The gems were uncut—at least by the hand of man—but even in their crude state they sparkled wonderfully.
For several moments they feasted their eyes on the brilliant spectacle, and then Milly filled both hands with the precious gems and ran to show Swivel.
“Whew!” whispered that youth, his eyes growing round with wonder. “Wot a lot of shiners!”
“Don’t let him talk, Milly,” commanded Brandon, beginning to see that it would never do for them to excite the sick boy by the sight of the gems. “When he is better he can see them all.”
The young girl came back with the jewels, smiling happily at her friend. She seemed quite as joyful because of his good fortune as though the gems were her own.
Brandon took the precautions to close the door between the cabin and Swivel’s stateroom soon after this, that the boy might go to sleep, and then he and Milly sat down at the table and counted the diamonds.
There were no very large gems among the lot, but they were of fair size and of the purest white.
It was late that night before the two castaways retired. Brandon prepared what had once been Caleb Wetherbee’s quarters for Milly, but he himself slept in the cabin, rolled up in a blanket on the floor, that he might be near Swivel.
They were so exhausted from their privations of the past day and a half that they slept until far into the next forenoon. Swivel was actually better, and had no more sinking spells, so that Milly and Brandon began to hope for his recovery.
Just after they rose Brandon saw a sailing vessel far down on the horizon; but it passed by without noticing the brig. And once during the day the smoke of a steam vessel blotted the lines where the sky and sea met, far to the eastward.