“And wearing that kamleika,” continued Serge.
“That’s so! I forgot I had it on. One of the hunters gave it to me the day I got my first otter and presented it to them. You’d better believe that takes careful shooting! It was the finest work I ever did, and you ought to have seen those fellows’ eyes stick out. I’ve brought a skin with me, too. By-the-way, did you know the schooner had gone back?”
“I should rather say I did,” replied Serge. “She came past the day after you left. I managed to attract their attention, and in spite of the sea they got a boat ashore. Of course, I was awfully disappointed to find that you were not on board, and felt worse when they said they hadn’t seen anything of you. They offered to take me to Oonalaska, but of course I wouldn’t go. They couldn’t stop to go around the island after the seal-skins either, because they were under charter to leave Oonalaska almost immediately for Sitka. So—”
“For Sitka!” groaned Phil.
“Yes. Isn’t it too bad! So I traded a bear-skin with them for some groceries, and they went on.”
“A bear-skin!” exclaimed the other. “Where on earth did you get a bear-skin?”
“Killed the bear,” answered Serge, coolly.
“But you hadn’t any gun.”
“Didn’t need one. I killed him with my knife. You see he got at my halibut the very first night. Hearing the noise, I went down and tried to drive him away by throwing rocks. One of them must have hit him and made him mad, for he took after me, and I ran back to the tent. He followed altogether too close for comfort, and when I went through it and out the back way he tried to do the same. Somehow he managed to knock out the poles, bring the tent down about his ears, and get all tangled up in it. You better believe he was furious, and the way he growled and snarled and tore round was a caution. I saw that it was my only chance, so I went for him with my knife, and finally killed him, though he tore my clothing some while I was doing it.”