"They're only glass or crystals," he said.
"They are not glass or crystals!" declared Mark, who had made a study of gems. "I should say they were diamonds, probably meteoric diamonds, very rare and valuable. Why, there is the ransom of a thousand kings spread out before us!"
He fell upon his knees and began to scoop up the gems. His chum was making a little heap of the stones.
"The ransom of a thousand kings!" murmured Jack. "More diamonds than in all the world—and I'd give my share for a good ham sandwich!"
CHAPTER XXX
BACK TO EARTH—CONCLUSION
At any other time the discovery of such a vast store of wealth would have set the wanderers half wild with joy. Now they only accepted the fact dully, for the perils of their situation overburdened them. As Jack had said, they needed food more than the gems, for at best the supply they had blasted out could not last long, and when that was gone where were they to get more, for there were no more cartridges, and the rending force of powder was needed to open the rocky meat.
"I knew we'd find the diamonds," murmured Jack, as he began to fill the pockets of his fur coat. "I'm right, after all, Mark, you see."
"Yes, but what good will it do us? What's the good of even carrying any away. We can never use them."
"That's so," agreed Jack, in a low voice. "I might as well leave them here."