“Yes, they are. No one knows anything about them. No one has seen them. No one can find them. They’re lost, Mr. Simmons, beyond the possibility of redemption.” “O, I hope not.” “Well, I’m going to make a final search. Captain Pratt has asked every man, woman, and child in the place, but no one knows anything about them.. I’m now going to question every one over again. I’ve asked Captain Corbet already. He knows nothing. Captain Corbet, where’s the mate?” “Sound asleep in the barn, sir.” “Then I’ll go out and ask him.” Captain Corbet went out with him, and after much trouble they roused the sleeper, who, however, could tell them nothing whatever about the stones. Then Mr. Long asked all the boys in succession. He had asked them once before, but he was determined to try it again. There was no result. No. one knew anything about it. At last, all had been examined but Pat. Mr. Long felt sorry for him, and would have left him untroubled; but his intense desire to investigate thoroughly was too strong, and’ so he resolved to ask him. Pat was trying to get some sleep, and with very little success. Mr. Long asked him kindly about his feelings, and spoke cheerfully to him for a few moments. At length he asked him,-- “Pat, I had two baskets of specimens, and they’ve been lost. Do you know anything about them?” “Two baskets of what, sir?” “Specimens.” “Spicimins, sir?” “Yes.” “What are spicimins, sir?” “Why, mineralogical specimens. Minerals, you know.” “Minerals? Sorra a one o’ me knows what that same is,’ sir. I never saw one in my life.” “Never saw a mineral? Nonsense! What we were gathering on the island--” “Gatherin’? Was it minerals, then?” said Pat. “Is it anythin’ like o’--like shrimps, sir?” Mr. Long laughed. He knew Pat’s wonderful ignorance about some things, but he was hardly prepared for this. As for Pat, the poor fellow found he had made a mistake, and colored violently from shame and vexation. “Do you really mean to say that you don’t know what minerals are?” asked Mr. Long. “Sorra a bit of it thin, sir.” “Well, they look like little stones. Didn’t you see us breaking little pieces from the rocks?” “I didn’t notice, sir.” “That’s no way to do, Pat. You ought to keep your eyes open, or you’ll never learn anything.” “Yes, sir.” “Well, then, these minerals looked like common little stones. They were in two baskets. Each one was carefully wrapped in paper. Now those two baskets of stones are missing, and I can’t find out anything about them. I want you to try and remember if you’ve seen anything of that kind, or if you’ve seen any little bits of paper that may have been around them. Do you understand? Little stones, you know.” And Mr. Long smiled encouragingly, so to give Pat a chance to collect his thoughts. “Little stones?” faltered Pat, as there flashed over him an awful suspicion that he had done an irreparable mischief to somebody, and to Mr. Long in particular. “Little stones, sir?”