e looked round, when what was his horror to see that the boat had been
struck by the whale and lifted into the air! The next instant down it
came, dashed into fragments, while those in it were sent flying in all
directions. The first mate, in his desire to go to the rescue of his
shipmates, was on the point of heaving his own line overboard with a
drogue fastened to it, when the whale he had struck, lifting up its huge
flukes, sounded, nearly dragging him overboard as he let out the line.
The men were backing out of its way, when suddenly it slewed round its
tail. The men, well knowing their danger, made every effort to escape,
and believing that they had got to a safe distance, and that the whale
had gone down, pulled back to the assistance of their drowning
shipmates. Just then a tremendous blow was felt, and the boat, struck
amidships, was thrown into the air as the other had been, and smashed to
fragments. The two men in the centre of the boat must have been killed
instantaneously. Walter felt stunned for a moment, but, recovering his
senses, found himself struggling in the water, and close to the broken
stern of the boat, to which he clung fast. Only one person remained
floating above the surface. Walter called to him; and Mr Shobbrok's
voice answered, "Hold on, my lad; I'll be with you anon."

Walter saw that he was towing some of the fragments of the boat. The
whale had disappeared, possibly having carried down some of the men in
his mighty jaws. The first mate, after considerable exertion, reached
Walter.

"Thank Heaven, you have escaped!" he said, helping him up on to the
wreck of the boat. Fortunately the second line remained attached to it.

"We must put together a raft, Walter, and try to get back to the ship,"
said the mate. By means of the line he set to work, and lashed together
the different pieces of the boat which he managed to pick up, till he
had formed a raft sufficient to support Walter. The fragments of the
other boat still remained floating at no great distance. Pushing the
raft before him, he shoved it on till he reached the spot, when,
collecting them, with the assistance of four oars he had picked up he
formed a still larger raft, on which he, as well as Walter, could sit
securely. He had also got two other oars with which to urge on the
raft. Thus a considerable time was occupied, and it was now evening;
before long it would be quite dark, and the difficulty of finding the
s