re shown to Barry by Rawlings as the result
of the week's work.

"Of course, Barry," said Rawlings genially, "I intend, as I said
before, to let you stand in with me. I quite recognise that you are
something more to me than a mere chief officer at 15 pounds a month.
You are doing all the hard work and are entitled to share in my good
luck."

"And I, as I have told you, Captain Rawlings, do not want anything more
than that to which I am entitled," replied Barry quietly; "I am
anxious--most anxious--to see the _Mahina_ with a full cargo under her
hatches."

"And that will be accomplished within four months, at the rate we are
going on at now," said Rawlings, with his usual sweet smile; "the men
seem to be working uncommonly well under your supervision."

"They _are_ working very hard indeed. And I think I can get them to
continue at it until the brig is filled. But now and then we must give
them a few days' liberty."

"Certainly, Mr. Barry," replied the captain affably. And then
motioning his chief officer to a seat, and calling the steward to bring
the spirit stand, he offered his cigar case to his officer.

"Let us take a quiet little drink and a smoke, Mr. Barry. Now, tell
me; what do you think the past week's work amounts to? You are an
experienced man in the pearling business; I know nothing about the
matter practically."

"I think that the shell we have obtained so far will bring over a
thousand to fifteen hundred pounds in Singapore or Hongkong. And the
pearls you have shown me will certainly bring another thousand--in
London you would get fifteen hundred for them."

Rawlings' eyes sparkled. "Then in fact, as we are going on now, we are
getting shell and pearls to the value of, say, 2,000 pounds a week at
least?"

"Yes, about that," answered Barry carelessly; "but I daresay that when
we get on to the big six fathom bed in the middle of the lagoon--which
I am leaving until we have worked out those near by--that we can count
on getting about three thousand pounds' worth of shell and pearls every
week for three or four or five months at the very least. I have never
seen such rich patches in all my experience; and I shall not be
surprised if we get some very fine pearls. For instance, I can point
you out two or three shells now in the boats, all of which, I think by
their appearance, will contain big pearls." Stepping to the rail, he
called out to Velo--

"Pass up those three big shells, Velo."