"He's called one claim after you, and another after himself, so there can be no doubt about it," was the reply. The voyage to Fremantle was tedious to Jack, owing to his impatience to meet Barry, and hear the news from his own lips. At last the steamer entered the harbour and he at once went ashore and straight on to Perth. Barry was not there, but was expected down in the course of the week, so Jack had to pass the time as best he could. He went back to Fremantle in the hope that he might come across Silas Filey, and had not been long there when he met the black, Kylis. The fellow grinned when he saw him, and Jack felt inclined to knock him down. He smothered his anger and beckoned to him. Kylis sauntered across the road and asked what he wanted. "Tell me how you stole the black pearl out of my waist-belt," said Jack, quickly, and holding him by the arm. The black cowed under his angry gaze, and said in a low voice that he would do as he wished, providing no harm came to him. "No one shall touch you, tell me everything," said Jack. Kylis told the story of the robbery and of the sale of the pearl to Amos Hooker, also how Hooker parted with it for a hundred pounds to one of Silas Filey's men. He did not say anything about Hooker's death. All this was interesting to Jack, who wondered at the black's cunning. "You are a dangerous fellow, Kylis," he said. "Mind and keep out of trouble in future, here's a sovereign for you." The black took it with many expressions of gratitude, and then walked rapidly away. At last Barry Tuxford returned to Perth, and after a hearty greeting between them Jack saw he was much altered and that he had suffered a good deal in health. He was not the same lively Barry Tuxford who had left him in Sydney, and Jack was troubled. "You are ill, Barry," he said, anxiously. "You have overworked yourself, you must rest and have a doctor to see you at once." "I'm all right, Jack," he said, faintly, "a bit knocked up, that's all; I shall soon get over it, but I've had a hard job, a precious hard job." Barry Tuxford was seriously ill, and when the doctor saw him he said that complete rest and change was what he required. "He has a constitution of iron," said the doctor, "or he would have knocked up weeks ago. I warned him of the risk he was running the last time he was here, but when a man has the gold fever on him the fear of death will not stop him. He is your friend, Mr. Redland. From what he has told me I know you have more influence with him than anyone, you must make him give all this up for a time. Take him to England for a trip, the voyage will do him more good than all the medicine I can give him. Once you get him safely out to sea he cannot give you the slip, but he'll do it here if you do not watch him closely. I never met such a man before, he's all activity, and his courage is marvellous." "Is he in any danger?" asked Jack.