, called out the order. A sailor went below to see if the s.h.i.+p was leaking much, and the captain rang for full speed ahead. But the Soudalar was slow in getting under way again, and, even at top speed she was no match for the whale, which was again rus.h.i.+ng toward the vessel.

”Quick with those rifles!” cried the captain. ”Fire a volley into the beast!”

”There's no need!” suddenly called Mr. Damon, who had caught sight of Tom Swift, and the object which the lad carried.

”No need?” demanded the commander. ”Why, has the whale sunk, or made off?”

”No,” answered the eccentric man, ”the whale is still coming on, but Tom Swift will fix him. Get there, Tom, and let him have a good one!”