CHAPTER XIV.
THE SEA-COW’S LULLABY.
It was an anxious moment, or rather succession of moments, for those in the Wondership. Luckily there was but little air stirring, and that little was blowing from a direction which brought the big craft down over the floating boy.
Jack watched his opportunity like a mousing cat. As the grapnel in which he was standing, holding with one hand to the rope, swung above Dick, he leaned out and with a swift, sure grasp drew the lad up. They saw him disengage the life-jacket from the unconscious young reporter and envelop his own body in it.
He leaned out and with a swift, sure grasp drew the lad up.—Page 144.
This done, he deliberately secured Dick to the grapnel by looping the rope around the boy’s body and fastening it with one of the forked ends. Then he slipped off into the water and shouted to Tom, to “call all hands” to haul Dick up to safety.
“But what about you?” cried Tom in an agony of distress.
“I’ll get along till you lower the rope again. Haul up now and be quick!”
There was nothing to be done but to obey the gritty lad’s order. Inch by inch they hauled on the rope till at last Dick could be reached and pulled on board. No time was then lost in lowering the rope to Jack. It was not any too soon. Attracted no doubt by the furious flurry of the battle between the whale and the sword-fish, several fish with triangular fins were to be seen cruising about in the vicinity.