n of which might be ranked
as specially valuable. The proportion of seed pearls was singularly
small, and, toward the close of the second day's work, was considered of
so little value, comparatively, as to be not worth the time and trouble
of collecting. To attempt to put anything more than the merest
approximate estimate of value upon their catch was of course quite out
of the question; but when the result of their third day's labour was
added to that of their first and second, von Schalckenberg, who claimed
to be something of an authority in such matters, declared that the whole
must be worth not far short of one hundred thousand pounds, if indeed it
did not exceed that value.

The enthusiasm with which the men had been working at their highly
unpleasant task of extracting the pearls from their loathsome
envelopment had so far cooled by the end of the third day that it had
been unanimously resolved to take a change of occupation on the
following day by again going out to the shoal and securing a further
supply of oysters. The suggestion emanated from von Schalckenberg in
the first instance; he made it upon the plea that such a change was very
highly desirable in the interests of their health; and the proposal had
been eagerly welcomed by all hands, most of whom had already begun to
complain of nausea, and to exhibit a more or less marked distaste for
food.

That there really was distinct need for such a precaution seemed to be
borne out next morning by the fact that when the party mustered for
breakfast Barker was found to be an absentee, and upon George being
dispatched to his cabin to awaken him, upon the assumption that he had
overslept himself, the man presently returned with a message to the
effect that the absentee was suffering from a splitting headache, that
he required no breakfast, and that "he guessed" he would spend the
morning in bed, if it was all the same to the others. Whereupon von
Schalckenberg paid him a professional visit, looked at his tongue, asked
him a few questions, and sent him a draught to take. Sir Reginald--who,
now that his wife and child were with him, had evinced a rather marked
tendency toward over-anxiety in all matters relating to sickness--was
very particular in his inquiries as to the invalid's condition, and was
with difficulty reassured by the professor's assertion that there was
certainly nothing worse the matter with him than, possibly, a slight
attack of biliousness. T