handful of those pretty little things. My! just to think what luck to
strike one the first pop."

"Besides," Owen went on, lowering his voice, as he seemed to cast a quick
suspicious glance to the right and to the left, "that isn't all, fellows."

His manner somehow thrilled Toby and Bandy-legs. Even Steve raised his
head to stare at Owen, though it required an effort for him to break the
strange spell the milk-white pearl seemed to have cast about him.

"Tell us what you mean, Owen," begged the broad-shouldered young Samson,
with the bowed legs.

"Yes, p-p-please do, b-because you s-s-see, we're all worked up now."

"Then listen, fellows," said Owen, impressively. "It's only fair, as Max
and myself have decided, that you should know all we've found out."

"That's right," muttered Steve. "As well as what we suspect," Owen
continued, in the same mysterious way.

Steve was so deeply impressed with the seriousness of Owen's manner, that,
perhaps unconsciously, he allowed his hand to steal over to where the
double-barreled shotgun leaned against the trees, and rest confidingly
upon the same.

Max had occasion to remember afterwards just how much Steve was worked up.

"Well, what was it?" asked Bandy-legs, after Owen had allowed some seconds
to elapse.