DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 135 



of them had evidently justification, as his line was 

 going, instead of coming, in spite of the help he got 

 by pulling at it at such an angle that he got gunwale 

 help to hold it back. The captain offered assistance, 

 but the fisher desired to fight it out unaided, and 

 showed much pluck until his too soft hands got sore 

 with the rough cord sUding through them, when he 

 was glad to accept the proferred help, and after some 

 further hauling he relinquished what was left to him of 

 the honour in favour of the captain's brother. These 

 two soon decided that it was a big skate, with the 

 tail and its back mooring erect against the tide, that 

 was causing the trouble. This proved correct, as, 

 after much hauling and gi'ving hne, a huge, stone-slab- 

 like monster appeared upon the surface, and gave 

 infinite further trouble before it was got on board. 



Conger, skate, and hng came in about equal numbers, 

 and I have no doubt had there been more men with 

 sea legs and with homy hands to work the Hues the 

 take would have been astonishing, but the increasing 

 roU of the httle vessel and the unmistalcable hard 

 labour this fishing called for soon killed the keenness 

 of my sons. The eldest held out the longest, but he 

 was finished off at last by a tussle with a conger that 

 almost equalled the doings of the skate, and, as the 

 fisher was handicapped by the tide running at its 

 topmost speed and the extra weight of lead on his 

 line, for a time it was even betting how the fight would 

 end. After the fish had drawn through the sore 

 fingers fathoms of Hne, encouragement came from some 

 of his brothers with, 'Go it, Phil, never say die,' while 

 others of them had by this time become indifferent 

 to such petty matters. I, too, cared little now, for 

 my sympathies and attention were with the youngsters, 

 who were in distress of another kind. I wanted the 

 anchor up, and was truly glad when at last I was called 

 to see the lengthy, wriggling monster, that was close 

 alongside, ensconced in phosphorescence, and to 



