Jacob Rank sprang to his feet and said, excitedly,
"A black pearl? you said a black pearl? I have only seen one in my life, and it was sold for a heap of money. Where is it?"
"Here," replied Jack, as he took it out of his pocket and handed it to him.
When Jacob saw the beautiful black egg-shaped pearl, he gasped for breath, and stared at it with wondering eyes. They crowded around him, as he held it in his hand, and all seemed lost in amazement.
"What do you think of it?" asked Jack.
"Mr. Redland, this is one of the rarest pearls that ever came out of a shell. It is perfect, there is not a fault in it, and look at its size. It is worth a heap of money, I dare not say how much, if we had found nothing else, this pearl would have been worth coming for," said Jacob. Phil Danks and Hake Moss were also loud in their praises, and examined it closely.
"This will not need any pearl faker to make it perfect," said Phil.
"No," replied Jacob, "it can be mounted just as it is."
"What is a pearl faker?" asked Jack.
"Pearl fakers are clever fellows, they can remove the defects of a pearl and give it a perfect appearance. Hundreds of pearls have been through their hands, and no one can tell what they have done to them."