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The Fur-Seal's Tooth: A Story of Alaskan Adventure

Chapter 2: ALASKA
By Kirk Munroe
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About This Book

The narrative follows two young companions who journey from the Pacific coast to the Alaskan and Bering Sea region seeking adventure in sealing and the fur trade. They take part in hunts, face storms, shipwreck, and narrow escapes; encounter Aleut islanders, hunters, and revenue cutters; suffer captivity and loss; and confront ethical questions about the brutal killing of mother-seals. Episodes of drifting, rescue, and legal pursuit test their seamanship and character, while friendships, loyalty, and practical resourcefulness help them endure. The book blends action, frontier craft, and moral reflection on human and animal life in a remote maritime setting.

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Title: The Fur-Seal's Tooth: A Story of Alaskan Adventure

Author: Kirk Munroe

Illustrator: W. A. Rogers

Release date: December 31, 2018 [eBook #58577]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FUR-SEAL'S TOOTH: A STORY OF ALASKAN ADVENTURE ***

THE FUR-SEAL’S TOOTH

A Story of Alaskan Adventure

BY

KIRK MUNROE

AUTHOR OF
“DORYMATES” “CAMPMATES” “CANOEMATES”
“RAFTMATES” ETC.

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK AND LONDON

HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS

Books for Boys by

KIRK MUNROE

(Harper’s Young People Series)

Wakulla: a story of adventure in Florida.
The Flamingo Feather: a story of the West.
Derrick Sterling: a story of the mines.
Chrystal, Jack & Co., and Delta Bixby.

Illustrated. Cloth, 16mo. 60 cents each.

THE “MATES” SERIES

Raftmates: a story of the Mississippi.
Dorymates: a tale of the Fishing Banks.
Campmates: a story of the Plains.
Canoemates: a story of the Florida Everglades.

Illustrated. Post 8vo. $1.25 each.

Set of 4 volumes in box, $5.00.

THE “PACIFIC COAST” SERIES

The Fur-Seal’s Tooth: a story of Alaskan adventure.
Snow-shoes and Sledges: a sequel to “The Fur-Seal’s Tooth.”
Rick Dale: a story of the Northwest coast.
The Painted Desert: a story of Northern Arizona.

Illustrated. Post 8vo. $1.25 each.

Set of 4 volumes in box, $5.00.

KIRK MUNROE’S LATEST STORIES

For the Mikado: a story of the Russo-Japanese War.
The Blue Dragon: a story of recent adventures in China.
“Forward, March!”: a tale of the Spanish-American War.
The Copper Princess: a story of the Great Lakes.

Illustrated. Post 8vo. $1.25 each.

HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK

Copyright, 1894, by Harper & Brothers.

All rights reserved.

ALASKA

A land of rock, dipped in the brine
 Like a brown finger pointing toward the west
        *       *       *       *       *
 The little craft flies fast to the fair bay
 Whose waters kiss the feet of Sitka town

H. E. H.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I. Phil and Serge 1
II. Winning the Prize 8
III. An Undesirable Acquaintance 15
IV. Across the Continent 22
V. Five Bull’s-eyes in Six Shots 28
VI. Phil’s Sad Predicament 36
VII. The Value of a True Friend 43
VIII. One Result of Good Shooting 49
IX. Introducing “Old Kite Roberson” 56
X. Phil Discovers What He Is 62
XI. Seals and Seal-skins 68
XII. Captain Duff’s Shrewdness 75
XIII. The First Seal-hunt 81
XIV. Overboard in the North Pacific 88
XV. Phil Becomes “High Line” 94
XVI. A Venture into Forbidden Waters 101
XVII. Cruel Killing of Mother-seals 107
XVIII. Chased by a Revenue-cutter 113
XIX. Castaways on Oonimak 119
XX. Brimstone and Feathers 125
XXI. Luxury on a Desolate Aleutian Island 132
XXII. How Jalap Coombs Got His Name 139
XXIII. Kooga the Aleut, and His Bidarkie 145
XXIV. A Double Watch for Schooners 151
XXV. Hunting the Sea-otter 158
XXVI. Serge Kills a Bear, and Jalap Coombs Disappears 165
XXVII. Phil Sees Himself as Others See Him 171
XXVIII. Phil and Serge as Prisoners of War 178
XXIX. A Cruise on a Bering Sea Cutter 185
XXX. The Third Lieutenant’s Humiliating Position 192
XXXI. Where is the Centre of the United States? 199
XXXII. Why the Cutter Departed without Her Passengers 206
XXXIII. In Hot Pursuit 213
XXXIV. Mr. John Ryder’s Story 220
XXXV. Jalap Coombs’s Philosophy 227
XXXVI. Lost and Drifting in Bering Sea 234
XXXVII. Saved by a Miracle 241
XXXVIII. Japonski’s Temptation and the Fur-trader’s Offer 248
XXXIX. Serge Recovers a Bit of Lost Property 255
XL. A Prospect of Snow-shoes and Sledges 262

ILLUSTRATIONS

“‘THE FUR-SEAL’S TOOTH!’ HE CRIED” Frontispiece
ALASKA AND BEHRING SEA Facing p. 1
“IT WAS THE IVORY TOOTH OF A FUR-SEAL” ” 8
“‘I SAID IF YOU SPOKE TO ME AGAIN I WOULD KNOCK YOU DOWN’” ” 26
“YES! IT WAS A—GENUINE HAIDA DUGOUT” Page 30
“‘IT IS PHILIP RYDER OR HIS GHOST!’” Facing p. 40
PHIL SIGNED THE ARTICLE WITHOUT READING IT ” 54
ALASKAN HALIBUT HOOK Page 67
“HE FOUND A BAILER, WITH WHICH HE SET VIGOROUSLY TO WORK” Facing p. 78
“THE EYES OF ALL THREE SEARCHED THE WATERS INCESSANTLY” ” 86
“JUST THEN A SECOND GUN WAS FIRED BY THE PURSUER” ” 110
“THE LIGHT CRAFT SHOT AWAY UP THE STRAIT” ” 148
“AFTER LONG AND PAINFUL STALKING PHIL SHOT TWO SEA-LIONS” ” 162
“‘DAUGHTER, ALLOW ME TO PRESENT MY FRIEND, MR. PHILIP RYDER’” ” 178
“EVERY TIME HE ATTEMPTED TO RISE THEY PROMPTLY KNOCKED HIM DOWN” ” 196
JALAP AND PHIL’S FATHER HEAR BAD NEWS FROM THE BOYS ” 228
“‘WHITE MEN, AS I SAID; AND AMERICANS, I’LL BE BOUND!’” ” 246

ALASKA AND BEHRING SEA