s 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. "Hello! 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