Barradas, Warner, and the Greek joined them, and watched the shells
being opened. The first contained two very large pearls, but their
value was greatly discounted by their irregular shape, but even these
were worth 30 pounds or 35 pounds each; the remaining two were then
opened, and an eager "Ah--ah!" of delight burst from Rawlings when
there was revealed in each a pearl of exquisite beauty and shape, and
of great size.

"In Tahiti a local buyer would offer you a hundred pounds each for
pearls such as these," said Barry, as after wiping them with his
handkerchief he handed them over to the captain; "in Auckland or
Singapore you would be offered more." Then, apparently no further
interested in the subject, he went to his cabin to change his clothes
for supper.

On the following Saturday--ten days after diving operations had
commenced--the men, at Barry's request, were given three full days'
liberty. Some of them wanted to make a fishing excursion, others to
hunt for robber crabs at night-time on the adjoining islets, others to
attend to the _puraka_[1] plantations of the deserted village. And as
Barry himself thought, he said, that he might shoot a wild pig or two,
he decided to remain on shore until the following Monday with the men.

Rawlings, whose whole soul was in the work of searching for the pearls,
did not offer to accompany him, much to Barry's satisfaction, for he
had a certain object in view. He had himself taken possession of the
best of the native houses in the deserted village, and Joe and Velo had
put it in good order, and were to share it with him at night.

At sunset Barry and his men left the brig and rowed ashore, and as soon
as they landed, the natives, at a word from Velo, lopped off the
lateral branches of a tall pandanus palm, and collecting numbers of
fallen and dried coco-palm branches built them into a pyramidal shape
from the foot of the tree to its top.

"Light it," said Barry.

Velo struck a match, and applied it to the base of the pyramid. In an
instant it flared up, and in a few minutes a great pillar of fire was
roaring and crackling, sending showers of sparks high in air, and
lighting up the shore and lagoon for a mile around.

Rawlings and the others, who were examining pearls under cover of the
poop awning, by the aid of half a dozen lanterns, took but little
notice.

"They mean to enjoy themselves to-night," said Rawlings. "Well, they
deserve to, they are working