A Chapter of Adventures

t beside him. "That is all right, lad;

swim or to take advantage of their momentary intervals of coming to the surface, they had become insensible some time bef

e you out with my glass when I did. It was touch and go; I saw you trying to get them on their ba

e island, and here the grapnel had brought it up. When they got up to it, the grapnel was raised and brought into

ave taken their boat up beyond the village, but one of the fishermen said, "You go home a

" Bill said as they walked along. "You saved our

all have been fished o

retty easy, and then young Joe twisted round and got hold of you, and we all went down together. Bu

how, Joe got hold of them. However, we all kept together, that was a goo

not reached his mother, for she had been engaged in

the last moment it had been believed that the boat would get to them in time, and there had been a gasp of dismay as he suddenly exclaimed, "They

d, "There he goes! There, they

got them

wered the sail. Yes! they must have got them all, for none of them

d again. The officer watched for a min

e is under the island. They would not trouble about that unless those they have picked up

broke up and scattered to their houses. No one had known at first what boat it was whose occupants

he was ill in

re was a man on board. No one but boys would be fools enough to get caug

ned?" Mrs. Robson asked as

out the tide, and the boat drifted away and we got caught. Of course I could swim, so there was no danger for me; but it would have g

s taken all the colour out of your face. I will get a

her son had had, that Mrs. Robson realized that Jack's life had been in considerable danger

to happen again, you know. It has been a good lesson to me to keep my eyes open; and when

ey went only for short trips, taking a meal before starting, and another on their return; but doing no cooking on board. Here they were out for longer hours, and the boat was always their hom

as they could take off a finger or two with the greatest ease with their powerful jaws and sharp teeth. These fish were always hung up in the air for a day or two before eating, as the flesh improves by keeping; the eatab

ers that had perhaps been lying there a hundred years or more, and then it either came up torn into fragments, or if it obtained a really firm hold, there was nothing for it but to cut the trawl-rope and lose it altogether. In fine weather, however, this step would not be taken except as a last resource. A

and mainsails reefed, and the fleet of perhaps a hundred vessels would go racing back into Harwich, there to anchor just a

at the mouth of the river. Boats are out for many days together, frequently in terrible seas, when the boat is more under than above the water. The work of getting up the net is heavy and exhausting, and for all this hardship and labour the reward is often exceedingly s

al price know but little of the hard struggle th

to Leigh to-morrow and spend Sunday at home. I don't think we shall lose much, f

id. "I think that it is going to blow really har

y. "Anyhow, if it comes to blow too hard for us we

we are likely to drop anchor in the Ray to-morrow night. If I were sure of that I should not mind a dusting; but I wou

changing about to-day, and there is no saying which way it will come when it fairly makes up its mind about it; but I think from the look o

though it has been pretty close several times. We have got the springs on now, and with the wind from the north-east we should run the six hours very clos

ast of the ebb down to Walton, and then catch the flood and hav

e agreed with Tom Hoskins that they were likely to have a dusting on the way up. The sun had gone down angry and threatening; the s

edicted. "There must be a heavy sea on now all the way from the Swin Middle to the Nore with the wind meeting a lee tide," he said to himself; "but of course when the ebb is done it will smooth down a bit, and wil

of the weather?" Ben Tripper asked

he wind is working round to the north of ea

e we start. We shall have enough to do when we are once under way. I will run down to the Naze anyhow, and then we shall see what it is like outs

esail got up, and two reefs put in the mai

home, Tripper?" shouted

ay,

ecks washed before y

ave us trouble!" Tr

aturday if the wind is right." Tripper threw up his arm to show

r went aft and hauled in the main-sheet. "Up with the foresail, Tom. That is it. You keep the tiller, Jack." The two men now proceeded to coil down all the ropes, and get everything ship-shape and tidy. B

anywhere against tide. No wonder they call it the Rolling Ground. There, I will take the helm

Bessy was off the point. As soon as the ugly ledge of rocks run

ck out-slack out all it will go; the wind is nearly dead aft. Eas

ly, in nearly the same line the boat was following. Coming up threateningly behind her, they lifted the stern high into the air, passin

tand a reef shaken o

n brail it up at any moment if need be. We sha'n't be long getting down off Clacton. Then you must keep a sharp look-out for the Spitway Buoy. It comes on very thick at times, and it is difficult to judge how far we are out. However, I think I know pretty