“You see, boys,” began Jalap Coombs, after it was certain that the Seamew had been captured, “as my friend old Kite Roberson uster say, ‘I ain’t no pig in a poke.’ Not that I’ve ever got onto the exact bearings of a ‘poke’; but nigh as I can make out, it’s some turrible dark place like a ship’s hold with the hatches battened down, or maybe a tomb. Anyhow, I haven’t been in the dark all this time so much as Cap’n Duff thought I was. He ’lowed he was the only navigator ’boardship, while I ’lowed there was two of us. So, while he kep’ his log, I likewise kep’ mine. Now, ’cording to my reckoning, we are not, at this blessed minute, more’n fifty mile from the island of Oonimak, with a breeze that’s coming on a gale blowing dead for it. If we choose, we can make it inside of six hours, and I reckon we’ll make it anyway, sooner or later, whether we choose or no, ef this wind holds. There is water there and maybe something to eat, both of which is wanting with us at the present time.”
“There are seal-skins there too,” interrupted Serge.
“Sartain there is, lad, and I was meaning to have fetched ’em on the next tack. Now the question is, who owns them seal-skins, and what shall be did with ’em? Ef they is left where they be too long, they’ll spile. Ef the natyves finds ’em they’ll be stole. Ef they stays there till Cap’n Duff can come for them, they’ll be spiled. Ef the gover’ment finds ’em, they’ll be confiskercated, though being took in the open sea they ain’t in no ways liable. Ef we find ’em, we’ll save ’em and make good use of ’em. A part of ’em belongs to us, anyway, and the rest would naturally be ours by the right of salvage ef we saved ’em from destruction. So now I leaves it to you two ef our best plan ain’t to clap sail onto this little packet, head her for Oonimak Island, do the best we can with our seal-skins, and afterwards shape our course ’cording to sarcumstances?”
Both lads agreed that they could suggest no better plan of action than this, whereupon the mate remarked that “them was his sentiments and likewise old Kite Roberson’s, who uster say, ‘When ye sight a good thing, keep your eye on it; if not, what’s the use of eyes?’”
So the whale-boat’s sail was hoisted, she was got before the wind, and on the fierce breath of the rising gale she was whirled away like an autumn leaf in the direction of Oonimak Island.
So strongly did the gale blow by the time the day was half spent, and with such prodigious leapings did the light boat spring from crest to crest of the leaden seas, that every ounce of Jalap Coombs’s strength and every atom of his skill were necessary to her safe steering and to keeping her from being swamped. While he stood up in the stern in order to get a better purchase on his long steering-oar, the lads, crouched in the boat’s bottom amidship in order to steady her as much as possible, were obliged to devote most of their time to bailing. In spite of their thick clothing and oil-skins, the damp chill of the wind penetrated to the bone, and they were drenched by incessant showers of flying spray.
After six hours of this terribly exciting and arduous sailing, all hands began to look anxiously for a break in the fog, and strained their eyes for some glimpse of the land they felt sure must be near at hand. At length, in a momentary lift, they caught sight of Shishaldin’s snowy cone, and knew that Jalap Coombs had indeed brought them to Oonimak. Now they heard the roar of breakers, though they could see nothing of the coast against which these were so furiously thundering. To keep on seemed suicidal; while to either halt or retreat in the face of the furious gale now raging was impossible.
A warning cry from Phil, a mighty sweep of Jalap Coombs’s steering-oar, and their cockle-shell swerved from a jagged rock against which the hissing waves were churned to a yeasty froth. Their tremendous speed was apparent as they swept by this mark so swiftly that in a moment it was again swallowed by the mist, and had vanished behind them.
“If we can only have the luck to strike a beach,” said Serge, though his words were unheard save by himself.
“Hold hard! and stand by!” shouted Jalap Coombs, as with set face and unflinching gaze he stared through the gray thickness at a line of leaping white, behind which was a dim background of land. “We’re close in now, and she’ll strike in another minute! When she does, then jump and run for your lives. Look out!”