ey leaped.

"Hi believe there's a great fish arfter them," said Mr. Punch.

"Maybe a whole regiment of big fish," said Toby. "By crackey, there's
one now!"

As he spoke, a black fin cut the water near the sardines, and they
became more agitated than ever; from the size of the fin, it must have
been a very great fish indeed; and along the upper edge of the fin was
a row of long sharp saw-teeth, looking big and strong enough to have
sawed through a wooden plank.

"There's another one!" cried Freddie.

"And another! and another!" cried Aunt Amanda.

There must have been five or six of the great fish.

"I hope they won't come near this boat," said Toby. "One of 'em would
just about turn us upside down if he struck us."

"Mercy!" said Aunt Amanda. "Don't say such a terrible thing."

At that moment a great round black back appeared above the surface of
the water, some hundred yards or so away, and in another moment a great
black blunt head joined itself to the back, and a spout of white vapor
rose from the head.

"A whale!" cried several voices at once.

"Oh!" said Aunt Amanda. "Suppose he should come this way?"

The five or six fins of the great fish near the sardines now
disappeared. The whale threw up his enormous tail, and went down head
first beneath the water. Almost immediately, one of the saw-toothed fins
reappeared, much nearer the raft than before.

"Merciful heavens!" cried Aunt Amanda. "He's coming towards us! Oh
dear!"

The great fish was in fact evidently making straight towards the raft.
Freddie clutched Aunt Amanda's arm. The fin cut the water at a high
speed; it disappeared at times, but on each reappearance it was still
pointed towards the raft.

"He's nearly on us!" cried Aunt Amanda. "Hold on tight, Freddie!"

The great fish came on with a rush, and as he reached the raft struck it
with his back and slid under it. There was a tremendous bump, which
nearly sent the company flat; then there was a rubbing under the raft,
and everything was quiet again.

"He's gone," said Toby.

"No, 'e isn't," said Mr. Punch. "Look at 'is tail!"

A great tail could be seen beyond the edge of the raft, just below the
surface of the water. It thrashed about and churned up the water
violently for a few seconds, and then waved back and forth quietly; but
it did not disappear.

"By crackey," said Toby, "he's stuck! His fin has got stuck into the
bottom of the raft! He's got the whole kit and bilin' of us