rging the submerged hulk.

They advanced to the water's edge, taking along with them a long rope
that had been found attached to the spars. At one end of this rope they
had made a running noose, which was made fast to a man, who swam out
with it to the distance of about a hundred yards.

The swimmer then dived out of sight. He had gone below to visit the
wreck, and attached the rope to a portion of the cargo.

A minute after his head was seen above the surface, and a shout was sent
forth. Some of his companions on the beach now commenced hauling in the
rope, the other end of which had been left in their hands.

When the noose was pulled ashore, it was found to embrace a large block
of sandstone weighing about twenty-five or thirty pounds!

The Krooman had already informed Harry Blount and his companions of
something he had learned from the conversation of the wreckers; and the
three mids had been watching with considerable interest the movements of
the diver and his assistants.

When the block of sandstone was dragged up on the beach they stared at
each other with expressions of profound astonishment.

No wonder: the wreckers were employed in clearing the ballast out of a
sunken ship!

What could be their object? Our adventurers could not guess. Nor,
indeed, could the wreckers themselves have given a good reason for
undergoing such an amount of ludicrous labour.

Why they had not told the old sheik what sort of cargo they were saving
from the wreck, was because they had no certain knowledge of its value,
or what in reality it was they were taking so much time and trouble to
get safely ashore.

As they believed that the white slaves must have a perfect knowledge of
the subject upon which they were themselves so ignorant, they closely
scanned the countenances of the latter as the block of the ballast was
drawn out upon the dry sand.

They were rewarded for their scrutiny.

The surprise 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 behaviour increased the ardour of the salvers in the pursuit in
which the were engaged, along with the envy of the rival party; who, by
the laws of the Saaran coast, were not allowed to participate in their
toil.

The Krooman now endeavoured t