"It sure is," replied the other, without turning his head. "Here we are,
toting over five dozen mussels on our backs up and down, in and out, and
we're just in a state of blissful eagerness and suspense. Perhaps we carry
a prize worth a whole vacation of sport; and then, again, chances are we
draw a blooming blank."

"All right," remarked the cheerful Max, "no matter how things turn out
from now on, I don't see that any of us ought to kick. We've got four
pearls that are bound to give us many times as much as we really hoped to
earn. And that's enough to make us happy."

"It sure is, because now we'll be able to carry out all of those bully
plans we made. Wow! I c'n hardly believe it ain't all a dream, Max," and
Bandy-legs drew a long sigh, as if trying to assure himself that he was
really awake.

"You'll begin to believe it when we send off for our motorcycles, and map
out the summer campaign," laughed Max.

"Glory be! that makes me thrill all over. If it does come to pass, won't we
be the luckiest crowd that ever came down the pike?" assented Bandy-legs.

"Oh! I'd hardly say that," remarked the other. "We've worked for all we've
got so far. The idea was, after all, the main thing, and we owe most of
that to my cousin Owen reading so much about how these pearls are found in
Indiana and Missouri streams."

"Oh! take care, Max!" suddenly cried Bandy-legs.