194 WILD WINGS 
not ready for the bluefish, but the birds had done their 
part. 
It was my purpose to spend another day off Pollock Rip 
and enjoy, possible new developments. Next day the wind 
blew a gale offshore, and evidently it blew all the birds away 
out to sea, for on the day following, when I tried it again, 
first catching a liberal supply of dog-fish outside the bar, there 
was hardly a bird to be found, despite a long sail, and far off¬ 
shore at that. It was necessary, then, to return home, so I had 
to content myself with what I had already secured. 
The next 3 "ear, in August, I tried it again. This time some¬ 
thing remarkable happened. I got offshore the first day, 
without any delay. Even thus I had to have a little fuss and 
fret. I arrived at Chatham late in the preceding afternoon, 
with favorable weather. Then the wind had to haul to the 
eastward, and blow hard in the night. The old bars began 
to moan, and in the morning we could see a line of breakers 
across the entrance. “ Too rough,” announced the skipper. 
Yet he thought we might be able to get out when the tide 
turned in. So we ran down about ten o’clock, the party 
including two friends, a gentleman and his wife, both ardent 
bird-lovers. They confessed to being wretched sailors, but 
they were so eager to see those ocean-birds I had written 
about that they were willing to take the necessary punish¬ 
ment. 
While we were still inside the point of the “ north beach,” 
before we took the swell, we saw many gulls and terns of 
various species, and were having such a good time that the 
lady remarked ver\" naively that she might make a sailor 
after all, which completely upset the gravit\^ of the skipper. 
Alas, as we rounded the point and shoal and plunged into 
the swell, our “ lands-people ” were soon prostrated, though 
they remained courageous. Dp in the harbor the wind was 
