rprise exhibited by Sailor Bill and the three mids confirmed the
wreckers in their belief that they were saving something of grand value;
for, in fact, had the block of sandstone been a monstrous nugget of
gold, the boy slaves could not have been more astonished at beholding
it.

Their behavior increased the ardor of the salvors in the pursuit in
which they were engaged, along with the envy of the rival party, who, by
the laws of the Saaeran coast, were not allowed to participate in their
toil.

The Krooman now endeavored to undeceive his master as to the value of
the "salvage,"--telling him that what their rivals were taking out of
the sunken ship was nothing but worthless stone.

But his statement was met with a smile of incredulity. Those engaged in
getting the ballast ashore regarded the Krooman's statements with equal
contempt. He was either a liar or a fool, and therefore unworthy of the
least attention. With this reflection they went on with their work.

After some time spent in reconsidering the subject, the old sheik called
the Krooman aside; and when out of hearing of the wreckers, asked him to
give an explanation of the real nature of what he himself persisted in
calling the "cargo" of the wreck,--as well as a true statement of its
value.

The slave did as he was desired; but the old sheik only shook his head,
once more declaring his incredulity.

He had never heard of a ship that did not carry a cargo of something
valuable. He thought that no men would be so stupid and foolish as to go
from one country to another in ships loaded only with worthless stones.

As nothing else in the shape of cargo was found aboard the wreck, the
stones must be of some value. So argued the Arab.

While the Krooman was trying to explain the real purpose for which the
stones had been placed in the hold of the vessel, one of the wreckers
came up and informed him that a white man was in one of their tents,
that he was ill, and wished to see and converse with the infidel slaves,
of whose arrival he had just heard.

The Krooman communicated this piece of intelligence to our adventurers;
and the tent that contained the sick white man having been pointed out
to them, they at once started towards it, expecting to see some
unfortunate countryman, who, like themselves, had been cast away on the
inhospitable shores of the Saaera.

CHAPTER LXV.

ANOTHER WHITE SLAVE.

On entering within the tent to which they had been d