I compared them mentally with the stones I had found in the roll of bark taken from the dead man’s pocket, and decided that these were indeed in no way inferior.
The dwarf opened a golden cabinet and brought us three more diamonds. These had been cut into facets and polished, and were amazingly brilliant. I am sure Tcharn had never seen the usual method of diamond-cutting, and perhaps knew nothing of the esteem in which civilized nations held these superb pebbles of pure carbon; so it is remarkable that he had intuitively found the only means of exhibiting the full beauty of the stones.
“Will you give me these, my cousin?” asked the princess.
For answer he swept them all into the basket and placed it in her hands. She turned and with a pleased smile gave the treasure to Moit.
“At last,” said I, with a sigh of relief, “we have accomplished the object of our adventure.”
“At last,” said Duncan, “I have enough money to patent my inventions and to give the machine to the world in all its perfection!”
“But we mus’ get out o’ here, Mars’ Sam,” observed Bry, gravely.
“That is true,” I replied. “And I hope now that we have no further reason for staying that we shall have little difficulty in passing the lines of our enemies.”
We confided to the arrow-maker a portion of our adventures, and told him how Nalig-Nad had seemed determined to destroy us. When the relation was finished I asked:
“Will you advise us how we can best regain our ship without meeting the king’s warriors?”