His chum was right. Whales were on every hand, so thick that the submarine boat could scarcely move among them.
"This is the oddest yet!" was Oscar's comment. "We had better close the trap-door and go down, before a whale gets into the screw and disables it."
He had just given the order to close the trap when there came a great shock from above, followed by a dripping of water.
One of the more sportive whales had thrown himself into the air, intending to come down on the Holland XI. and crush it.
THE WHALE INTENDED TO CRUSH THE BOAT.
The whale had struck the trap-door opening head first, and now his head was as tight as if in a bear trap, sticking six feet and more down the narrow companionway, leaving his mighty tail to flop above, high in the air!