Then the story of the find had to be gone over again, and the prizes
exhibited. Owen was just as much pleased as the others, and declared that
it began to look as though the best of their dreams had a chance of coming
true.

"I think I saw that boy, come to mention it," Owen remarked, after they had
talked over the splendid good luck that had fallen to their lot, until the
subject was pretty well exhausted.

"How did that happen?" asked Max.

"Did you get a chance to talk with him, and ask him why he grabbed our
pearl?" demanded Steve.

"Oh! not much," chuckled Owen. "Fact is, he seemed pretty much like a
scared rabbit. First thing I knew he was staring at me over a bunch of
brush. Then he turned and scooted off like fun."

"But you called out to him, didn't you?" asked Steve.

"Of course, but it only seemed to make him fly the faster. Say, he's a
sprinter, all right. That fellow could get down to second base before the
ball seven times out of seven, I don't care who the catcher was," Owen went
on to say, positively.

"Then you couldn't catch him?" asked Max, in a disappointed tone.

"Huh! guess I didn't even start, after I saw what he could put up in the
running line. Besides," Owen went on to say, "you must remember that I was
tired, and carrying my fishing rod, as well as a bully old string of perch,