ith a sneer.

"Yes, or pearls," said Griggs, and the boys both burst out laughing
heartily.

Ned's tide of ill-humour had turned.

"Got me?" said Griggs gravely. "I say, you are clever ones!"

"Well, I like to hear you make a blunder sometimes, Griggs. You often
have the laugh at us; now we've got one at you."

"Yes, you are clever ones," said the American grimly, "but you're wrong
this time. You're both grinning and looking at one another as much as
to say, Hark at old Griggs! He's forgotten that pearls come out of
oysters and oysters live in the sea."

"Of course," cried the boys together.

"Yes, of course, and I don't know that there mayn't be fossil oyster
shells somewhere about here with pearls still in them. I've seen shells
sometimes looking quite pearly inside though they've been buried in rock
no end of time. You didn't hear your father say only day before
yesterday that all this salt desert land must at one time have been the
bottom of the sea. What do you say to that?"

"Oh!" said Chris thoughtfully, and Ned pushed his broad-leaved hat a
little on one side so as to scratch his ear.

"You're right, though, after all, about lions and tigers, and so was I.
Only they're American lions and tigers--pumas and jaguars, and pumas
without any manes, and jaguars with spots instead of stripes. Wait a
bit, and we shall come upon some of them. Not here, though; it's not
likely sort of country for them, but there's mountain land yonder
piled-up higher than we shall be able to take our mustangs and mules.
We shall find watercourses soon, and that means trees and grass and
quite a different climate. The sort of place where we're quite likely
to find Uncle Ephraim at home."

"What, grizzly bear?" cried Chris excitedly.

"That's the gentleman," replied Griggs; "and as like as not after
crossing a ridge or two we may come upon buffalo."

"What, in the mountains?"

"Perhaps. More likely in the plains. There, don't you chaps grumble
any more. Your fathers have got quite enough to think about without
having to talk to you about being a little more plucky and patient."

"Yes, I know," cried Chris, wincing; "we're only grumbling to you."

"Oh, then I don't matter?"

"Not a bit. You're such a good-tempered, patient chap, and you seem
like one of us. But I say, Griggs, do you really think we are going to
find a change in the country soon?"

"Certain."

"Oh come, that's better! We have had enough o