“Avenged!”
The other natives had taken advantage of the opportunity afforded by the pursuit of the shark-charmer to make good their escape. Captain Leigh accordingly ordered the peons back to the schooner. Their mission was at an end.
At the head of the stairs they came upon Bosin. The monkey at once clambered on to Don's shoulder, happier far than his new master.
Here, too, as they were about to turn their backs upon the spot where death had hovered in ever-narrowing circles about their heads through the hopeless hours of that awful night and day, Jack and Don joined hands and silently renewed the friendship which had here been put to so crucial a test. Our boy-friendships seldom pass the boundary line of youth and manhood; or, if they do, too often become tarnished and neglected things in which we find no pleasure. Theirs, just then, seemed fit to last a lifetime.
“Say!” cried Jack abruptly, when he had done wringing his chunks hand, “what about the pearls, old fellow? You're surely not going off without them after all the trouble we've had? I'm not, anyhow!”
Jack was nothing if not practical.
Captain Leigh, who was standing by, overheard the words, and approached with a curious, not to say mysterious, smile on his lips.
“What! not had enough of it yet, Jack?” said he, in bantering tones.
“Not I, sir! Where's the use of being half cut to bits if one doesn't get what one's after? I shan't be content till I handle the shiners.”
“And where do you purpose looking for them?”