Drawing out the little wad of paper in the midst of which Max had secured the latest find, Steve could be seen carefully closing the bag again.
He did not look around once to see if he was observed, a fact that puzzled Owen greatly; but passing over to where the cooking outfit lay he calmly picked up the extra coffee pot, raised the lid, pushed the packet in with the other stuff that seemed to lie hidden there, and once more placing the strange pearl bank down, Steve made his way back to his blanket.
He stepped over the forms of Toby and Bandy-legs while so doing, and never once touched them with his feet. Max believed he could hardly have duplicated the act, and his astonishment increased accordingly.
Steve seemed to give a satisfied grunt as he settled down again under his blanket. It was about what one would emit after having felt that he had done his duty.
Owen heard Max laughing softly to himself.
"What does it all mean, Max?" he whispered, as he heard Steve begin to breathe regularly once more.
"Tell you in the morning," replied the other. "Too long a story for now.
Besides, I want Steve to be around at the time, you see."
"That's mean of you," grumbled the disappointed one.
"Can't help it; go to sleep and don't worry, Owen."
"But, say, hadn't we better make sure of that last pearl? It goes against my grain to have such valuables kicking around in old coffee pots," Owen protested.