"I am not his partner," said Jack, "at least I have put no money into these claims."
"He's called one claim after you, and another after himself, so there can be no doubt about it," was the reply.
The voyage to Fremantle was tedious to Jack, owing to his impatience to meet Barry, and hear the news from his own lips. At last the steamer entered the harbour and he at once went ashore and straight on to Perth.
Barry was not there, but was expected down in the course of the week, so Jack had to pass the time as best he could. He went back to Fremantle in the hope that he might come across Silas Filey, and had not been long there when he met the black, Kylis. The fellow grinned when he saw him, and Jack felt inclined to knock him down. He smothered his anger and beckoned to him. Kylis sauntered across the road and asked what he wanted.
"Tell me how you stole the black pearl out of my waist-belt," said Jack, quickly, and holding him by the arm.
The black cowed under his angry gaze, and said in a low voice that he would do as he wished, providing no harm came to him.
"No one shall touch you, tell me everything," said Jack.
Kylis told the story of the robbery and of the sale of the pearl to Amos Hooker, also how Hooker parted with it for a hundred pounds to one of Silas Filey's men. He did not say anything about Hooker's death.
All this was interesting to Jack, who wondered at the black's cunning.
"You are a dangerous fellow, Kylis," he said. "Mind and keep out of trouble in future, here's a sovereign for you."