him far from active.

"That's the way I taught 'em," he said, with a grim smile at Carey, who
nodded back, said nothing, but thought very deeply, his fancies taking
the direction of wondering whether the wretched tyrant would ever go too
far with his followers, and they would kill and eat him.

His thoughts took a fresh current directly, for the subject of them
shouted the one word, "Buckets!" and after making the boat fast the crew
came running with the buckets to where the beachcomber was now standing
examining the first tub, which happened to be the last filled, and he
growled, moved to the next, and then on and on to the last.

"Here you are, Jack; this first."

The black fellow nodded, looked in the tub, and then as if quite at home
at the work, picked up the great bamboo lying ready for the purpose and
set two of his followers to give all the other tubs a good stir-up, the
result being a most horrible odour of such extent that, but for the
breeze blowing and their getting on the windward side, it would have
been unbearable.

But it had not the slightest effect upon the beachcomber, who stood
looking on while Black Jack and a companion heaved together and tried to
overturn the oldest tub, but without result.

A yell to the other two brought them up, and with their aid the tub of
malodorous thick water was gradually overturned, and the foul water
poured off, to sink at once into the thirsty sand.

"Hold hard," cried the beachcomber, when the bottom was nearly reached.
"Water."

Three black fellows ran off with a bucket each and returned to Jack, who
poured one in and gave it a swirl round, handed the bucket to be
refilled, allowed the contents of the tub to settle, and then began to
pour out the top very gently.

Carey was so intensely interested that for the time being he forgot his
painful position.

"I say," he cried, "these black chaps have done this sort of thing
before."

"Hundreds of times," growled their chief, and then he was silent, while
even the doctor began to feel that his eagerness to see the contents of
the tub was mastering his misery and disappointment that the pearls
should fall into such hands.

So they watched till half a dozen buckets had been severally poured in
and emptied out, and then there was a hoarse chuckle from the
beachcomber.

"I'll forgive yer," he growled. "You aren't done so badly for me.
That's a nice take o' pearls, and there's some fine big uns among 'em.
Up