Well, May came and went, and we were still hard at work, hoping that each day would bring another haul of black pearls to our store of treasure; in this, however, we were disappointed.

And yet the captain became more determined than ever to find some.

He continued to take charge of the whale-boat whenever the divers went out to work, and he personally superintended their operations.

He knew very well that he had already kept them at work longer than he ought to have done, and it was only by a judicious distribution of more jewellery, pieces of cloth, &c., that he withheld them from openly rebelling against the extended stay.
The serang told him that if the men did once go on strike, nothing would induce them to resume work, they would simply sulk, he said; and die out of sheer disappointment and pettishness.

So the captain was compelled to treat them more amiably than usual.