boat.

But the whale-boat, half full of water, could no longer move with the
same facility. In this condition, how could it avoid the shock which
threatened it? If it could be no longer steered, there was still less
power to escape.

And besides, no matter how quickly the boat might be propelled, the
swift jubarte would have always overtaken it with a few bounds. It was
no longer a question of attack, but of defense.

Captain Hull understood it all.

The third attack of the animal could not be entirely kept off. In
passing she grazed the whale-boat with her enormous dorsal fin, but
with so much force that Howik was thrown down from his bench.

The three lances, unfortunately affected by the oscillation, this time
missed their aim.

"Howik! Howik!" cried Captain Hull, who himself had been hardly able to
keep his place.

"Present!" replied the boatswain, as he got up. But he then perceived
that in his fall his stern oar had broken in the middle.

"Another oar!" said Captain Hull.

"I have one," replied Howik.

At that moment, a bubbling took place under the waters only a few
fathoms from the boat.

The young whale had just reappeared. The jubarte saw it, and rushed
towards it.

This circumstance could only give a more terrible character to the
contest. The whale was going to fight for two.

Captain Hull looked toward the "Pilgrim." His hand shook the boat-hook,
which bore the flag, frantically.

What could Dick Sand do that had not been already done at the first
signal from the captain? The "Pilgrim's" sails were trimmed, and the
wind commenced to fill them. Unhappily the schooner did not possess a
helix, by which the action could be increased to sail faster.

To lower one of the boats, and, with the aid of the blacks, row to the
assistance of the captain, would be a considerable loss of time;
besides, the novice had orders not to quit the ship, no matter what
happened. However, he had the stern-boat lowered from its pegs, and
towed it along, so that the captain and his companions might take
refuge in it, in case of need.

At that moment the jubarte, covering the young whale with her body, had
returned to the charge. This time she turned in such a manner as to
reach the boat exactly.

"Attention, Howik!" cried Captain Hull, for the last time.

But the boatswain was, so to speak, disarmed. Instead of a lever, whose
length gave force, he only held in his hand an oar relatively short. He
tried to pu