"We'll start at opening them first thing in the morning," said Jacob. "You must all take a hand in it, we never allow the divers to open the shells."
"I fear I shall make a mess of it," said Jack.
"You will soon get into it," replied Jacob. "It's just like opening a large oyster."
"And how do you find the pearls?" asked Jack.
"You'll soon find a pearl if there is one in the shell," replied Jacob. "Sometimes they are loose, not often, again you may find them in big blisters, but, as a rule, you can see them embedded in the shell, where they look like pimples on the surface. You must keep an exact account of all we find, so that a proper division can be made."
"My friend, Harry Marton, will attend to that," said Jack, "it is more in his line."
"It matters very little who does it as long as it is done," replied Jacob.
They were all tired out with the day's work, and slept soundly until aroused by Jacob Rank. Each man was provided with a large knife, and Jack admired the dexterity with which Jacob severed the muscle of the mollusc when the shell opened, and with the rapidity of a London oyster opener, he sliced the fish out of the shell. This being done, the next thing was to look for pearls.
Jack Redland was clumsy at first, but quickly got into the way of opening and cleaning the shells, and he felt a strange thrill of excitement as he looked for his first pearl.
It was an old worm eaten encrusted shell he held in his hand, and in it he saw a blister about the size of a penny piece. He was about to smash it when Jacob called out—