“Bless my soul!” cried Captain Matthews. “And your name is—”
“John Ryder; while that of my lost boy, on whose account I am suffering the greatest anxiety, is Philip—Philip Ryder.”
“Yes, yes! my dear sir! I know him well, the young scamp! And you may instantly set your mind at rest concerning him. He is safe, sound, and hearty, not far from here—in a place from which he cannot possibly escape. Why! he was on board this very ship only a few days ago.”
“But where is he now?” asked Mr. Ryder, eagerly.
“Just over here on one of the Pribyloff Islands, where you will find him as snug as a bug in a rug; only I defy you to distinguish him from a dozen of the other young Aleuts there.”
“Then,” sighed the happily relieved but still anxious father, “he is still three hundred miles away from me.”
“Oh no! not so far as that. Barely two hundred and seventy. A mere step to one who, like yourself, has already covered such great distances in searching for him. You see, I know all about your fruitless trip to Victoria. But how on earth do you happen to be here, and in company with Rhubarb—Hartshorn—Plague take the man’s pharmaceutical name!”
“Perhaps you mean Jalap,” suggested Mr. Ryder, laughing for the first time in many days.
“Jalap! That is it—Jalap Coombs. But never mind now. Come down into the cabin and meet my daughter, and take dinner with us. You can’t imagine what a pleasure as well as a surprise this is to me. And we’ll have Jalap down too. Then all our yarns can be spliced together, and served, until there’s no sign of a break left. Mr. Nelson, will you kindly invite Mr. Coombs aboard, and in my name request the pleasure of his company at the cabin dinner-table. Let one of the men look after his boat. Now, Mr. Ryder, if you are ready.”
Thus it happened that, a few minutes later, the very cabin which had so recently received Phil and Serge into its cheery presence was occupied by a group of those friends who were most deeply interested in or had shared their adventures and experiences. Captain Matthews and Mr. John Ryder were equally pleased with each other, while Miss May found the unique personality of Jalap Coombs so fascinating that she devoted herself to drawing him out and making him feel at home.