Parting with Captain Seagrave and his men was no easy matter, but in a few days farewells were exchanged and the new arrivals went to Barry Tuxford's house at Perth. Here they remained three or four weeks, while the schooners² were being fitted out, and learned what their duties would be.  
"You'll find pearls, I am sure," said Barry, "and I should not be at all surprised if you came across Jacob Rank. If he is alive, and you meet him, he'll be very useful, for he knows all about the place and you can tell him from me if he helps you I will not forget him."
 
Perth, in those days, did not strike them as a particularly desirable place to live in, but Barry Tuxford found it suited his purpose to remain there for the present.
 
The two schooners lay in the harbour at Fremantle, about a dozen miles from Perth, at the mouth of the Swan river, and Jack³ Redland frequently went on board to make himself acquainted with the vessels⁴; he had more energy than his friend who was, however, Barry found, clever at figures, which suited him admirably. One of the vessels had been a trading schooner¹, and although not very clean or tempting⁵ to look at, seemed a seaworthy craft, the other was smaller but better fitted. Jack decided⁶ if his mate had no objection, to go in the larger one, and as this was easily arranged, he superintended her stores and general outfit⁷.
 
The crews secured were a mixed lot, some few Dutchmen, and an odd Malay or two, but the skippers were rather decent fellows and he felt it would be easy to handle them. Most of the divers⁸ were to be secured in the neighbourhood of Shark's Bay, but half a dozen aboriginies were to go with them. These blacks had travelled in various schooners and were accustomed to the sea, moreover they were expert divers.
 
At last, everything was ready for the start, and Barry Tuxford came to see them sail. The name of the schooner Jack Redland took charge of was the "Heron," her skipper, Phil Danks, while Harry⁹ Marton's was called the "Wild Cat," and the skipper, Hake Moss¹⁰, both men being well known to Barry.
 
The first trial for pearl shell was to be made in Shark's Bay, but it was farther to the north-west that the place indicated by Jacob Rank was to be found. The "Golden Land" had not yet cleared on her return voyage. As it was with some difficulty she obtained sufficient cargo¹¹, and Job Seagrave and his crew gave them a rousing send off as they passed.
 
"They are two smart little schooners," he said, "and I hope the boys will do well with them, we shall have a dull trip home without 'em, Sam."
 
Jack soon found the motion of the "Heron" was far different to that of the steamer, and for the first few days he was decidedly uncomfortable. It was arranged between the skippers that if the schooners were parted they were to make the best of their way to Shark's Bay. The weather was fine, with a cool refreshing¹² breeze, and this was a happy augury¹³ for a successful trip. There seemed to be no difficulty with the men, and when complaints were made, Jack settled them in an amicable¹⁴ manner.
 
"It will not take us long to get to Shark's Bay if this wind holds," said Danks, as he and Jack stood on the deck watching the steady lash¹⁵ of the sea as the "Heron" cut swiftly through it; in the distance was the "Wild Cat," but she did not make such good way.
 
"The sooner we are there the better for all," was his reply, "some of these fellows may get a bit out of hand."
 
"Let 'em try it on," said Danks. "I've dealt with such fellows before, and got the best of it. When they do kick up a row they are devils, and a belaying pin is the best thing for them."
 
"I hope we shall manage without that," laughed Jack. "You have been to Shark's Bay before, have you not?"
 
"Yes, four times, we shall not find much there, and the pearls are not equal to those farther north. I have an idea where this bay Rank spoke¹⁶ of is, and if I am correct it's a likely spot."
 
"You knew Rank?"
 
"Yes, and I'm sorry if he's come to grief, but I think with Mr. Tuxford, it's more than likely we may find him there. Jacob Rank is not the sort of man to be badly left, and depend upon it if the crew he had with him got the better of him he would get out of their clutches somehow. There's not many men know more about pearling than Jacob, but he's awfully¹⁷ unlucky in some things, and never seems to make money. I'm not struck on pearl fishing, but Barry Tuxford is a liberal man, and I've done work for him before."
 
"In what line?" asked Jack.
 
"When he had a station up country he bred a lot of good horses and used to ship them from Fremantle to Singapore. I have run him more than one lot over; it's a rum game, but it pays well, always providing you have a good passage and not many of them die."
 
"You don't mean to say you have taken horses from Fremantle to Singapore on a schooner?" said Jack, surprised.
 
"I have, and over forty of them in one not much larger than this. I can tell you they were crowded in their stalls, and had a deuced bad time of it, but it's wonderful how soon they pick up when they get ashore¹⁸."
 
Jack was interested, he could hardly believe it possible to cram¹⁹ forty horses into a schooner not much larger than the "Heron."
 
"You can imagine what it is like down below," said Danks; "when the heat beats down on the schooner, I tell you the atmosphere is not exactly pleasant. What we fear most is a dead calm, it kills the horses off quickly, and sometimes we run short of water. The sharks have a great feast when the poor brutes²⁰ are heaved overboard."
 
"I should not like that job," said Jack.
 
"No, I don't suppose you would, and it is not to my taste, but there's a lot of money in it if you have a successful trip and that is what most of us are after."
 
"Quite right," said Jack. "It is what I am after at all events, and I want you to help me."
 
"I'll do all I can, but there's a heap of luck attached to pearl fishing," was the reply.
 
Th............