Hal had been digging with his heel in the brown loam at the foot of the rock and now he leaned over and picked something up.
“What do you suppose this is?” he asked, as he bent over it.
“Looks like a buckle,” said Jack. “It’s a funny one, though. Is it iron?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Hal scraped a corner of it on the rock. “By jove, it’s gold, Jack!”
CHAPTER VIII
Hal Names the Launch
“Let’s see.” Jack took the buckle and examined it. It was nearly three inches long and almost as wide and was a heavy, clumsy contraption. Opening his knife, he scraped it a little. Then he shook his head. “Brass,” he said.
“Is it?” Hal was disappointed and his face fell. “Well, I never saw a brass buckle like that before. What do you suppose it was for?”