“It ain’t no name for it, marm—that is to say, miss. He is a ‘hunks’ if ever there was one, and so I up and told him. He said he didn’t believe I had any seal-skins, but just wanted to get his schooner for a poaching cruise in the sea. While I was thus jibing and filling without making an inch of headway, a Dutch steamer come in, and I offered the skins to him to go and fetch the boys back to Oonalaska; but the Dutchman was suspicious, like the rest of ’em, and said he was in a hurry to get to St. Michael’s, which, of course, I knowed the boys wouldn’t want to go there, anyway, seeing as it would make ’em wuss off than ever.
“Finally, when I was wellnigh desperate and at the end of my cable, the Sitka steamer came in, and I went aboard to see what I could do with her cap’n. There I run across the very Mr. Ryder what sits facing of me at this minute, who, when he heard me say as my name were Coombs, speaks up quick and sez, ‘Jalap?’ and I sez, ‘Jalap it is.’ Then he sez, fierce-like, ‘Where’s my boy?’ With that I knowed for the fust time who he was, and I sez, ‘Don’t ask me, Mr. Ryder, but count on me to help ye find him, for,’ sez I, ‘I’m as bound as you be to do it, ef it takes every seal-skin I’m wuth.’
“That same day we had the Philomeel chartered for cash, with me in as cap’n, and was cracking sail on to her for this blessed island of Oonimak. We made port in fine style, with our flag a-flying, and would have fired off our kerosene stove, only we didn’t have any. But it warn’t no use. There wasn’t nary soul in sight, nor hasn’t been from that day to this. The seal-skins was gone, too, and it’s my opinion that blooming Dutchman come along and shanghaied ’em.”
“No, he didn’t,” laughed Captain Matthews. “I seized them in the name of the United States, and they are in the hold of this very ship at this very minute.”
“Wal,” said Jalap Coombs, with a comical air of resignation, “ef government’s got ’em ’tain’t no use, and I might as well do like old Kite Roberson said. He uster say, ‘Jalap, my son, let by-goners be by-goners, and never waste time in fretting over lost fish.’”
[CHAPTER XXXIV]
MR. JOHN RYDER’S STORY
When the mate had thus finished his yarn, Captain Matthews turned to Mr. Ryder and said: “Now, sir, that Mr. Coombs has so satisfactorily explained his own movements since he was last heard from, perhaps you will have the kindness to relate your own experiences while in pursuit of your elusive son.”
“I will do so with pleasure,” replied Mr. Ryder, “provided that you will afterwards tell us how you discovered the lads, and how it happens that they are now at the Pribyloffs.”