Jack stepped quickly outside the circle and, after a short search, found one of the nuts and placed it on the stump as Bob had directed. Not for an instant had the eyes of the natives left him but they made no move to hinder him and he stepped back to Bob's side.
"Go get 'em," he whispered.
Bob, the eyes of every man glued upon him, waved his hand about and finally snatched a coin from the air. Then he reached around and pulled his automatic from his back pocket. He did not know whether or not they had ever seen a firearm and did not much care, for that matter, for he was not depending on it to intimidate them. Now, placing the gun in Jack's hand, he went through the motion of bending the coin and, a moment later, he had apparently dropped it down the barrel of the little gun. Then he slowly raised his left hand pointing toward the stump which was about twenty feet away. But the eyes of the natives never left him until he had repeated the gesture a number of times. Finally his meaning, "soaked through the ivory" as Jack chuckled and they turned their heads. When he was sure they were all looking at the nut, Bob fired.
At the report, a number of the natives fell over backward and lay as though dead, and both boys knew that if they had ever heard a gun discharged before, it must have been a long time ago. Bob waited a moment hardly knowing just how to proceed. Then, one by one, finding that they were not dead, the natives cautiously began to lift their heads but the boys could see that they were nearly scared to death. Waiting until they were all sitting up again, Bob strode toward the stump and, picking up a rock, he hit the cocoanut a sharp blow. Then, holding it high above his head so that all could see it, he returned and held it out to the leader. That frightened individual shrank back but Bob urged him to take it, and finally he held out a trembling hand. Bob gave him the nut which was already cracked nearly in two and motioned for him to break it open. This he easily did although his hands trembled so that he nearly dropped it.
Holding a half of the nut in each hand the native looked at Bob as though inquiring what he should do next.
"Pour out the milk," Bob ordered making the motion with his hand.
After he had repeated the gesture several times, the native got the idea and cautiously tipped the half in his right hand so the small amount of white fluid ran out. Then the man's eyes seemed almost to pop from his head for there on the white meat was the shining half dollar.
"Tip it out," Bob ordered, again making the gesture.
As the coin slid to the ground, a loud groan came from the lips of the natives and they again bowed their heads to the earth.
"Here's where we slump," Bob said in a low tone to Jack. "Follow me and, whatever you do, don't show a sign of fear. Walk with your head up."