l start out
with a population of over 500 natives, maybe a thousand."

"That's a metropolis for Alaska," agreed Eric.

"And, what's more," continued the young engineer, "they're going to give
the new town the name of 'Perry,' in honor of our skipper, as the
department said, for 'recognition of his heroic services at the time of
the eruption.'"

As soon as arrangements for the wintering of the homeless natives had
been completed, the _Bear_ returned to Unalaska and thence made one more
trip to Nome on business connected with the Federal Courts at that
place. Then, as winter was closing in, the Coast Guard cutter stood out
to sea up toward the Bering Straits, to await the outcoming of the
several vessels in the whaling fleet, and make sure of the safety of
every American sailor in the Arctic. The last of the whalers cleared the
straits on October 29, and on the following day the _Bear_ started on
her southerly course, leaving the Arctic to its annual eight months of
unvisited silence.

Eric had wondered a good deal what assignment or appointment he would
get for the winter. Great was his delight to find that both he and his
chum had been assigned to the _Miami_, and were to report for duty on
December tenth. The extra couple of days allowed him on the journey
across the continent gave the boy a chance to visit his relatives in San
Francisco, and he also managed it so that he took a short run up to
Detroit to see his family and to have a chat with his old friend, the
puzzle-maker.

He found the _Miami_ to be a beauty. Unlike the Bear, which depended as
much on sails as on steam, the _Miami_ was well-engined. Almost the
first thing that struck Eric when he came to go over her arrangements
was her unusually large coal and water capacity.

"No wonder she can stay out for months at a time on ice patrol, or
chasing up a derelict," said Eric; "she's got coal enough for a trip
around the world!"

"Wouldn't mind if she was going to," said Homer, with a grin.

Eric shook his head.

"Not for mine," he answered; "I've a notion there's enough going on
right around here. Anyhow, the Gulf of Mexico will feel good after a
norther like this," and he shivered in his uniform, for the wind was
nipping.

"How would it feel to be somewhere around Point Barrow now?" his friend
suggested.

"It might be all right if a fellow were used to it, and dressed for it.
At that, I don't believe I'd want to put in a whole winter up in that