ng so; and see! they are still holding their course. If
they had wished to communicate with us, they would have lowered their
sail; and they must see the smoke of the fire, even should they not make
out the flag,--though they could scarcely have failed to do that."

"I tink I could swim much faster dan our raft could pull against de
wind," said Nub; "supposing de captain on board, den I tell him dat
Massa Walter and Missie Alice on de whale, and he sure to come."

"You had better not make the attempt, Nub," said the mate. "You will
have a long swim before you can reach the raft; and if you fail to do
so, you will be exhausted before you can possibly get back."

"Neber fear, Mr Shobbrok," he answered. "If I get tired I can rest on
one of dose casks, or perhaps I find some spar or piece of timber which
keep me up;" and before the mate or Walter could stop him, Nub had
slipped off into the sea on the opposite side to that to which the raft
was secured, so that Alice did not see him. Nub struck out boldly, and
made rapid way. The mate and Walter stood watching him.

"That black is indeed a first-rate swimmer," observed the mate. "Heaven
protect the brave fellow."

Nub, however, had not got more than two or three cable's lengths from
the whale when he was seen to turn, while he furiously beat the water
with his hands and feet, at the same time shouting out loudly.

"Oh, what are those black-looking things moving about on either side of
him?" exclaimed Walter.

"Those are sharks' fins," answered the mate. "He must have caught sight
of them; and he knows well that, should he get tired, they will attack
him."

"O poor Nub! poor Nub! Can he escape them?" exclaimed Walter, wringing
his hands and looking the picture of despair. "O Mr Shobbrok, can we
do nothing to save him?"

"We can only shout and try to frighten the sharks, as Nub is doing,"
answered the mate.

"Oh, I will do that," cried Walter; and he began to shriek and jump
frantically about in a way which made the mate begin to feel anxious on
his account: still Mr Shobbrok himself shouted at the top of his voice,
and then bethought him of cutting pieces of blubber and throwing them as
far away as possible, in order to attract the savage creatures and to
draw their attention off from the black. The plan seemed to succeed,
and several of them were seen to dash forward and spring out of the
water to catch the blubber before it reached the surface. Nub,