THOMAS NED FINDS A PEARL OF PRICE. 237 



sixty pounds of pearls, of great size and extraordinary- 

 beauty. 



All this information Thomas Ned received with 

 open mouth and bulging eyes. " An' do yo' mean, 

 me massa, dat ole man C'lumbus done foun' all dose 

 puhls right down heah, in de island wha' we can 

 a'mos' see from de mountain yander ? " 



" Well, not Columbus exactly, but his countrymen 

 and companions. But they were found there, mil- 

 lions of dollars' worth, and probably many millions 

 more were spoiled by the ignorant natives, who bored 

 holes through them by means of fire and wore them 

 as necklaces." 



" Now, me massa, 'scuse me, but wha' dis a puhl 

 look a like ? He look somet'ing lak ister, don' it ? " 



" Yes, the pearl itself is found inside an oyster, or 

 rather of a moUusk belonging to the oyster family. 

 But why do you ask ? " 



" Why me axes yuh, massa ? Come wiv me, an' 

 me done show yuh why me axes dat a ques'ion. Um 

 t'iiiks um know whar' 'bout dat a puhl libe, right heah 

 in Man-o'-wah Bay." 



It was a beautiful morning; there was nothing in 

 particular to do, so I followed Thomas Ned to the 

 shore and into his dugout, which he paddled swiftly 

 out to the inner edge of the coral reefs. 



Arrived there, he threw overboard the killock, 

 thus anchoring the canoe, and then stripped himself 

 for a plunge into the sea. 



" Now, me massa, yuh set right dar, an' don' do 

 nuffin' but watch. Even ef a shahk 'pear on de scene, 



