Some of the paddlers and oarsmen in the boats that surrounded the
Admiral Dupont were almost six feet in height and splendidly built.

"Good looking fellows those," said the captain, who had joined the
group of wondering young adventurers, "but in spite of their good
looks they are petty thieves, if they get the chance."

Of this quality, the boys were soon to get an example. Frank had
laid down his field-glasses on a deck chair and didn't give them any
more thought, even when the decks were fairly swarming with
half-naked, chattering, laughing Kroomen. When he looked around for
them, however, for the purpose of making out more clearly the
outline of the distant mountains, the glasses had vanished.

The young leader quickly divined what had occurred and stepping to
the rail he held above his head an English sovereign and a pair of
glasses, borrowed, from Billy.

"I'll give this money to the man who finds my field glasses," he
shouted.

"It's a long chance," he remarked to Harry, "there may be some one
there who understands English. Anyway they can see that I'm willing
to give money for something like the object I held up."

As much to Frank's astonishment as anyone else the next minute they
heard a hail from a canoe containing two particularly black Kroomen.

"Hey, boss;" one of them was shouting, "what you lost, eh?"