“Kla-how-yah, tillicum!” he began.“Klosh-tum-tum, eh? Skookum! Skookum!”
Again the Aleut smiled in his distorted way, but whether or not he understood no one could tell.
“What did you say to him, John?” asked Jesse.
“Asked him how he was; told him that we were all pretty good friends, and that he had done mighty good work,” interpreted John, proudly.
“Well, it didn’t seem to do much good, anyhow,” said Rob. “But what shall we call him?”
“Call him Jimmy,” said Jesse. “He looks as though his name might be Jimmy as much as anything else.”
“All right!” agreed their leader. “Here, you, Jimmy, catch hold here! I’ll show you a better way of getting this hide up to camp than carrying it there.”
He motioned that they should put the hide on the deck of the bidarka, and in time this was done, although the great weight of the green hide, a load for two strong men, sunk the bidarka so deeply that half its deck was covered.
“Now get in, Jimmy,” ordered Rob, pointing to the rear hatch. The native stepped in lightly, paddle in hand, and showed his ability to handle the little craft, even heavily loaded as it now was. Rob pointed up the creek, but with a sudden sweep of his paddle the Aleut turned the other way and started for the sea.
“Quick, get the guns!” cried Rob. “Head him off across the bend!”