happened?" asked the captain in bewilderment. "Is--is
that monster gone?"

"Completely gone!" cried Mr. Damon. "Bless my powder horn, Tom, but
I knew you could do it!"

"Is that a new kind of whale gun, firing an explosive bullet?"
inquired the commander, as he came down off the bridge and shook
hands with Tom. "If it is, I'd like to buy one. We may be rammed
again by another whale."

"This is my new, electric rifle," explained the young inventor
modestly, "and it fires wireless charges of electricity instead of
bullets. I'm sorry I can't let you have it, as it's the only one I
have. But I guess no more whales will ram us. That one was evidently
crazed by the attack of the killer, and doubtless took us for
another of its enemies."

Sailors and passengers crowded around Tom, eager to shake his hand,
and to hear about the gun. Many declared that he had saved the ship.

This was hardly true, for the whale could not have kept up its
attacks much longer. Still he might have done serious damage, by
causing a leak, and, while the Soudalar was a stanch craft, with
many water-tight compartments, still no captain likes to be a week
from land with a bad leak, especially if a storm comes up. Then,
too, there was the danger of a panic among the passengers, had the
attacks been kept up, so, though Tom wanted to make light of his
feat, the others would not let him.

"You're entitled to the thanks of all on board," declared Captain
Wendon, "and I'll see that the owners hear of what you did. Well, I
guess we can go on, now. I'll not stop again to see a fight between
a killer and a whale."

The steamer resumed her way at full speed, and the sailor, who had
gone below, came up to report that there was only a slight leak,
which need not cause any uneasiness.

Little was talked of for the next few days but the killing of the
whale, and Tom had to give several exhibitions of his electric
rifle, and explain its workings. Then, too, the story of his
expedition became known, and also the object of Mr. Anderson's
quest, and Tom's offer of aid to help rescue the missionaries, so
that, altogether, our hero was made much of during the remainder of
the voyage.

"Well, if your gun will do that to a whale, what will it do to an
elephant?" asked Mr. Durban one morning, when they were within a
day's steaming of their port. "I'm afraid it's almost too strong,
Tom. It will leave nothing--not even the tusks to pick up."

"Oh, I can regulate