"Be mighty careful about that coin purse," warned the one who was to stay
in camp during the afternoon. "It would give me a big pain if you let it
drop out of your pocket while you were wading in the river."

"Can't. I've fastened the pocket up snug with a big safety pin," chuckled
Max.

He soon caught up with Bandy-legs, who was following the now plainly marked
trail that stretched through the forest between the river and the camp.

Arriving at the water's edge Max soon decided that it might pay them to
work a little lower downstream.

So both removed most of their clothes and started to tread for the mussels
that lay concealed in the mud or sand of the river's bed.

Max was very careful to make sure that the little coin purse was safely
pinned inside his shirt. He would not have risked leaving that ashore for
a good deal.

An hour passed.

"I see you've picked up quite a little load," remarked Max, as the two
pearl hunters happened to come close together while continuing their work.

"All of two dozen, I reckon," grunted Bandy-legs.

"Many marked with the star brand?" asked Max.

"Shucks! never a single one, the more the pity," replied the other,