thout warning.

The two girls uttered the other exclamations. Paula screamed and covered
her face with her hands, while Inza turned pale and stared at the
onrushing monster.

Frank fully realized their peril. He knew that it meant certain death to
them all if the whale struck the boat, and there seemed no possible
escape.

Bruce dropped down and Frank gave a surge at the oars that made the boat
give a leap like a thing of life. Then Merriwell pulled as never before
had he rowed, not even in the nerve-straining, soul-killing college
races against Harvard.

Jump! jump! jump!--how he made the boat leap through the water! He was
making the boat leap to get out of the whale's course.

Bruce tried to get his oars into the rowlocks and aid, but, for once in
his life, at least, the big fellow had lost all his coolness, and he
lost an oar overboard.

"He'll strike us!"

"We're lost!"

"Hold fast!"

Frank continued to pull, but he was ready to drop the oars and make a
leap for Inza the moment the boat was struck.

"I'll do my best to save her!" he mentally exclaimed.

Still he knew the shock would hurl them far into the water, while the
boat would be shattered in pieces. He might be stunned--he might be
instantly killed.

For all that Inza stared straight at the whale, it is probable that she
realized their terrible peril far better than Paula, who was so
frightened that she covered her eyes with her hands.

Frank began to realize that there was a possibility of getting out of
the way if the whale did not change its course. He strained every
nerve--he pulled for life.

"Thank Heaven!"

Browning gasped the words, for the monster had not swerved from its
original course, and it dashed past the boat some distance astern.

Even then Frank was not satisfied that the danger was past. He expected
to see the whale stop, turn about and rush at them again.

Nothing of the kind happened. The monster was headed straight for the
distant passage that led out between the islands toward the lower bay
and the open sea. He seemed to be in a great hurry, too, for he made the
water fly as he sped along, the waves in his wake causing the little
boat to rock when he had passed.

Merriwell stopped pulling and sat watching the whale, never uttering a
word till it had passed out of sight far down the bay. Then he turned
and observed:

"It's plain enough that he doesn't consider it healthy around here, and
he is in a hurry to ge