get all the disagreeableness of
the work upon which I was engaged, and to stimulate my curiosity to its
highest pitch. Accordingly I proceeded with zest, and within an hour
had secured a round dozen of good-sized pearls--although none of them
approached the first in size--together with a sufficient quantity of
smaller pearls to fill about one-third of an ordinary half-pint tumbler.
Nor was this first hour of mine an exceptionally fortunate one, for
when we knocked off work at the end of the day my total find amounted to
no less than one hundred and seven pearls, ranging in size from half an
inch in diameter up to a monster that measured just over an inch and a
quarter, while of smaller gems I had more than sufficient to fill two
tumblers. And when we all came to compare notes together upon our
return on board I found that I was by no means the most fortunate one of
the party, the skipper's total and those of three of the forecastle
hands considerably exceeding mine in quantity.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

THE "KINGFISHER" OF NANTUCKET.

It was on the third day of our repulsive work among the decaying oysters
that the expected happened. We were all assiduously at work as usual,
groping with our fingers among the rotting fish for the sudden sensation
of hardness which proclaimed the presence of the gems, when one of the
party, straightening himself up for a moment to take the kinks out of
his backbone, let out a sudden yell of: "Sail ho!"

"Where away?" demanded the skipper, starting to his feet and staring
about him; and in a moment all hands of us were standing up and
following the "Old Man's" example. There was no need for a reply to the
skipper's question, for we had but to look to see the stranger
instantly--a topsail-schooner, about five miles distant, coming up from
the southward, close-hauled, under a press of sail.

Brown stood staring intently at her for a full minute or more; then he
shouted:

"Yes, that's the gol-darned _Kingfisher_, right enough, ne'er a doubt of
it! All hands to the boat, and let's get off to the _Marthy_. I
wouldn't be a bit surprised if that Slocum and his crowd tries to make
trouble when they find us here before 'em."

"Why do you think so, Captain?" demanded Cunningham. "Surely there are
enough oysters here for both of us, aren't there?"

"Well, yes, I reckon there are," agreed Brown, somewhat doubtfully.
"But I guess Slocum won't think so; he'll want the whole blamed lot."

I