"Well, you seemed to have our precious pearls on your mind all the while."

"Good gracious! I hope now I didn't try--say? did I go anywhere near that
old haversack?" demanded Steve, plainly embarrassed.

"Every time, straight for it," replied Max.

"And took something out?" pursued Steve.

"Your one object," said Max, "seemed to be a terrible fear that some thief
might rob us. And so as to block this little game you set out to hide the
pearls in a new place."

"As where?" demanded the astounded Steve.

"Remember the second coffee pot we fetched along? Well, you hit on that as
the new hiding place"; and even as Max spoke, the other, scrambling to his
feet, hastened over to where the spare cooking utensils lay. Coming back
with the extra coffee pot he proceeded to drag out its contents.

When the papers and the little cardboard box that contained pink cotton had
all been opened, with the result that only the pebble and the few less
valuable pearls were found, Steve stared in dismay.

"Oh! they're all gone!" he cried, hoarsely. "I've lost the whole bunch,
just because I kept thinking about them so much, and worrying about their
being stolen. Whatever will we do, Max?"

"We don't have to do anything," replied the other, with a laugh, as he drew
out his coin purse; "because I've got every one of the little beauties safe