"I'll say these are real oysters," Jack laughed as he dumped a rake full of them in the boat.
"If the pearls are there and of a size in proportion we'll be all right," Bob added.
The oysters were now coming in much faster than Mr. Lakewood could open them although he was working as rapidly as possible.
"Here's a good one," he announced soon after they had started work in the new place.
"I'll say it is," Jack laughed. "Just keep 'em a-coming."
They worked industriously until the bell called them back for supper and, as soon as the meal was over, they finished opening the remainder of the oysters, a task which kept them busy until dark. As a result of the day's work they found that they had gathered thirty-three pearls, many of them of good size and three were very large.
"What do you suppose they're worth?" Bob asked as he threw the last of the shells overboard.
"Well, I'm not much of an expert at valuing them but I'd say we've got close on to two thousand dollars' worth."
"You mean it?" Jack gasped.
"I believe it'll run over that amount rather than under it," his uncle assured him.