“His head is eight or ten feet long,” said Juarez.
“Too bad you can’t take some of him for a souvenir,” said Tom.
“We are mighty glad that he didn’t get any of us for a souvenir,” remarked Jo.
“I’m going to get my harpoon any way,” said Jim. As he wrenched at it, the whale suddenly rose with a gentle heave, and Jo was almost paralyzed with fright, and even Juarez turned somewhat pale. However, it was only an unusually large wave that had raised the whale up and allowed the placid carcass to slide down again.
“Ahoy there, squall coming!” hailed the captain’s voice from the quarter deck of the Sea Eagle. “Get aboard quick.”
The boys obeyed, but with obvious reluctance, for the whale had much of interest for them yet. But they saw the squall whitening over the ocean from the northwest quarter, and coming with great rapidity.
“We don’t want to worry the old man any more to-day,” suggested Jim, “so we will pull for the shore.”