“Yes, Pat, little stones. Dirty little stones. You might have seen them, and would suppose that many of them were worthless, unless they were wrapped in paper and carefully packed.” “Dirty little stones, sir?” said Pat, in an imbecile way. “Yes,” said Mr. Long. “And aich one wrapped in paper, sir?” said Pat, whose voice died away into a mournful wail, while he cast an imploring glance at Mr. Long. “Yes..Tell me,” cried Mr. Long, “have you seen them?” “I have, sir,” said Pat, dolefully. “When? where? Where are they now? Where did you put them?” “I--I--” He hesitated. “Quick! It’s late. I want to get them. You brought them to the house, I suppose; or did you put them on board of the vessel?” “I--I--” “Well, why don’t you tell me what you did with them?” “O, sir, it’s heart-broken I am this minute, sir! It’s fairly dead wid grafe I am, sir! You’ll niver forgive me! an’ I’m afraid to tell you, sir.” “What? What’s all this? What have you been doing? What is it?” said Mr. Long, sternly. “No, sir, I thought it was a trick, sir, that the boys played on me, sir; and I pitched them over the mud into the bank, sir.” “You what!” cried Mr. Long, in an awful voice. Hereupon Pat, with many sighs and tears, and entreaties for pardon, told him all. Mr. Long heard him through without a word. Then he asked minutely about the spot where they had been thrown. After this he rushed from the house down to the point. The tide was down below that place, leaving the mud flat uncovered. The sun was just setting. Mr. Long stared wildly about. There was not a trace of a Single specimen; for the heavy stones had sunk in, and the soft ooze and slimy mud, closing over them, had shut them from sight. Mr. Long looked around in despair. He had hoped that he might recover some of them, but was not prepared to see all traces of them obliterated so completely. Besides, to add to his disappointment, the sun set before he had begun anything like a search; and the shadows of evening came on rapidly. What was he to do? Could he thus give up the results of his expedition, and consent to lose those precious specimens for which he had done so much? The thought was intolerable. He would go back and interrogate Pat afresh. It was possible that Pat had directed him to the wrong place. It was scarcely possible that every stone could have vanished so completely, if this were really the place where Pat had thrown them.