Budd Boyd's Triumph; or, The Boy-Firm of Fox Island

by William P. Chipman

"I'll take another half-hitch around the harpoon, and drive that deeper into the porpoise; then he can't get away, and we'll come and get him after the storm is over," Budd thought.

Carrying out his thought, he made the half-hitch about the harpoon with the slackened rope; then he seized hold of the protruding weapon and pressed it down into the motionless body of the cetacean with all his strength.

The next moment the monster, which had apparently only been stunned by its dash upon the cliff, and was now revived by the terrible thrust of the lance into its vitals, gave a sudden and tremendous plunge, which snapped the cord by which it was fastened to the cedar as though it was but tow, and lad and cetacean together rolled off from the rocks into the angry waters.

[CHAPTER XXIII.--A MANLY RESCUE.]

Fortunately for Budd, he was thrown by the terrible lunge of the porpoise more than ten feet out into the dashing waves, and he had the presence of mind, the moment he rose to the surface of the water, to strike boldly off shore. In this way he soon placed himself beyond any fear of being dashed back upon the rocks.

He could see, also, that the sloop had already left the fish-trap and was bearing down toward him, but was yet a long distance away. He resolved, therefore, to swim up to the old wharf where he had left the yawl.

Burdened as he was with his water-soaked clothing, it is doubtful that he could have done this, short as the distance was, had not both wind and tide been in his favor. As it was, he only reached the yawl after a hard struggle, and crawled into it quite out of breath.

When the sloop, from which he had, ever since his sudden and unexpected bath, been watched with anxiety, came in near the wharf, however, he was sufficiently recovered to pull slowly off to her.

"Are you hurt, Budd?" Mr. Boyd asked, anxiously, as he helped the lad on board.

"Oh! no," Budd replied, with a laugh--"a little uncomfortable from my cold bath and tired with my long swim in the rough sea is all; soon as I put on dry clothing I shall be all right."