Jack's face fell.. It was not easy to find an answer to this question.
“Perhaps I can assist you,” continued Captain Leigh, with a repetition of his mysterious smile. “This quest of yours, boys, has been a string of surprises from the very start, judging by what I have heard and seen of it. So, just to keep the ball rolling, we'll wind up with the biggest surprise of all.”
And slipping his fingers into his waistcoat pocket, to the astonishment of the young men he drew therefrom the identical wash-leather case which they had all along, and with good reason, supposed to be in the shark-charmer's possession.
“Why—how—?” Don began, hardly able to believe his eyes.
Jack interrupted him.
“Don't you see how it is?” cried he. “The governor's running a rig on us. Old Salambo took the pearls, but left the bag; it's empty, of course!”
Captain Leigh quietly turned the pouch upside-down, and poured into the palm of his left hand a little silvery heap with a shimmer of pale gold in its midst. This he pushed into full view with his finger. It was the Golden Pearl.
“You don't mean to say we've been on a wild-goose chase all this time?” gasped Jack.
“A downright fool's errand!” muttered Don, in tones of intense disgust.
“No; neither one nor the other,” interposed Captain Leigh. “Don't go scattering self-accusations of that sort about before you hear my explanation—though it's a queer business, I must acknowledge,” he added, with a laugh. “Will you hear it out now or wait till we go on board?”