eply. "The killer has the best of the big
fellow," and the sailor quickly explained how the smaller killer
fish, by the peculiarity of its attack, and its great ferocity,
often bested its larger antagonist.

The battle was now at its height, and Tom and the others were
interested spectators. At times neither of the big creatures could
be seen, because of the smother of foam in which they rolled and
threshed about. The whale endeavored to sound, or go to the bottom,
but the killer stuck to him relentlessly.

Suddenly, however, as Tom looked, the whale, by a stroke of his
broad tail, momentarily stunned his antagonist. Instantly realizing
that he was free the great creature, which was about ninety feet
long, darted away, swimming on the surface of the water, for he
needed to get all the air possible.

Quickly acquiring momentum, the whale came on like a locomotive,
spouting at intervals, the vapor from the blowholes looking not
unlike steam from some submarine boat.

"He looks to be heading this way," remarked Mr. Durban to Tom.

"He is," agreed the young inventor, "but I guess he'll dive before
he gets here. He only wants to get away from the killer. Look, the
other one is swimming this way, too!"

"Bless my harpoon, but he sure is!" called Mr. Damon. "They'll renew
the fight near here."

But he was mistaken, for the killer, after coming a little distance
after the whale, suddenly turned, hesitated for a moment, and then
disappeared in the depths of the ocean.

The whale, however, continued to come on, speeding through the water
with powerful strokes. There was an uneasy movement among some of
the passengers.

"Suppose he strikes the ship," suggested one woman.

"Nonsense! He couldn't," said her husband.

"The old man had better get under way, just the same," remarked a
sailor near Tom, as he looked up at the bridge where the captain was
standing.

The "old man," or commander, evidently thought the same thing, for,
after a glance at the oncoming leviathan, which was still headed
directly for the vessel, he shoved the lever of the telegraph signal
over to "full speed ahead."

Hardly had he done so than the whale sank from sight.

"Oh, I'm so glad!" exclaimed the woman who had first spoken of the
possibility of the whale hitting the ship, "I am afraid of those
terrible creatures."

"They're as harmless as a cow, unless they get angry," said her
husband.

Slowly the great ship began to move through th