no escape for the boat apparently.

With an exclamation of horror, Captain Kerns turned his ship's prow
straight for the scene of the disaster, for he saw what had happened.
It was enough to startle even a man so hardened to sights of danger as
the captain. As for Tom, when he saw the beginning of the accident, he
pressed his hand close against his eyes to shut out what promised to
be terrible destruction for his two brothers, and his two tried
comrades.

Pete was at the wheel, his old weathered face pale and intent upon the
scene not so distant. He had grown fond of the boys and could scarcely
bear to look upon their overwhelming danger.

CHAPTER VII

WHAT THEY SAW

When the whale was in his first flurry of pain, he sent the boat high
into the air with one stroke of his mighty tail, and like loose
articles the boys were scattered out of it into the boiling vortex of
water. This was the sight that had called forth the alarm on board the
_Sea Eagle_, and made the captain spring to quick action.

No time was to be lost, for the boys were as helpless as straws in
the maelstrom. One thing was fortunate, they were all pretty fair
swimmers, but that would not help them if the whale should, in his
fury, chance to see them. But here, their very insignificance saved
them from his first rush. The mother and her young had taken the alarm
and were forging away to the southward.

The boys were now but several dark spots in the swirling waters. Jo
had the closest call, for one of the flukes of the whale's tail swept
a huge wave over him, and he thought he was going to be carried to the
bottom of the ocean. Jim at the very first had called out a warning,
"Boys, keep away from the boat." It was a lucky thing that he did so.
For as soon as the whale caught sight of it he made a furious surge
for it, and, opening his great jaws, he caught it squarely across the
middle.

There was a crunching sound, only more intense, as when a dog crushes
a bone. As Jo said afterward, "It wasn't more than a toothpick for
him." Meanwhile the boys were swimming in the opposite direction as
fast as their arms and feet could propel them. The whale now became
aware of a new enemy bearing down upon him.

Only this was even larger than he was, though of the same color. It
was making a chug-chug sound as it came towards him. In the dim brain
of the whale was an idea struggling for birth. Was this a strange sea
monster that was going to conte