Part 4 (1/2)

”She'll come lookin' for her calf,” the old whaler answered, ”an' as long as we stay near that she'll come up to us Lots of whalers shoot the calves a-purpose, et the old whales, but I don't hold with that I've never done it Shootin' this one was just an accident, but as long as the little chap is dead anyhoe ht as well make use of him”

Just as the old whaler had predicted, in less than fivein the direction of the vessel In less than five ain, just a little distance fro what had happened, she swah to persuade the little one to follow her, and as she circled round the calf she caun It was far too dark to see clearly, but Hank chanced a shot The sudden roar startled Colin

”Did you get her?” he asked anxiously

”I hit her, all right,” the gunner answered with a dissatisfied air, ”but not just where I wanted”

The boy thought it wonderful that he should have been able to hit the monster at all, so small a portion of the body was exposed and so heavily was the _Gull_ pitching The whale, instead of sounding directly, dived at a sharp angle and the line ran out like lightning

”What's that, Hank?” asked Colin in a startled voice, pointing over to the water just below the little calf, which had been hauled in by hand alongside the shi+p

”Killers, by all that's holy!” ejaculated the whaler ”They'll get every blessed whale we've landed to-day Did you ever see such luck!”

”What are they after?” asked Colin, ”the calf whale?”

”Yes, or any other of 'em See, the mother has smelt 'e dark and Colin leaned over the rail to see Suddenly up from the deep, with a rush as of a pack of maddened hounds, ten or a dozen ferocious creatures, froth, snatched and bit and tore at the body of the baby whale A big white spot behind each eye looked like a fearful organ of vision, their white and yellowish undersides and black backs flashed and gleae curved teeth gleaers of the sea' lashed round, infuriated with lust for blood

Then with a violent gesture of reotten that which was of prime importance, Hank took a few quick steps to the rope that held fast the baby whale to the shi+p and cut it with his sheath-knife

”What's that for?” said Colin

”Let's get away froo ahead

As he did so, the ht of the reh the water and dashed for it Colin could have shouted with triueance would be served out upon the orcas, but he was not prepared for the next turn in the tragedy Like a pack of ravening wolves the killers hurled themselves at thetherip upon the soft lower lip, others striking viciously with their rows of sharp teeth at her eyes The issue was not in doubt for a e ferocity and such united attack The immense whale threshed from side to side, always round the vessel, which seemed still to carry to her the scent of the baby whale

”Has she any chance?” the boy asked, full of pity for the victihost of a chance,” the whaler answered

For a minute or two the whale seemed to have thrown off her demon foes and turned away, but scarcely a ed five or six killers, rending and tearing at her head, and the whale, blinded, gashed in a thousand places and maddened by fear and pain, fled in the opposite direction

Colin heard the captain give a wild cry froines stop and reverse beneath hilance over the rail and like every man on board was struck leams of the waves churned up by the incredible muscular power of the killers, the old whale--sixty feet in length at least, and weighing hundreds of tons--was rushi+ng at a ht for the vessel's side, where a blind instinct made her believe her calf still was to be found There was a death-like pause and then--a shock

Almost every man aboard was thrown to the deck, and the vessel heeled over to starboard until it seehted herself, heavily and with a sick lurch that spoke of disaster The shi+p's carpenter ran to the pumps and sounded the well

”Four inches, sir!” he called

A ain

”Five and a half inches, sir,” he cried, ”an' comin' in fast”

It hardly needed the carpenter to tell the story, for the shi+p had a heavy list to starboard In a minute or two the stokers caineer

”The water is close to the fire-boxes, Captain Murchison,” he said

”I know, Mr Macdonald,” the captain answered ”Boat stations!” he cried