Jack Redland's heart beat high with hope as he listened to Jacob Rank's story, and even Phil Danks and Hake Moss, who were accustomed to hearing far fetched yarns, knew that Jacob did not speak without the book, or talk at random. Jack was the first to speak, and thanked Jacob for his interesting story. He then told him that Barry Tuxford had empowered them to give him his fair share in whatever they might find, and that he was to tell him he need have no fear on that head. "You must work in with us," said Jack, "and I am perfectly certain you will be satisfied." "Barry Tuxford's word is always reliable," said Jacob. "He has faith in me, and I have faith in him. How many divers have you?" "Twenty," replied Jack. "We ought to have more. The best plan will be, however, to do the best we can with them, and not send one of the schooners to look for more. If we do that we shall lose time, and sufficient has been wasted already." "I quite agree with you," said Jack, "we must get to work at once." "Where do you hail from?" asked Jacob. "England, have you been there?" "No, but my father was a fisherman at Brighton, before he came out to Western Australia, many years ago." "Brighton!" exclaimed Jack. "That is strange. I was living at Brighton when I made up my mind to try my fortunes out here. I know Sussex well, and my best friends live in that county." "It's marvellous," said Jacob. "Here we are in an unknown spot on the coast of Australia, and we both hail from the same place. Give me your hand, sir, we'll shake on it, and on the success of this trip." "With all my heart," said Jack, and amidst general hilarity they clasped hands. CHAPTER THIRTEENTH _THE DIVERS AT WORK_ It was arranged that Jacob Rank should have charge of the divers and superintend their work, as he knew more about it than any of the others. Accordingly the men were mustered on the "Heron" and he inspected them. When he came to Kylis and Miah, the two blacks from Shark's Bay, he looked keenly at them, but they bore the scrutiny well, although they knew Jacob, and had seen him at the Bay. "What do you think of them?" asked Jack. "Will they do?" "We shall have to make the best of them," said Jacob. "I prefer Malays, but I have no doubt we can get along with these fellows. Where did you pick the two big men up, they seem in a different class to the others?" "When we put into Shark's Bay, there seemed some likelihood of trouble arising with the fishermen there, and Phil Danks tried to square matters with Amos Hooker." "Amos Hooker!" exclaimed Rank, "he is a bad lot." "That is probable, anyway he pacified the men and we tried the bay, but Phil said it was no good our stopping there, as it was about worked out." "So it is, he's quite right."