_BARRY TUXFORD_
Barry Tuxford was one of those clever, shrewd colonials who can turn
their hands to almost anything, and make it pay. He would tackle any
business or job with no fear of failure, and in his time he had followed
many occupations. A hard worker himself, he expected the men in his
employ to follow his example, and he was not at all slow at reminding
them of their faults, when they had any that particularly annoyed him.
He had travelled in many parts of Australia and seen life on the gold
fields when the miners' camps were rough and dangerous, and men sought
for the precious metal with their lives in their hands. He had tried
station life, and found it too slow, accordingly he changed it, and took
an hotel in a mining township. Here, much to his credit be it said, he
held his own, conducted his house as respectably and orderly as could be
expected in a community where customers pitched nuggets into a bucket in
payment for "quenchers," and where the women caused even more trouble
than the miners. The police respected Barry, and he was wise enough to
keep in their good books. He had a bullet wound in his arm, caused by a
shot from an angry miner, at close quarters, across his counter; but he
made light of it at the time, and went on with his business without
interruption. His coolness and courage were unquestionable, and he might
have been in more than one big thing in his time had his restless spirit
not led him to seek new sources of labour.
Barry Tuxford had money; how much no one ventured to surmise, for it was
difficult to reckon him up financially, he had a finger in so many pies.
He could not have summed up his financial position in a few hours, it
would take him months. His wealth fluctuated according as the
enterprises in which he was engaged panned out, but he seldom lost much
over his ventures, and was generally considered a lucky man. All his
life he was of an uncertain age--he might be anything from forty to
fifty, or more--he had fought for his own hand, and if the cards
favoured him, so much the better. As a lad he had been turned loose in a
mining camp when his mother died, and his father was shot in a brawl. At
this time he was twelve years old, and knew as much almost as a man of
twenty. Miners are a rough lot, but the majority of them are straight
goers, and dislike bouncers and blackguards. They are also generous when
their luck is in. Young Barry Tuxford was popular; his misfortunes
touched the right chord in many a rough nature, and he lived a merry
life in the camp for some years. He managed to secure a claim in a new
rush, and it turned out fairly well. He sold it for a considerable sum
and cleared out of Victoria to Western Australia. It was one of the
peculiar characteristics of Barry Tuxford that at this time he should
have made his way to a colony about which very little was known, and
that little anything but encouraging. Advice was given him to go to New
South Wales, as it was a prosperous colony, while Western Australia was
a desert sparsely populated. His reply was that he preferred the desert
as there would be more room for him, and not so much chance of being
crowded out. He had some difficulty in reaching Perth, and when he
arrived there was so disgusted at his prospects that he shipped with a
pearler to Batavia, and from there eventually found his way to
North-West Australia, and on to the Lacepede Islands, where there was
such an abundance of green turtle that he wondered if anything else
managed to live in the place. This pearl shelling expedition was not a
success, so far as he was concerned; but he had never forgotten his
experiences, or the probabilities held out if a rich lot of shell could
be discovered. For many years after his return to Perth he was too much
occupied to put to any practical use these experiences of his early
days, until a chance meeting decided him to try pearl fishing again on
his own account. One Jacob Rank, a man Barry had known in Victoria,
informed him that good pearls were to be had in a large bay some five
hundred miles to the north of Fremantle. How he came by his knowledge he
imparted to him, and as it was a question of his having the money and
his informant none, he made very good terms. Unfortunately, Jacob Rank
was drowned on the first trip of the pearling boats, and the men who
accompanied him declared on their return that the whole thing was a
hoax, and that there was no pearl shell in the bay.
Barry Tuxford paid them off, but did not believe their story. He had his
doubts as to how Jacob Rank came by his end, for they were a rough crew
he had with him. He kept his suspicions and his opinion to himself, but
he meant to have those pearls. Jacob Rank had no reason to give him
false information; on the contrary, it was to the man's interests to
deal fairly by him. He even had his doubts about Rank having been
drowned, and thought it more than probable he had been deserted when
absent from the schooner. The crew of the boats were only paid wages,
and had no interest in the venture, so it was possible they determined
to make the trip one of pleasure, and not toil, and accomplished this by
leaving the leader of the expedition in the lurch. It was about this
time Barry Tuxford received Harry Marton's letter, and it occurred to
him he would be a useful, trustworthy representative to send out with a
second fleet. It was not necessary he should know anything about the
sailing of such vessels, all that would be required of him would be to
see that everything was carried out in a satisfactory way. It was with
this intention he wrote to him, and asked him to bring a chum if he
wished. Two such men would be better than one.
When he saw Harry Marton and Jack on the "Golden Land," he was quite
satisfied he had acted for the best. He at once took a fancy to them,
and he was quick in his likes and dislikes. Captain Seagrave was an old
friend, and he was ready enough to accept his invitation to dine on
board, more especially as it would enable him to find out what manner of
young men these were. The captain had so he said, "spread himself" in
the matter of providing good entertainment for his visitor.
"It's well worth taking a little extra trouble over," he said, "and when
a man has dined well he is generally in a good humour."
Barry Tuxford was a good talker. Most men of his experience are. They
have much to tell, and it is generally interesting. Before dinner
Captain Seagrave told his visitor how Jack had ridden Topsy Turvy at
Lewes and wound up by saying--
"He's too good for pearl fishing, Barry. Take my advice, and let him
manage and ride your horses, it will pay you well, and suit him better."
"He looks uncommon smart, and he shall have his choice, but if I'm a
judge he'll want to try the pearling first; it will be a change for him.
He's out here to make money, I suppose, and I shall give them both an
interest in the affair. That will be a sufficient inducement to him to
try his hand at it," said Barry. "If he cares to join me at racing when
he returns I'll give him a look in, but he will not make much at that
game."
After dinner Barry Tuxford placed his plans before them. He told them of
his early adventures, and how Jacob Rank was supposed to have been
drowned when the pearling vessels were in the bay.
"What I propose to do is to send two schooners to the place; you will be
on one, Harry Marton on the other. You will be in charge, and I have
found two reliable men who are willing to act under your orders. They
are good seamen, and have made several voyages amongst the islands and
elsewhere. You will be away about six months, perhaps more, and the
schooners will be amply provisioned. There will be some roughish work,
but I don't think you are the sort of men to shirk it. The divers are
aborigines, and curious fellows to deal with. Most of them thieve when
they have an opportunity, and this you will have to guard against. Some
of them are treacherous, but I think I can pick a pretty even lot who
will work well if you keep a strict watch over them. Both the skippers
have had experience of this work, and know what is required. It is much
cheaper to send these divers than to go in for more modern methods, and
I am not at all sure it is not the better way of getting the shell. If
you agree to go I will pay you so much a month, and you shall also have
a share of the profits. That is fair, I think."