"We go as divers?" asked Miah.
"That is so; you are both clever at it."
"Are you going?" asked Kylis.
"No, of course not."
"I thought perhaps you might be in want of another schooner," grinned the black.
Amos cursed him, and bade him keep a guard on his tongue.
"We are to do something for you?" asked Miah, who knew very well "the boss" had some game of his own to play.
"You can help me and yourselves as well," he said. "These schooners are going north to some bay Jacob Rank discovered, and where he says there are many shells. This may be true, or it may not; in any case it matters very little to you, for you will be paid. If they find much shell there will be good pearls, and good pearls are rare, Kylis. I like good pearls."
The black showed his teeth in a broad grin; then he opened his mouth wide, showing a huge cavity. He closed it with a snap, made a show of swallowing something, and then rubbed his stomach.
"Quite so," said Amos. "You have swallowed pearls before, and can do it again, but on this trip you will have to adopt some other method of hiding them."