The old man chuckled. “Ain’t got none,” he replied. “Jes’ lay their eggs ’mongst the rocks.”
“Well, it’s funny we haven’t seen any, then,” said Jim. “We’ve been walking about watching the birds and none of them acted as if they were sitting.”
“Wall, that’s where they fooled ye,” laughed Cap’n Pem. “Ye may think they’re mighty stupid-lookin’ critters, but they ain’t. Jes’ look here.”
With a quick dash, the old whaleman seized two of the penguins, and to the boys’ astonishment, held up two big blue-green eggs.
“Well, of all things,” exclaimed Tom. “Where on earth did you get those eggs?”
“Jes’ ketch one o’ ’em an’ I’ll show ye,” replied the old whaleman.
Following his tactics, the two boys managed to capture three of the birds.
“Now jes’ look at their feet,” said Pem. “See how they’re a-holdin’ of ’em up against their bellies?”
Wonderingly the boys forced apart the birds’ big, flat, webbed feet, and to their surprise, discovered that each bird was holding an egg between its feet and the thick feathers of a loose fold of skin on the abdomen.
“That’s the funniest thing I ever saw,” declared Jim. “Why, these birds must go hopping about holding their eggs all the time.”