"Oh! my, how k-k-kind," chuckled Toby.

"Anyhow," asserted Bandy-legs, stoutly, as he held the shell in question in
his hand, "me to keep tabs when I'm doing the grabbing act this afternoon.
And I give you all fair warning that if I do run across a shell with the
star, I'm going ashore to open the same."

"Good luck to you, then," laughed Steve. "Here, Max, take charge of this,
won't you, and put it with the rest of our prizes? I want to keep on
opening shells, and see if my luck holds out."

Max and Owen exchanged a quick look.

Apparently Steve was perfectly sincere when he gave utterance to this
natural remark. Their bewilderment grew more and more, and both boys, as
well as Bandy-legs found it impossible to understand what it could mean.

Max walked back to the tent as if meaning to deposit the pearl in the
haversack along with the others. Of course he would really slip it into his
little leather coin purse where the three valuable pearls already reposed
in safety.

"What d'ye make of him, Max?"

Owen asked this question as he bent over his chum, while the other was
making a great pretense of handling the haversack.

"Ask me something easy, please," the other replied, shaking his head from
side to side.