"That's right. Wow! But you had a narrow escape!" and Frank looked very grave as he a.s.sisted his brother into the undamaged craft. "I thought it was all up with you."

"So did I, when I saw that beast coming for me. But he sheered off just in time. Then I felt sure my boat would fill and sink in an instant, when I saw the water pouring in, after he swiped me, so I got ready to jump. I didn't want to be carried down with it."

"That's right. Say, that's cut through as clean as if done with a knife," and Frank looked at the slash in the side of his brother's boat. It was indeed a sharp cut, and showed with what awful force the tail of the monster must have descended.

"As much water came pouring in over the side as there did through the hole," went on Andy. "That's what gave me a scare. But did you see the harpoon in that whale?"

"No, was there one?"

"Sure as you're a foot high. There was a short piece of line fast to it, and the whale had a big hole in his side. He's been wounded, probably by a steamer's propeller after he was harpooned up north, or else that's the wound of a bomb gun. I could see it quite plainly."

"Yes, you had a nearer view than I'd want," observed Frank, as he made fast Andy's boat to the stern of his own. As the younger lad had said, his skiff, now that it was higher in the water, because his weight was out of it, took in very little of the sea.

"I guess we can tow it if we bail out," observed Frank. "Are you very wet?"

"Not much--only up to my knees. I was just going to jump in and swim for it when you called to me. Well, here goes for bailing."

"Yes, and if you shift that anchor back to the stern it will raise the bow, and the hole will be so much more out of water. It'll row easier, too."

"Right you are, my hearty. Shiver my timbers! But it's some excitement we've been having!" and Andy laughed.

"Say, I believe you'd joke if your boat was all smashed to pieces, and you were floating around on the back of the whale," observed Frank gravely.

"Of course I would. A miss is as good as a mile and a half. But if I can find my other oar I'll help you row in your boat. It ought to be somewhere around here," and Andy ceased his bailing operations to cast anxious looks over the rolling waves.

"Yes, we'll look for it after we get some of the water out of your craft. I can't get over what a close call you had," and, in spite of the fact that he had been in many dangerous places in his life, Frank could not repress a shudder.

"Oh, forget it!" good-naturedly advised Andy, vigorously tossing water out of his boat with a tin can. "h.e.l.lo! There's my lost oar out there. Put me over."

"All right," agreed Frank. "I think we've got enough water out so she'll ride high. Now for the dock."

"I guess you'll win the race," observed the younger lad, half regretfully, as he recovered his ashen blade.

"Oh, we'll call it off," said Frank good-naturedly. "We'll have something to tell the folks when we get back to the cottage; eh?"

"I guess. But are you going right home?"

"Why not?"

"Oh, I thought we might row in, and take out our sail boat. I'd like to have another try for that whale. We might get him, and there's money to be made."

"Say, do you mean to tell me you'd take another chance with that whale?" demanded Frank, as he prepared to row.

"Of course I would! It would be safe enough in our catboat. He'd never attack that. We could take our rifles along and maybe plug him.

Think of hunting for whales! Cricky! That would be sport!" and Andy sighed regretfully, He seemed to have forgotten the narrow escape he had just experienced. "Come on, let's do it, Frank," he urged. "Don't go up to our cottage at all. If you do mother will be sure to see me all wet. Then she'll want to know how it happened, and the whale will be out of the bag, and we can't go. Let's start right out in the _Gull_ as soon as we hit the pier. There won't be any danger, and we might sight the whale. He must be nearly dead by this time."

"I wonder if we could find him," mused Frank.

"Sure!" exclaimed his impulsive brother. "It will be great. There's some grub aboard the _Gull_ and we can stay out until nearly dark.

Mother doesn't expect us home to dinner, as we said we might go to Seabright. Come on!"

"Well, if you feel able, after--"

"Pshaw! I'm as fit as a fiddle. Let's. .h.i.t it up, and get to the dock as soon as we can. Think of landing a whale!"

"Or of being lambasted by one," added Frank grimly. Nevertheless, he fell in with his brother's plan, as he usually did. The two boys rowed steadily toward the pier, towing the damaged boat. They were very much in earnest.

In fact, though of different characters, the brothers were very much alike in one trait--they always liked to be doing things. Their name fitted them to perfection; they were "Racers" by t.i.tle and nature, though Andy was the quicker and more impulsive.

They were the sons of Mr. Richard Racer, a wealthy wholesale silk merchant of New York City. Mr. Racer owned a neat cottage at Harbor View, and his summers were spent there. His wife, Olivia, was a lady fond of society, and when she closed her handsome house in New York, to go to the coast resort for the summer, she transferred her activities there.

While in the metropolis Mrs. Racer spent much time at charitable organizations, and at Harbor View she was a moving spirit in the ladies' tennis and golf clubs.

Mr. Racer traveled back and forth from New York to Harbor View each day during the summer, for his business needed much of his attention. His vacation, however, was an unbroken series of days of pleasure at the coast resort where he and his wife and sons enjoyed life to the utmost.

The two boys had spent so many summers at Harbor View that they were almost as well known there as some of the permanent residents, and they had many friends among the seafaring folk, especially in the lads.

They had one or two enemies, as will develop presently, not through any fault of their own, but because certain lads were jealous of our heroes.

"Well, we're here," announced Frank at last, as he swung the boat up alongside the landing stage which rose and fell with the tide.

"And it's a good wind coming up," observed Andy. "We can make good time out in the _Gull_."

"Maybe we'd better beach your boat before we go out, and pull it above high-water mark," suggested Frank. "Some of the seams may have been opened, as well as this hole being in her, and she might sink."

"Good idea. We'll do it."

As the brothers were ascending the gangway from the float to the pier, preparatory to going out in their sailing craft, they were hailed by an elderly man, whose grizzled, tanned face gave evidence of many days spent on the water under a hot sun.

"Where you boys bound fer now?" the sailor demanded.

"Oh, we're just going out for a little sail, Captain Trent," replied Andy.

"Better not," was the quick advice.

"Why?" Frank wanted to know.

"It's coming on to blow, and it's going to blow hard. Hear that wind?"

and the captain, whose son Bob was quite a chum of the Racer boys, inclined his grizzled head toward the quarter whence the breeze came.

"Oh, that's only a cat's paw," declared Andy.

"You'll find it'll turn out to be a reg'lar tomcat 'fore you're through with it," predicted the old salt. "But what happened to your boat, Andy? I see you've got a hole stove in her. Did you run on the rocks?"

"No, something ran into us," replied Frank quickly. "Don't say anything to him about the whale," he remarked to his brother in a low voice.

"What's that about a sail?" demanded the captain, catching some of Frank's words.

"We're going for a sail," spoke Andy quickly. "Come on, Frank."