“I guess that will do,” said the scientist. “I think we have speed enough for almost any emergency. I’ll let her run at this rate for a while, and then we’ll slack up.”
Looking ahead, the boys could see the green waters parting in front of the bow of the Mermaid, as if to make room for her. Two huge waves were thrown upon either side.
Suddenly, dead ahead, there loomed up a big black object.
“Look out you’ll hit the rock!” cried Mark to the professor, who was steering.
With a turn of his wrist Mr. Henderson moved the wheel which controlled the tube. It was deflected and sent the boat to larboard.
At that instant from the rock two small fountains of water rose in the air, falling back in a shower of spray through which the sun gleamed.
“That’s not a rock! It’s a big whale!” cried Jack. “And we’re going to hit him!”
The professor had miscalculated the speed of the craft, or else had not thrown her far enough to larboard, for, a second later, the Mermaid was almost upon the big leviathan.
With a desperate twirling of the steering wheel the professor veered the craft as far as possible. But all he could do did not suffice, for the craft hit the whale a glancing blow on the side, and the ship careened as if she would turn turtle.
At the same time there rang out from upon deck the sound of a rifle shot. Old Andy had taken a chance at the enormous creature of the deep.