esque that the
captain came near going into convulsions. But the exercise was too
exhausting, and the mate speedily sat down on the shore and also began
opening oysters. His ardor was somewhat dampened when he failed to
discover anything in the first, and he became quite solemn when the
second was equally barren of results; but the third yielded a
beautiful pearl, fully equal to the first which the captain brought
forth. There could be no doubt now that the men had struck a pearl
bank of marvelous richness.

"There are plenty more down there," said the mate, preparing to
descend with his knife and basket again.

Captain Bergen allowed him to go, while he took the rope in hand,
restraining his excitement with difficulty, for he was now sure that
the wildest dreams in which he had indulged promised to be more than
realized, and he considered the fortune of himself and friend
assured.

"The fools," he muttered, referring to the mutineers; "if they had
acted the part of honest men they might have shared this, but they
chose to be scoundrels, and truly they have had their reward."

He noticed this time that the mate drew more upon the hose than
before--so much so, indeed, that he threatened to draw the upper ends
under water--and the captain gave a warning tug at the rope, to
apprise him that he must venture no further. The warning was heeded,
and when, a few minutes later, the diver was helped to terra firma
again, his basket was filled heaping full.

This was dumped out, and he prepared to descend once more. Captain
Bergen was so occupied in attending to his friend that he gained
little time to open the oysters, and could only look longingly at
them. Now and then, while the diver was cautiously working below, the
captain snatched one up and pried the shells apart, and the success he
met with was enough to turn the head of the coolest and most
unconcerned of men. Beyond question, as we have said, the bank
contained oysters of astonishing richness, fully three-fourths
possessing pearls of extraordinary size and value.

Abe Storms went down and came up with the basket heaped to the top six
separate times, and then doffed his armor.

"What's the matter?" asked the captain, in surprise.

"That's all!"

"What! are there no more?"

"Not another one, so far as I can see."

"That's too bad," observed the captain, in a tone of disappointment.
"I supposed there was enough to keep us employed several days."

"Ah, Jack