They advanced toward the intruder, who stood up, grinning and showing a
set of very white teeth. He was an Aleut boy about twelve years of age,
short and squat, with stringy, dark hair. He was clad in a smock, or
jacket, of sea-parrot feathers, which came down to his seal-skin boots.
In one hand he held a short spear, in the other several thongs to which
were attached bits of ivory. He seemed not in the least alarmed, but, on
the contrary, much disposed to be friendly.
"_Karosha!_" called out John to him. "All right, all right, all right!"
John seemed to pick up easily the expressions which the Aleuts used and
understood.
Hesitatingly, but still smiling, the boy joined them, and walked with
them over toward the bear hides, where he stood looking down. At last,
as they resumed their work at the hides, he himself squatted down, and
taking out his own knife--a mere bit of steel bound around at the end
with rags and hide for a handle--he also began to scrape away. So much
greater was his skill than theirs that at last he smiled at their
awkwardness. For the time he made no attempt at any kind of speech, and
answered no questions in regard to his people. At last, as Jesse
departed to the top of the sea-wall to learn what was going on along the
beach, he began to jabber and attempt to make some signs. John guessed
that he meant to say that in a couple of days the whale would come
ashore; that then his people would build fires and eat.
"Maybe he'd like to eat a little himself," concluded John. "Suppose we
try him on some bear meat."
Their offer seemed very acceptable to the Aleut boy, who in a very
matter-of-fact way began to hunt around in the grass for fuel and to
prepare to make a fire, which latter he did with skilful use of one of
the few matches which he kept dry in a membrane pouch in an inner
pocket.
"He's camped out before," said Rob. "It looks as though he had adopted
us. Maybe he likes the look of our meat-rack better than he does the
prospect of waiting over there for the whale to come ashore."
The young Aleut put his pieces of bear meat on sticks, which he stuck up
near the fire; and while they were broiling he himself ran over toward
the beach, presently reappearing with some dark-looking stuff in his
hands, which he offered his friends, making signs that it was good to
eat.
"Smoked breast of wild goose," commented John, smacking his lips. "It's
good, too. I wouldn't mind having some more of that."
Whether or not the boy understood it was impossible to say; but all at
once he began to flop his arms up and down, quacking and honking in
imitation of wild fowl. He pointed to a spot far up at the head of the
lagoon, and then, picking up his bunch of thongs and ivory balls,
whirled them around his head.
Rob's eyes kindled.
"We can't afford to use rifle ammunition to shoot birds, but if we can
get this boy to go along on a goose-hunt we may have a new sort of fun,
and maybe get some game."
The young Aleut showed no disposition to return to his own people, and
when at length, after they had all eaten heartily, the three friends
turned toward the door of the barabbara, he followed them as though he
had been invited.
"What are we going to do with this boy?" asked Jesse. "He acts as if he
belonged here."
"Maybe he does," said John. "I saw him talking to the old chief, and
maybe he's his son. I have more than half a guess that the old man does
own this house, anyhow."
As the sun began to sink toward the horizon a wind arose and dark clouds
overspread the sky.
"I don't blame the boy for wanting to stay here where he will be dry. If
I'm not mistaken, we are going to have rain and plenty of it. Meantime,
we might as well turn in and go to sleep," added Rob.
He motioned the young Aleut to the blankets which Jimmy had abandoned,
and the latter, without ado, curled himself up on them. The others,
tired enough, followed his example, and for that night at least they did
not trouble themselves to keep any watch. Perhaps they had never had
greater cause for vigilance, but their anxiety was lost in the bodily
weariness which came over them after so many stirring incidents.