CHAPTER XXVII
ATTACKED BY A WHALE
Rapidly the motorship shot downward to the surface of the sea, landingon her hydroplanes. She was about half a mile from the dark object thatfloated on the water, a confused mass of twisted iron, splintered woodand flapping canvas. Jerry had not dared drop any closer to it, lest asudden gust of wind might carry the _Comet_ against the sharp pointsand damage her.
"What do you make it out to be?" asked Ned, as they neared the wreck,the _Comet_ being sent ahead by her water propeller.
"It isn't the balloon, that's sure," declared Jerry. "That is, unlessit's all twisted together."
"No; I don't believe it's the _Manhattan_," agreed Bob.
Ned certainly hoped that it was not, for that would mean the end of hisefforts to find Mr. Jackson alive. As they drew nearer to the floatingmass, they saw that it was the part of some sailing craft, which hadcome to grief through stress of wind and wave.
"A derelict," remarked Professor Snodgrass, as the _Comet_ came toa stop not far from it. "A floating derelict, and a great menace tonavigation. If some steamer were to hit that in a fog, or on a darknight, it might send her to the bottom. I wish we could go aboard."
"Why?" asked Ned.
"Because I might get some specimens on her. Perhaps some of thecrew, before they abandoned her, might have had some strange birds,animals or insects from the tropics, and if they were left behind, asthey probably were, they would prove to be a valuable addition to mycollection."
"I'm afraid we can't go on her unless we swim," said Jerry. "We have asmall boat aboard, but the sea is a little too rough to permit its useto-day."
"Circle around the wreck, and see if we can discover her name,"suggested Ned. "Perhaps there might be a dog or cat aboard, that wecould rescue."
Slowly the _Comet_ made a course around the wreck, and far enough awayso that the wash of the sea would not ram her up against the abandonedvessel's sides. The boys could discover no name on the derelict.Either it had been worn away by the action of the water, or that partof the ship where it should have appeared was ripped off. It seemed asif the wreck had been abandoned some time ago.
There was no sign of life aboard her, though Mr. Snodgrass was surehe could have at least discovered some stray bugs had he been given achance to search, but it could not be done.
"Well, we'll get under way again, I guess," observed Jerry. "Perhapsto-morrow we'll have better luck."
"If we don't have _some_ luck pretty soon, we'll have to go back, Isuppose," remarked Ned gloomily.
"We have enough to eat for three weeks more," put in Bob.
"Yes, trust you for that, Chunky; but how about gasolene and oil?"
"Oh, we have enough for another week, anyhow, and perhaps longer,"declared Jerry. "We're not going to give up the search yet, Ned. We'llfind Mr. Jackson, and save your father's business."
"I hope so," murmured the merchant's son.
Professor Snodgrass had improved the time by getting out his net anddragging the sea for fish specimens. He caught several varieties, butnone that he wanted. The singing flying-fish was not among those in hisnet.
He was about to pull it in, when he saw a long, dark shadow movingslowly along on the port side of the _Comet_. The professor knew theshape at once.
"Here, boys!" he called. "See this monster shark!"
It was indeed a large specimen of the tiger of the seas, and as itmoved slowly along, its horrid eyes seeking some prey, the boys couldnot repress a shudder of fear.
"If he ever got after us!" exclaimed Bob. "Ugh! Excuse me!"
"Same here," agreed Ned.
"There's another coming up," observed Jerry, pointing to a shadowfarther out. "That's bigger than the first one."
Slowly another great form approached the _Comet_. Then the boys sawthat there were two parts to the second shadow.
"It's a whale and her calf!" exclaimed the professor. "Boys, you arelooking at a very rare sight. Make the most of it!"
"It will be a good thing if they don't make mince-meat of us,"remarked Ned grimly. "I'd hate to fall overboard now."
As he spoke, there was a sudden swirl in the water, a smother of foam,and then a tinge of red.
"Look!" cried Bob. "The shark has attacked the whale!"
"Not the whale, but the little calf!" yelled Jerry. "Why, the sharkhas bitten it almost in two pieces! We'd better get away from here, orthere'll be a fight between those monsters and some waves that willswamp us!"
"That's right," agreed the professor. "The shark has killed the whale'scalf. Now there will be trouble. There's nothing worse than a whalebereft of her young. Better go up, Jerry."
The lad ran to the pilot house to start the air-propellers. He hadhardly reached the place, however, before a cry from his companionscaused him to look back. The whale mother had fairly leaped from thewater, falling back with a tremendous splash that raised a series ofbig waves which rocked the _Comet_ to and fro.
"Get up! Get up!" begged Bob and Ned, running toward Jerry. "We'll beswamped!"
Jerry grasped the starting lever, but, for some reason, the motorfailed to respond. He shoved it back and forth and vibrated the sparkadjuster. But the air-propellers refused to turn.
"Start the water-screw, and get as far off as we can," advised Ned.
"You do it, and I'll work at this lever," called Jerry.
As he spoke, he glanced back, and his cry of horror caused hiscompanions to look where he pointed. Some distance off, and comingforward with increasing speed, was the whale, headed right for thefloating motorship.
"She's going to attack us!" cried Ned. "She thinks our craft killed hercalf, and she's going to ram us! Look out!"
Maddened by the loss of her offspring, the gigantic whale, as Ned hadsaid, was about to attack the _Comet_, which was almost at the mercy ofthe leviathan, now that the air-propellers refused to operate. It was acritical moment for our heroes.