The starlight was so vivid, however, that soon Tess and Dot were able to distinguish the outlines of the beast more clearly. No denial could be made of its voice, for it puffed out a most astonishing sigh. Nothing like this beast had either girl ever imagined.
“O-oo!” murmured Dot. “Look at the whale!”
She came not far from the proper designation. It was a grampus. But a grampus is a cetacean, and that is the family to which whales belong. The grampus stood on its tail in the water, with the greater upper part of its body exposed, and sighed again as though its heart were broken.
Then it flung itself flat upon the water with a splash that must have echoed to the far end of the island. At least, Dot Kenway’s shriek of fear echoed that far.
“Stop yelling. It’s gone,” said Tess.
“But he spattered me all over,” sobbed the smaller girl. “Oh! I don’t like this place, Tess. The whales come in and wake you up and—and——”
“Hush!” commanded Tess, hearing something new. “Listen.”
“Won’t hush,” sobbed Dot. “Is it another whale?”
“It’s—it’s——Oh, Dot Kenway!” shrieked Tess suddenly, and darted up from the sand, “it’s Neale O’Neil!”
This was a sufficiently impressive declaration to stop Dot’s sobs and complaints. She staggered hastily to her feet, clinging to her sister, and joined her voice to the latter’s in shrieking: “Help!”