“Not eggzac’ly,” replied the mate. “Onc’t in a while they sets ’em down ’mong the rocks, but jes’ as soon as they get scared or thinks the’s danger erbout they grabs their eggs an’ carries ’em erbout like ye seen.”
“An’ I’ll tell ye another queer thing erbout ’em,” he continued. “When the hen’s a-luggin’ of her egg erbout the ol’ man gits mighty jealous an’ if he can’t wheedle his mate into lettin’ him tote the egg part o’ the time, he jes’ picks out a nice round stone an’ carries that ’round as proud as a peacock. Queer chaps, the Penguins, and no fools, even ef we whalers does call ’em Jackasses.”
“Are the eggs good to eat?” asked Tom.
“Wall, I can’t say as they’re good,” replied the other, “thet is, ’longside o’ hens’ eggs. Jes’ the same they ain’t so bad an’ a heap better’n albatrosses’ or Molly Mokes’ eggs. We’ll fetch along them we’ve got, an’ ye can try ’em an’ see how ye like ’em, though I reckon if ye stays here fer a spell ye’ll have more than enough of ’em.”
“Oh, are we going to stay here?” cried Tom.
“Dunno,” replied Cap’n Pem, “Reckon ye’d have more fun here than stayin’ aboard the Hector an’ cruisin’ ’long over to t’other islan’s. Ain’t nothin’ to int’rest ye over there an’ the bark’s goin’ to take a run over to Punta Arenas like as not, an’ it ain’t no picnic beatin’ ’round the Horn an’ nothin’ much to see over to Punta Arenas. ’Sides your dad’s counted on me ter look after ye, an’ I dunno ’bout lettin’ ye go off without me.”
“Then you’re going to stay here!” cried Jim. “Of course, we’ll stay, too.”
“Wall, I reckon we’d better be gittin’ back aboard the ship and gittin’ a bit ter eat,” declared the whaleman. “The’s a heap to do an’ not too much time to do it in, even if we can work all night.”
As they walked towards the boat, the boys noticed that the herd of sea elephants had withdrawn for some distance from the men and that many of them had disappeared.
“Won’t all the elephants be frightened away by the men?” asked Tom.