All at once his arm shot forward and the harpoon was launched. I heard the weapon collide resonantly, as if it had hit some hard substance. The electric light suddenly went out, and two enormous waterspouts crashed onto the deck of the frigate, racing like a torrent from stem to stern, toppling crewmen, breaking spare masts and yardarms from their lashings. A hideous collision occurred, and thrown over the rail with no time to catch hold of it, I was hurled into the sea. CHAPTER 7 A Whale of Unknown Species ALTHOUGH I WAS startled by this unexpected descent, I at least have a very clear recollection of my sensations during it. At first I was dragged about twenty feet under. I’m a good swimmer, without claiming to equal such other authors as Byron and Edgar Allan Poe, who were master divers, and I didn’t lose my head on the way down. With two vigorous kicks of the heel, I came back to the surface of the sea. My first concern was to look for the frigate. Had the crew seen me go overboard? Was the Abraham Lincoln tacking about? Would Commander Farragut put a longboat to sea? Could I hope to be rescued? The gloom was profound. I glimpsed a black mass disappearing eastward, where its running lights were fading out in the distance. It was the frigate. I felt I was done for. “Help! Help!” I shouted, swimming desperately toward the Abraham Lincoln. My clothes were weighing me down. The water glued them to my body, they were paralyzing my movements. I was sinking! I was suffocating . . . ! “Help!” This was the last shout I gave. My mouth was filling with water. I struggled against being dragged into the depths. . . . Suddenly my clothes were seized by energetic hands, I felt myself pulled abruptly back to the surface of the sea, and yes, I heard these words pronounced in my ear: “If master would oblige me by leaning on my shoulder, master will swim with much greater ease.” With one hand I seized the arm of my loyal Conseil. “You!” I said. “You!” “Myself,” Conseil replied, “and at master’s command.” “That collision threw you overboard along with me?” “Not at all. But being in master’s employ, I followed master.” The fine lad thought this only natural! “What about the frigate?” I asked. “The frigate?” Conseil replied, rolling over on his back. “I think master had best not depend on it to any great extent!” “What are you saying?” “I’m saying that just as I jumped overboard, I heard the men at the helm shout, ‘Our propeller and rudder are smashed!’ ” “Smashed?” “Yes, smashed by the monster’s tusk! I believe it’s the sole injury the Abraham Lincoln has sustained. But most inconveniently for us, the ship can no longer steer.” “Then we’re done for!” “Perhaps,” Conseil replied serenely. “However, we still have a few hours before us, and in a few hours one can do a great many things!”