Steve even sighed as he reluctantly passed the new-found pearl along. Max
smiled to notice how his eyes seemed to follow it.

"Well, we've proved one thing, sure," remarked Bandy-legs, as he scraped
the skillet carefully for the third time, evidently believing it was a
sin to waste a single scrap of good food.

"Yes," spoke up Toby, who was watching this action with signs of
disapproval, for he believed he would be compelled to complete his meal
with crackers and cheese; "we k-k-know now there are p-pearls in some of
these b-b-blessed old m-m-m"--whistle--"mussels, there!"

"But don't let's get too big notions, fellows," Owen thought fit to put
in just then.

Owen was what his teacher at school always described as "conservative." He
lacked the impulsive sanguine disposition of Steve. At the same time he was
no "croaker," and far from being a "doubting Thomas."

Owen often acted as a safety brake in connection with his chums. When some
of them showed signs of rushing pellmell along the road, regardless of
difficulties and unseen pitfalls, it was Owen who would gently draw them
in, and counsel caution.

They looked to him as a mentor, nor were any of them in the least offended
when he restrained their headlong rush.

"In what way, Owen?" asked Steve.

"You see, it's like this," the other went on. "From what Max and I learned,