Living Silver 



The sea-lice were a nuisance but they did not finally interfere 

 with the success of the trip. When the Honor put into Aberdeen 

 at the end of three weeks, she had more than ten tons of large hali- 

 but aboard her. These fish alone fetched two thousand pounds. 

 The larger catch of skate and the smaller ones of cod, ling and 

 torsk, added another thousand. Even after he had paid Sandy two- 

 thirds of his share, Jan was left with more than twenty pounds for 

 every week's work. 



Even more than the money, though, was the sense of achieve- 

 ment, of having sailed with these most exigent and best-experi- 

 enced of seamen without having made a fool of himself. Jan had 

 now mastered all the main techniques of commercial fishing. He 

 was ready to try his hand at something even more complicated 

 and, in the end, mysterious. Radcliffe wished him luck in the bar 

 of the Station Hotel when Jan left to catch the train for Glasgow. 



232 



