“Ask the captain what?” said the skipper sharply.
“I have been thinking, Captain Chubb,” panted Rodd. “Have the long gun loaded with a ball, and let the men try and hit that thing. ’Tisn’t above a quarter of a mile away.”
“Eh? Have a shot at it, my lad?” said the captain, staring, and then shading his eyes to watch the object that was gliding along, making the water ripple strangely, while all around it was in violent ebullition, betokening that a large shoal of fish was feeding there. “Well, I don’t know. What do you say, doctor?” continued the speaker. “I don’t say that the lads could hit it, but they might.”
“Certainly,” said the doctor eagerly. “Try.”
There was no occasion to give orders for a ball to be fetched up. Joe Cross and Rodd had darted off together, plunged down the hatchway, and were back again in an incredibly short space of time, the sailor carrying the ball, while Rodd had snatched up three or four big sheets of paper from off one of the laboratory lockers, and then as rapidly as possible a good charge of powder was emptied into one of the sheets, the gun’s crew fell into place and rammed the charge home in the most business-like manner, the ball followed, Joe Cross thrust the pricker down into the touch-hole and primed, while another of the men ran with a piece of slow match to the cook’s galley, where the water was being boiled for tea.
Everything was done skilfully and with speed, while all on deck were in a state of profound excitement and dread lest the great creature should disappear from sight and rob the spectators of their looked-for sport.
“Oh, do be quick!” cried Rodd.
“Yah–h–h!” came in a groan, for as the words left the boy’s lips there was a violent ebullition where the great serpent or whatever it was had been playing, the beautiful ripple of the shoal of fish died out, and in the fast-fading light of the evening the sea all around lay gleaming and grey, as it gently heaved, with no other movement now.
“Oh, what a pity we were so long,” said Rodd dismally. “I believe we should have hit it. I am disappointed!”
“Well, so am I, if you come to that, Rodd, my boy,” said the doctor, “though I don’t think the men could have made a successful shot. You see, it requires a great deal of practice to hit an object like that with a big gun.”