"'Hall right, skipper,' says Hammond; 'glad to see yer back haboard.
Make yerselves well at 'ome. 'Ow d' yer lose er in the first place?'

"The feller didn't seem to understand much of this, but he looked more
worried than ever. The crew looked frightened, and jabbered.

"'Ooman, senors,' says Whiskers, in half a whisper. 'Ooman, she here?'

"'Hammond,' says I, 'what's a ooman?' The feller seemed to be thinkin'
a minute; then he began to make signs. He pulled his nose down till it
most touched his chin. Then he put his hands to his ears and made loops
of his fingers to show earrings. Then he took off his coat and wrapped
it round his knees like make-b'lieve skirts. Hammond and me looked at
each other.

"''Edge,' says Hammond, ''e wants to know w'at's become of Lobelia
'Ankins.'

"'No, senor,' says I to the feller; 'ooman no here. Ooman there!' And I
p'inted in the direction of our island.

"Well, sir, you oughter have seen that Malay gang's faces light up! They
all bust out a grinning and laffing, and Whiskers fairly hugged me and
then Hammond. Then he made one of the Malays take the wheel instead of
me, and sent another one into the fo'castle after something.

"But I was curious, and I says, p'inting toward Lobelia's island:

"'Ooman your wife?'