Page:Barbour--Joan of the ilsand.djvu/299

Rh "What is it?" said Joan, rising and running toward him.

In the centre of his palm lay a pearl, twice the size of any that had yet been found near Tao Tao, and of faultless shape and lustre.

"It's—it's a great find!" said Keith slowly. "Joan, that little bit of a thing is worth as much as I should draw in wages as a mate in about two solid years. Dearest, wrap it up in your handkerchief. I'm going to go through the rest of this shell carefully."

"You surely don't expect to find another?"

"Who knows?" said Keith, busy once more. "It just occurs to me that this shell didn't come from the place where Chester has put in so much work. If you remember," he went on, clenching his pipe tightly between his teeth, a trick of his when he was keenly intent in what he was doing, "the last time Chester was after shell he tried the north- east side of the reef for the first time. The water is deeper there, and sometimes it's marvelous what a difference—Jumping Jerusalem! Here's another!" he shouted.

The ketch was now at her moorings, and the anchor went overboard with a splash, but Keith was too wrapped up in what he was doing to pay much attention to Chester's arrival. The second pearl, although not of the same size as the first, was a par-