Page:Barbour--Joan of the ilsand.djvu/294

282 raid by the blacks. Keith now stuck it on one of the crates, and for half an hour the trio weighed up the possibilities of the future. The question of ways and means was a serious one, and there were many questions with which Chester bombarded Keith.

"Well, beggars can't be choosers," the planter mused, "and we're in no position to dictate terms. We should have been stuck entirely but for your idea of getting someone in Sydney to give us a start. It's like working on borrowed capital, though, and that's always a great handicap. But needs must when the devil drives."

The candle was burning low. Another inch of it only remained, and the breeze through the open door and windows was causing it to gutter.

Suddenly, while thoughtfully poking the tobacco in the bowl of his pipe with his finger, Chester uttered an exclamation of amazement and thrust his head forward as he stared at the dwindling candle.

Gradually detaching itself from the half melted wax was a small round object. Chester put out his hand, but before he could reach the thing it had dropped on to the box and lay there.

"One of the missing pearls!" said Chester in a queer voice.

Picking up the stump of candle, he prodded into it with a match, and extracted another pearl from the soft substance.