When they at last attempted to engage the strangers in conversation, they found them quite incapable of understanding English.
Finally Pant, growing tired of the effort, rose and strode down to the beach where the brown sacks were lying. He thumped one of the sacks, then lifted it from the ground.
“About a hundred pounds,” he muttered. Then, turning, he walked back to the group by the fire. He had taken one hand from his pocket. In its palm reposed a shiny ten dollar gold piece. He pointed to the sack he had lifted, then offered the gold to the smaller of the two brown boys.
The boy reached out his hand and took it.
The act was repeated in reference to a second gold piece and the remaining sack. This offer was also accepted.
“They know the value of gold all right,” he smiled. “I have bought two hundred pounds of rice. Let’s get it on our backs. I think if we cut right across beneath the palms here we will about strike our camp.”
With the sacks of rice on their shoulders, they trudged on for a time in silence. At last Johnny spoke:
“What do we want of all this rice?”
“Three people can live a long time on two hundred pounds of rice.”
As he stepped out again into the moonlight he gazed about him for a time, then in a musing tone said: