The Yale expositor., 1920-12-16

never see'd q vDs ofotS cf1eo
the oldest 'clammer" present. "but
knowed hit were Blue Moon tn min
ute lamped tn she'll"
The pearl, passing from Aand 10
hand, had come round to the Boss
again, who, STOPPING close TO the fire
light, examined il through a small
hand lens such as most pearl fishers
carry. "Pearlhunter." he said, turning
TO the young man, you shorely air
lucky You've found y'ur pearl-an'
fortune IL werew
Then IT'S you that's lucky" was
the slow answer. ats not mine"
Had the others not been too excited,
they might have noticed that his lips
were drawn; his voice strained.
The grizzled old river Boss gripped
his calloused hand shut upon the
pearl; his seamy old face hardened,
and there sprang up in his deep-set
eyes an expression not unlike the ex-
preston In the eyes Of hawk when
title TO the prey In his claws Is dis
puted. But the expression passed. lie
thrust the pearl back into the young
xaR's hand as though half afraid OF
II.
Say he growled, "what do you
think | Gn?"
1T was taken from your beat, In
waters you expected to fish tomorrow
You'd have found II anyway"
The hawkish glover left the blue
ewes OF the older man, leaving him
the frank-faced old boss again. He
studied his young friend curiously.
Well I'll be damn'd!" lie cSueSled
goOd-na suredly to himself, still st0dy'
ing the olner from under the edges ~
his eyes "Say," he continued. look
ing up frankly. ~ haln't got a deri
bit more claim TO it than I got to the
Bank of Ingland. If you fancy | have
got claims ! hereby gives an conveys
em L you-an' if that hain't gooo
law, it's square dealin' b'twixt man
an man; an that's better'n law any
day"
you mean IT."
The younger man fingered the pearl
as If ii had suddenly Assumed new
value.
IF you wan L insult me, jist let on
like y'u think I don't"
Hero-wOrshipers All, after the mair
ner of their kind, the Nher pearl fish
ers, as If by common impulse rurned
their attention from the pearl TO the
man that found It. He had become an
object of wonder and curious admira.
ton. No other achievement In the
world could possibly have so dietin-
guished him in their eyes. Suddenly
one of their number snatcted Off his
battered hat and yelled:
"HoOray fer tn Pearlhu1terv
The bluffs caught up TIKI cheer that
followed and flung 1t back - multi
piled echoes, clear and far u and
down the nlght-bound shore The
Boss, still hungry for the feel N the
Jewell reached forth srimy finger
and medltatively stirred the pearl
where 1t lay in the finders palm.
"Thls ones rounder than them
other two. An it's got a SIMMER
sheen. Course | cayn't say p'intedly,
but I putt it at not less'n five thou
SAN"
The Pearlhunter was restless,
There was a frail woman back In the
cabin al Fallen Rock TO whom the find.
INC of the pearl would mean more
thas - anybody else in the world. II
would mcan--the mans heart warmed
with the tho2ght, as his mind revert
ed to the sto-y pf the afternoon
back TO the house M hill that over
looked the river-&nd good-by TO the
cough forever.
But il was some time before the
first flush of excitement died down. II
is not one camp in a thousand thai
ever sees Blue Moon. The value OF
IT was still under discussion when the
Boss happened TO remember the fish
still lying in the boat.
9TH fish," he exclaimed. TIL
flies'll be at EN-"
"And ! must be getting home" 1he
Pearlhunter was quick to seize ths
chance.
Followed by the others. the boss
went down TO the boat-not- however,
ner out os the cloth spread down 10y
the fire, wrapped the pearl up in IL
and put 1t carefully away In MIS-
pocket.
Insisting on relieving the Boss from
rowing on the way hack. he took HE
place at the oars and waited for tbs
boat to be pushed off into the stream
But the Boss. with his hand upon n,
bow. stood hestatlngly before givipt
the final shove.
shorty" he called to the man who
had danced the hOrnpipe, and wht
was now gone back 10 the fire, "brint
me my oil shotgun an coat. reckon
I'll camp at Fallen Rock might"
The Pearlhunter protested against
his going TO such trouble; but the
Boss had his way.