In Camp on the Big Sunflower

ing pearls in?" demanded Steve Dowdy, as he took one of the lo

Owen replied, confidently; "and, to my mind,

also examining a prize. "S-s-say, Max, why looky here, I've pi

d-natured laugh; "but not being wise to the pearl racket at the time, it neve

always used to be mighty fond of fresh or pickled mussels. Say, perhaps I'm a walking jewelry shop r

by; "no danger of anybody t-t-trying to k-k-kidnap

d things, Toby! I'll remember it, t

om breaking open these mussels right now, and finding ou

y with the crooked legs. "Two apiece all around means ten, a

so, for t-two,"

unfamiliar with the methods employed they were doubtless all more or less clumsy. One by one they succeed

minutes. Then Max addresse

u all t

came from each one o

the master of ceremonies,

g here," came

u, Bandy-legs

f color," was the way the d

te

ing old things, but pearls seem to be as scarce as hens' teeth. P

d to be something like confidence in the way he turned to the last member of

rotten little p-p-pe

it, then?"

tring me. S-sure that ugly little crooked thing c

the same I'd like to take

dy-legs, with almost too great a

thinking better of his first desire for a wordy confli

ed it by the aid of a s

ll right," annou

d Toby, ready to leap to

lue," Owen said, once again freezing the

dredging the Big Sunflower," remarked Steve, as he s

clared. "But, see here, Max,

n his old oyster, bet y

egs, ex

our friend Toby, here, and g

ill smilin

ught me with the goods on, as they say. Yes, it's a fact, I did

decent pearl, Max

es, boys, and tell

Max opened

a, to escape. It rolled upon the board which composed the table; and

it at several angles, to see how the glow of the fire see

ter he had had his turn at handling the discovery, "I ought to know, because my

it's worth!" demanded M

clared the bookworm. "You see everything depe

ys been fond of pearls. Why, when I was only a little kid my mother says I used to notice a ring my aunt wore, and wou

d the new-found pearl along. Max smiled t

he scraped the skillet carefully for the third time, evident

ieved he would be compelled to complete his meal with crackers and cheese; "we k-k-know

notions, fellows," Owen tho

e." He lacked the impulsive sanguine disposition of Steve. At the sa

m showed signs of rushing pellmell along the road, regardless of difficulties and

re any of them in the least offended w

y, Owen?" a

't fancy there can be any great quantity of these mussels up here. Perhaps we won'

at, Max?" ask

the shellfish up along the Big Sunflower, but none in t

f-for that?" asked Toby

" Owen replied; and so great was the confidence those fellows placed in the knowl

"You had it on your tongue to say

hundred or a thousand shellfish, and not be a

y s-s-say pearl hunting's the b-b-bi

e table, both hands holding his head, and his

heap to have a handful of those pretty little things. M

e seemed to cast a quick suspicious glance to the

s head to stare at Owen, though it required an effort for him to brea

begged the broad-shouldered you

because you s-s-see, we

y. "It's only fair, as Max and myself have dec

well as what we suspect," Owen con

erhaps unconsciously, he allowed his hand to steal over to where the double-

mber afterwards just how

andy-legs, after Owen had al

forks of the river," Owen went on, "we noticed that the empt

broke in Steve, "because it was a good sign.

a lot of little fur-bearing animals living along the s

" asked B

entiful through these parts in years gone by. I've heard of men trapping them, bu

d Steve. "I reckon there'll be plenty for all of us. What the mi

discovery a little while ago, when we went out to investigate-ran across a heap of mussel she

t time stared at Owen, as if hardly able to grasp the full