Barry Tuxford did not confine his attention to racing¹ while in Sydney. He knew there were far more profitable games for making money, and being an old hand at most of them he speculated in various concerns, inducing Jack² to follow his lead. They had no news of the pearling fleet, but this was not to be expected, as there were very few means of communication. There was, however, no cause for uneasiness with two such men as Danks and Hake in command, and Harry³ Marton to superintend.  
Jack often thought of Harry and wondered what he was doing. He fancied it was rather like desertion to leave him, but Barry quickly dispelled⁴ this idea and said Harry was far more fitted for the task he was engaged upon than knocking about Sydney.
 
"It would not suit him here," he said, "and as you know, he has a horror of stocks and shares, which I do not wonder at, after the experiences his father had. I have more good news, Jack," he added, as he tossed him a letter to read.
 
Jack read it eagerly, and could hardly believe in his good luck. The Great Tom Mine had again struck it rich, and the shares had gone up by leaps and bounds; there was every prospect⁵ of his being a comparatively rich man in a very short time.
 
"And that's not all," said Barry, "I cabled to my agent in Perth, to buy every share he could secure at a certain price. That was before the new find, and he secured a nice parcel. You stand in of course."
 
"I could not think of it," said Jack, "it would not be fair, you have done too much for me already."
 
"Not at all; it is a pleasure to help a man like you; there are some fellows I would not lend a hand to at any price, but you are different. I am old enough to be your father, and damn me, if I don't feel something like that towards you," he added in an outburst of genuine feeling such as he seldom displayed.
 
Jack felt strangely drawn⁶ towards the bluff⁷ good-hearted Colonial. He had found out his true worth and knew him for what he was. There were men who almost hated Barry, but it was because he fought fair and square, and managed to beat them despite their underhand methods.
 
"I'm a lonely sort of man," went on Barry, "always have been, and I expect always shall be. I never 'cottoned' to a fellow as I have done to you, and I don't mind telling you, if you stick to me I'll see you all right, no matter what happens."
 
This was too much for Jack Redland. He grasped his friend's hand, and wrung⁸ it hard, but he did not speak. He could not. He knew every word Barry spoke⁹ he meant and there was a strange knocking at his heart as he looked at him.
 
"I'm an old fool, I know I am to rave¹⁰ like this," said Barry, "but I can't help it, and that's a fact. I've roamed about the world a lot, roughed it, and it's taken the gilt¹¹ edges off, if there were ever any on; but you've knocked me all of a heap, Jack. Don't talk about my luck, it's yours that has stuck to me. I have had nothing but good fortune since I met you. My first pearling venture turned out a frost. You come along, and what do we get? We not only rummage¹² out old Jacob Rank on his desert island, or whatever it may be, and rescue him, but we find a heap of pearls, a mighty¹³ lot of good shells, the best black pearl ever hauled out on the northern coast, and to cap all, we have a deal with that old shark, Silas Filey, that licks creation. Don't talk to me about luck, you're a regular living mascot¹⁴, that's what you are."
 
The tension was relieved at this outburst, and Jack laughed heartily¹⁵.
 
"Keep it up, skipper," he said, merrily. "Now you are under full sail let her go; I like to hear you, it does me good; it's as refreshing¹⁶ as a blow on the Sussex Downs. Don't let the wind drop yet, Barry, please don't."
 
"Stow your chaff¹⁷ and listen to me," said Barry, now thoroughly¹⁸ wound up. He was on the tide of a big success, and felt the force of it. "You came out here to make a fortune, and by Captain Cook, you shall get it. When you landed at Fremantle there was no hanky panky about you. Then you were a born gentleman, a swell¹⁹. Oh, you needn't remonstrate²⁰! I'm not a wall-eyed kangaroo, or a burst-up emu. Oh, dear no! nothing of the sort! I'm Barry Tuxford, knockabout, good for nothing, up to everything, and I know a swell when I see one, although it has not been my fortune to meet many.
 
"I'm a Colonial, have always been fond of a rough life, but I know what it means for a man of your stamp to tackle a God-forsaken pearl fishing job. I liked you when you buckled²¹ to and never grumbled²², and I admired your pluck when you planked down the money for those shares. I have seen men who call themselves swells²³ do dirty mean tricks no straight man would be guilty of. They are not my sort. I couldn't sit down to eat my meals with a lot of swollen-headed nobodies. That's not my way. Let a man say what he thinks and speak out straight, then you know where you are. Judging from what I've seen, there must be some fine schools for liars²⁴ in the old country; they seem educated up to it somehow."
 
He paused for a few moments, and Jack said—
 
"There are good and bad in every country. You must not judge us all by the worst samples."
 
"I forgive 'em since I met you," went on Barry. "In the old days on the gold fields we had a lively time, and no mistake. I was a lonely man there, although I had one good

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