"Here it is, Bill!" called the foremost.
"So you were right about it, Jack. Those lads in the small boat did have it."
The two burly fishermen elbowed their way through the throng, shoving people to right and left as they approached the whale.
"Come now!" exclaimed the one called Jack. "Get away from our whale!
We're going to tow it out again."
"Your whale!" cried Frank, who, hearing the words, quickly turned back with his brother and Bob.
"Yes, our whale!" cried Bill. "We harpooned it the other day, and we've been hunting for it ever since. We thought we saw a motor boat towing it away to-day, and chased after it just about the time Jack spied you lads in the rowboat hauling something. Jack wanted to take after you, but the rest of us thought the motor boat had our prize, so we lost time until we found it was only a wrecked boat that they were towing. Then we came after you. I wish we'd caught you before you hauled this up on shore, as we're going to have trouble getting our whale off again."
"What makes you say that's your whale?" demanded Andy hotly.
"Because it is," answered Jack. "We struck it, though it didn't die right away. Now you folks keep back, and we'll haul it off. Come on, fellows!" he called to the others in the motor boat. "Lend a hand here, it's bigger than I thought."
"That's not your whale, and you can't have it!" cried Frank determinedly. "We picked it up at sea, and towed it in. My brother and I saw it several days ago, and it struck one of our boats. It's our whale, and we intend to keep it."
"Get out of the way!" roughly cried the man called Bill. "We haven't time to bother with you," and he elbowed Frank to one side.